Thompson Hine LLP

Darrel is a partner in the firm's Real Estate practice group. He has a broad-based transactional real estate practice, with an emphasis in acquisitions, dispositions, development matters, financing transactions and construction. Darrel represents institutional investors with respect to all types of commercial real estate including multifamily, industrial, mixed-use, data center, office and retail properties.

Mike is the partner in charge of our Columbus office and a partner in our Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. His practice includes counseling investment companies, investment advisers and broker-dealers on issues related to the creation and offering of investment products and services. Mike concentrates on regulatory matters, including the organization, registration and operation of investment companies and investment advisers. He has experience in the development of new products and services, the development and implementation of compliance programs, the organization of domestic and offshore investment vehicles, the operation of municipal fund securities, and the merger and acquisition of investment companies and investment advisers. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Mike served as counsel for Bank One Corporation where he was responsible for advising the bank's asset management line of business. Before Bank One, Mike served as special counsel in the Office of Insurance Products, Division of Investment Management at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, focusing on variable annuity and variable life insurance products.

JoAnn is a partner and chair of the Investment Management practice group. Her practice focuses on the representation of registered funds, including ETFs, mutual funds, closed-end funds and interval funds, private funds, and registered investment advisers. She works with a broad spectrum of clients, from large, well established fund complexes to entrepreneurial investment advisers registering unique "first to market" funds. With over 20 years' experience in private practice, she has the depth of experience necessary to identify issues, solve problems, and enable clients to achieve their business objectives.

Andrew is a partner in the firm’s Corporate Transactions & Securities and Investment Management practice groups. With more than 15 years of in-house industry experience, most recently as senior vice president and counsel for a global investment management firm, he has a keen understanding and appreciation of issues from the investment manager’s perspective. Andrew has extensive experience in providing ongoing representation of and advice to open-end investment companies, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), interval funds and their independent directors/trustees. His experience also includes advising on the full range of securities and compliance issues related to fund development and structuring, investment management agreements, third-party service agreements, corporate governance, fund mergers and acquisitions involving investment advisers. Having served in the role of privacy officer, he also gained valuable experience with data privacy and information security issues.

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Dan is a senior counsel in the firm’s International Trade and Transportation practice groups. His practice focuses on providing end-to-end counsel across clients’ Canada-U.S., North American and global supply chains. This trade counsel includes customs classification and compliance, utilization of preferential trade agreements such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), tariff mitigation and exclusions, procurement issues such as Buy America/Buy American, and anti-dumping/countervailing duty issues. He also advises clients in the negotiating of transportation agreements, managing trusted trader and related security programs, and addressing issues at ports-of-entry. Dan’s unique Canada-U.S. experience encompasses serving in the governments of Canada and the United States, private practice and academia. He served as an officer in Canada’s foreign ministry where he worked towards improving North America’s borders and ports-of-entry. For nearly a decade, Dan was a visiting professor of law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and managed a lab that served as a legal adviser to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. His public service also includes having served as a Career Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Peter C. Economus. In that capacity, Dan participated in federal and civil trial litigation and performed by designation in cases pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Dan also assists clients, economic development organizations and governments with cross-border investment and expansion projects. This includes coordinating legal counsel on matters such as corporate structuring, taxation, immigration, incentives, intellectual property, employment among others. Dan serves as external general counsel to a number of cross-border companies.

Sandra L. Brown

Sandy is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and a partner in the firm's Transportation group. She represents bulk commodity shippers and other entities that use transportation services. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies, electric utilities, government entities and ports that buy, sell or move coal, aggregates, chemicals, crude oil and other hazardous materials by rail. Sandy also has past experience representing a Class I Railroad. This unique blend of experience assists Sandy in providing strategic counsel for the transportation of bulk commodities. Sandy counsels on ways to increase competitive leverage including counsel on rail construction options, contract negotiation and drafting, federal preemption, rate challenges, rail service and practices, rail mergers and other regulatory proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board. Sandy also defends shippers in contract and derailment disputes with railroads. Before entering private practice, Sandy worked on Capitol Hill and worked as an attorney with the White House Counsel's office and the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Jack is a partner in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation of public-sector owners, private developers, investors, contractors and design professionals. He advises clients on a variety of construction and real estate development matters, including agreements for construction management, design-build, EPC, design services, acquisitions, leasing and public-private partnerships. He also provides contract drafting and negotiation, project-delivery method evaluation, compliance analysis, and insurance and risk management counseling services. Jack has a particular interest in affordable housing and public-private partnership (P3) projects, including counseling clients on the intricacies of state and local law impacting project bidding, award and management and overall deal structure. Jack’s experience includes representing clients from various industries on projects including mixed-use and multifamily residential developments, chemical and industrial plants, distribution warehouses, office buildings and sports stadia. During law school, Jack served as an extern for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), providing support for federal regulatory initiatives and reviewing project documents for new construction and renovation projects utilizing Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured financing, such as affordable housing, senior living centers and health care facilities.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Tony is Thompson Hine’s firmwide managing partner. In this capacity, he serves as the firm’s chief executive officer. He is also the chair of the Executive Committee, the principal governing body responsible for the firm’s strategic direction, financial affairs, and oversight of its nine offices. With a unique national litigation and labor and employment practice, Tony represents significant clients in their most complex cases wherever they arise. His broad geographic experience includes serving as lead counsel in litigations in 39 states. From complex class action lawsuits and national FLSA collective action claims to simultaneous multidistrict trade secret and non-compete litigation, Tony has vast experience with the most difficult cases.

