Firm Profile > Thompson Hine LLP > Cleveland, United States

Thompson Hine LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 2

Cleveland-based group chairman Jeffrey Appelbaum leads the 'customer-oriented' construction practice at Thompson Hine LLP, which has 'true team players' and 'professional and diligent' attorneys among its ranks. Appelbaum assists public or private entities, construction managers and contractors on large-scale developments, particularly in the sports and entertainment sectors; he currently acts as counsel to TKFC LC, the ownership group of a new 22,000-seater St Louis soccer stadium. Also in Cleveland, Alan Ritchie and Patrick Sweeney offer 'top-notch day-to-day support' in transactional matters, ranging from the negotiation of construction agreements to the creation of project insurance programs. 'First-rate' associate William Thrush can 'render advice of counsel in short order' and further excels in dispute situations from mediation through to trial, while the 'very knowledgeable' Erin Luke 'even provided training' to clients during her role as project counsel on certain multi-million dollar infrastructure builds.

Government > Government contracts Tier 3

The 'exceptionally well-put-together' government contracts practice at Thompson Hine LLP is noted for its 'expertise and experience' in corporate transactions, suspension and debarment actions, bid protests and whistleblower cases. The team is led by Thomas Mason and includes lawyers with experience of contracting matters in a variety of industries, including IT, biodefense and life sciences, telecoms, defense, intelligence and homeland security, and transportation. Litigators Ray McCann and Francis Purcell deal with pre­- and post-award disputes as well as corporate due diligence matters, and Joe Berger is active in bid protests and FCA litigation.

Industry focus > Transport: aviation and air travel - litigation and regulation Tier 3

At Thompson Hine LLP, Washington DC based senior counsel Brent Connor represents major domestic and international airlines - most notably cargo air carriers - before the DOT and FAA in connection with compliance matters, requests for approvals, licenses and certificates, route proceedings and codeshare issues. He has also defended clients in enforcement actions relating to hazardous materials.

Industry focus > Transport: rail and road - litigation and regulation Tier 3

Thompson Hine LLP acts for shippers, intermediaries, and carriers in a wide variety of motor carrier and rail transport matters, including regulatory rulemaking proceedings before Department of Transportation, and other federal agencies. Washington DC-based practice head Karyn Booth specializes in railroad safety proceedings before the Federal Railroad Administration, and also advises on railroad contracts and tariffs. Sandra Brown stands out for her experience working with bulk commodity shippers and other entities that use transportation services.

Industry focus > Transport: shipping - litigation and regulation Tier 3

Thompson Hine LLP is most active in advising shippers and intermediaries on policy issues and rulemaking procedures before the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). The name to note in this space is Karyn Booth, who has recently advocated for various industry associations before the FMC, and has also been involved in cargo loss and damage claims. Booth handles ongoing freight forwarding and service argeements for a number of well-known retailers. Jason Tutrone is a recommended associate in the practice group.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 3

Acting for public and private companies, boards of directors and special committees, investors and financial advisors, Thompson Hine LLP stands out in part for its work in the areas of investment management and strategic corporate governance. That said, the team is also recognized for its broad transactional M&A and securities practice. The team's recent work for PharMerica is a strong example of its hand-in-hand client service and comprehensive corporate work; here, Frank Chaiken in Chicago and Cleveland-based William Henry handled several strategic business acquisitions and asset deals, both for PharMerica and its subsidiary Pharmacy Corporation of America. The team in New York is noted for its shareholder activism and private investment work; Corby Baumann is a name to note in this space.

Investment funds > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 4

Primarily based in the firm's Columbus office, the team at Thompson Hine LLP is active across a wide range of ETF and mutual funds matters. Michael Wible handles regulatory work for investment companies, while Andrew Davalla counts open-end fund and ETF work as core areas of expertise. Also noted are JoAnn Strasser in Columbus, and Bibb Strench in the Washington DC office.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design Tier 4

The Cincinnati-based team at Thompson Hine LLP is retained by a diverse roster of clients – including notable names in healthcare and financial services – to offer administrative support on the full range of benefits plans. Laura Ryan, Kim Wilcoxon, David Whaley and Timothy Brown advise on group health and wellness programs (including compliance with the Affordable Care Acts and HIPAA), 401(k), defined benefit retirement plans and executive deferred compensation packages. The team also provides fiduciary risk-management training. Julia Ann Love now leads the employee benefits practice group.

Real estate > Real estate Tier 4

Thompson Hine LLP runs a diverse real estate practice, with experience of financing, acquisitions, developments and leasing matters. Headed by Thomas Coyne in Ohio, the team also benefits from complementary skill sets in areas such as planning, and extensive experience in real estate-related litigation. In the finance space, the practice group acts for banks and alternative lenders in bank finance and equity transactions. As for development, the team advises investors and companies on the development and acquisition matters, specifically in relation to corporate headquarters.