Thompson Hine LLP > Washington DC, United States > Firm Profile

Thompson Hine LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 2

Buy and sell-side M&A, corporate finance and compliance are all core areas of activity for the team at Thompson Hine LLP, which is well versed in transactional matters involving small to mid-size companies, large privately-held enterprises, emerging companies, investment firms and private equity funds. Spearheading the practice, Frank Chaiken acts for several European and American clients in US and cross-border M&A, joint ventures and commercial agreements. He splits his time between Chicago and Cincinnati, and receives support from a robust team of M&A practitioners spread across the country. Emma Off in Cincinnati is counsel of choice for many private investment firms, as well as public and private companies active in various industries. Based in Cleveland, William Henry specializes in strategic and private equity M&A deals, and also provides assistance to clients in corporate reorganizations and governance issues.

Transport > Rail and road: litigation and regulation Tier 2

Thompson Hine LLP‘s transportation practice is highly involved in the rail regulatory reform movement, including proposals to increase rail competition in the US. The group is also active in regulatory debates over the transportation of hazardous materials by rail, including safety and liability issues and common carrier obligations. It additionally has extensive experience in rail rate cases, including matters for the chemical and plastics industries. In the road sector, the group has notable regulatory expertise, while the department’s motor carrier lawyers assist shippers, intermediaries and carriers with a wide array of work, including regulatory rulemaking proceedings, and loss, damage and delay-related claims. Regulatory and commercial freight rail expert Karyn Booth leads the transportation group from Washington DC, where Sandra L. Brown represents bulk commodity shippers and other entities that use transportation services. Other key DC partners are commercial and regulatory transportation expert Jeff Moreno, former senior US Department of Transportation official Tim Goodman. and transportation specialist Jason Tutrone. Counsels to note are senior counsel Nicholas DiMichael in DC and Columbus’ Dan Ujczo, along with David Benz in Chicago.

Government > Government contracts Tier 3

With ‘a wide range of knowledge’, Thompson Hine LLP offers comprehensive assistance with government contract matters at federal, state and local levels. Based in Washington DC, the team demonstrates notable strength in the telecom, IT, life sciences and defense industries, where it handles contract disputes, compliance programs and False Claims Act matters. Leading the group is Francis Purcell, who is sought after to handle intellectual property and M&A-related government contracts matters as well as litigation. Ryan Spiegel  focuses on compliance, counselling and dispute resolution work involving bid protests, trade secrets and False Claim Act cases. A new addition to the team includes Edward DeLisle, who joined the firm in September 2022 from Offit Kurman.

Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 3

Thompson Hine LLP advises clients throughout the complete cycle of development projects, ranging from planning, site selection, construction and ensuing renovation projects. Based in Cleveland, Jeffrey Appelbaum has assisted construction managers, contractors, and public and private owners in project management mandates and disputes. Erin Luke also works from Cleveland and is proficient in claims resolution, insurance and risk management counselling, operational project management advice, project delivery and structuring advice. Senior managing associate Jack Clark works from Columbus, and has overseen a breadth of projects including affordable housing, chemical plants, data centers, and industrial facilities. James Frankel joined the New York office from Venable LLP in May 2022.

Transport > Shipping: litigation and regulation Tier 3

Thompson Hine LLP‘s shipping practice is well known for its representation of shippers and intermediaries in policy and rulemaking matters concerning the Shipping Act of 1984 (as amended by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act). Its expertise also covers the Federal Maritime Commission regulations governing international ocean transportation services of containerized cargo, and the team routinely acts for the National Industrial Transportation League, which represents shippers’ interests in freight transportation matters. In Washington DC, Karyn Booth‘s shipping practice includes advising shippers and trade associations on their regulatory rights and remedies, and the workload of recently-promoted partner Jason Tutrone covers transportation regulation compliance issues and transportation-related disputes. Over in Columbus, senior counsel Dan Ujczo is a former outside legal advisor to the US Coast Guard.

Industry focus > Sport Tier 4

Thompson Hine LLP‘s Columbus-based team is well known for its provision of advice on the development, design and construction of professional sports facilities in the US and elsewhere in North America, notably advising on a number of arena projects of stadiums for teams in diverse national sports leagues. Construction expert Jeffrey Appelbaum heads up the team, and is well supported by an experienced transactional lawyer Patrick J. Sweeney, who regularly acts for sports owners in a range of construction projects and sports transactions.

Investment fund formation and management > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 4

Thompson Hine LLP caters to a diverse client base, including mutual funds, investment funds, ETFs, investment advisers, and domestic and offshore hedge funds. The department is experienced in providing structural, transactional, and regulatory advice, and assists clients in entering the industry, developing new products and services, and adapting to regulatory and industry developments. Team lead JoAnn Strasser, based in Columbus, is highly experienced in alternative funds, including managed futures funds with offshore subsidiaries, closed-end interval funds, and master feeder structures. Also based in Columbus are Andrew Davalla, who has lengthy experience in the practice area, and Michael Wible, who is managing partner for the office. Bibb Strench, in Washington DC, is a thought leader on the design and implementation of compliance programs.

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

Thompson Hine LLP’s ‘tremendous’ and ‘extremely responsive’ team advises a number of Fortune 1000 companies, alongside clients in the financial services and utilities sectors, many of whom have a national and global footprint. The team is led by Cleveland’s Julia Ann Love, who has particular expertise of group health plan rules and regulations. Kim Wilcoxon is also experienced in handling healthcare matters, while Laura Ryan advises on all aspects of compliance related to their retirement, health and welfare, and compensation programs. Tim Brown is capable of handling a variety of plans, such as health and welfare plans, whereas Shane Starkey primarily focuses on executive compensation matters. These attorneys are all active in the firm’s Cincinnati office. Washington DC’s Dominic DeMatties focuses on retirement plans.

Real estate Tier 4

Thompson Hine LLP‘s national real estate group has a specialty practice in tax finance, advising on use of public incentives, including low income housing tax credits, new market tax credits, tax increment financing, and other government incentive programs. It also routinely assists with corporate expansion, new construction, development and acquisition, particularly as it relates to headquarters and plant development projects. Thomas Coyne heads the practice from Cleveland.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 5