Karyn is a partner and leader of the Transportation practice. She represents multinational corporations, trade associations, and transportation intermediaries, such as 3PLs, NVOCCs, freight forwarders and brokers, in domestic and international matters involving multimodal transportation and logistics services. Her practice covers the carriage of goods by rail, motor, vessel and air carriers. Karyn serves as the general counsel to The National Industrial Transportation League, the nation's oldest and largest shipper organization. Karyn's practice includes a full range of services with a focus on regulatory compliance and counseling; proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board (STB), Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); transportation contracting; transportation security; legislation; and litigation/arbitration of transportation-related disputes.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Bibb is a partner in the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. He focuses on exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded products (ETPs), closed-end funds, mutual funds and investment advisers. Bibb provides advice on regulatory, compliance, entity formation, auditor independence, corporate governance and other issues related to the operation of the aforementioned businesses. He has experience with unique fund structures and ETF products, smart contacts and other blockchain innovations and start-up ETF firms. Bibb began his career as a staff attorney in the Division of Investment Management of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, where he was principally responsible for granting exemptive orders and responding to no-action and interpretive requests under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Investment Advisers Act of 1940. He has argued 1940 Act issues in federal and state courts, including the landmark mutual fund independent director case, Yacktman v. Carson, et al, and participated in the development of the Uniform Statutory Trust Entity Act.

Joe is counsel in the Government Contracts and Construction practice groups. He has extensive experience in the representation of government contractors in bid protests, litigation, investigations, False Claims Act (FCA) cases, and contract, compliance and regulatory matters. Joe’s government contract and litigation experience includes high-profile FCA matters, bid protests in multiple forums, wartime contracting investigations, and litigation over disputes encompassing contract formation and interpretation, proposal and award, subcontracts and teaming, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, intellectual property and data rights. Joe has helped contractors reach favorable settlements in FCA matters involving hundreds of millions in alleged damages sought by plaintiffs; deposed and defended witnesses at depositions in FCA contract-related litigation; and won summary judgment and motions to dismiss in FCA, securities, and IP litigation involving government contracts. His FCA and litigation experience includes internal investigations, civil discovery proceedings, settlement negotiations, and government contract-related disputes involving dozens of federal agency procurement actions. Joe’s bid protest experience includes more than 75 protests before the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (CoFC) and executive agencies; winning favorable decisions on behalf of both protesters and awardees; securing corrective action by agencies; and working with agency and Department of Justice (DoJ) attorneys to defend awards. Joe has secured contract awards and restoration to the competitive range in five protests over contracts with billion- or multibillion-dollar ceilings. He has also secured six decisions by GAO sustaining protests, numerous agency corrective actions, and favorable decisions for awardees, incumbents, and intervenors by the CoFC, GAO, and agencies. Joe handled all corporate split issues leading to GAO’s precedent-setting sustained decision in Wyle Laboratories, B-408112.2 (Dec. 27, 2013). Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Joe had more than ten years' experience in the field of government contracts at a Washington, D.C. law firm, and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Susan G. Braden at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

Jeff is senior counsel in the firm's Transportation practice group, where he handles both commercial and regulatory transportation issues, with a heavy focus upon transportation by rail and truck. Based upon interviews with clients and peers, Chambers USA has recognized him as one of the top leading lawyers nationwide who represent shippers in rail transportation matters. Jeff represents major utility, petrochemical, mining, agricultural, metals, automotive and other industrial interests. He advises shipper clients and transportation intermediaries on transportation contract matters, service issues, loss and damage claims, hazardous materials liability, rail line purchase and construction, rail abandonments, rail car leases, and a host of related transportation issues. This includes litigation or arbitration, when necessary. Jeff has extensive experience in matters before the Surface Transportation Board (STB) and agencies within the Department of Transportation, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). He handles all rail regulatory matters within the jurisdiction of the STB. Before the NHTSA, Jeff advises auto equipment manufacturers on various vehicle equipment safety requirements and safety recalls. At the FRA and FMCSA, he advises clients on rail and motor carrier safety requirements, respectively. In addition, Jeff handles hazardous material enforcement and compliance matters before the FRA and PHMSA.

Dan is a senior counsel in the firm’s International Trade and Transportation practice groups. His practice focuses on providing end-to-end counsel across clients’ Canada-U.S., North American and global supply chains. This trade counsel includes customs classification and compliance, utilization of preferential trade agreements such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), tariff mitigation and exclusions, procurement issues such as Buy America/Buy American, and anti-dumping/countervailing duty issues. He also advises clients in the negotiating of transportation agreements, managing trusted trader and related security programs, and addressing issues at ports-of-entry. Dan’s unique Canada-U.S. experience encompasses serving in the governments of Canada and the United States, private practice and academia. He served as an officer in Canada’s foreign ministry where he worked towards improving North America’s borders and ports-of-entry. For nearly a decade, Dan was a visiting professor of law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law and managed a lab that served as a legal adviser to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. His public service also includes having served as a Career Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge Peter C. Economus. In that capacity, Dan participated in federal and civil trial litigation and performed by designation in cases pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Dan also assists clients, economic development organizations and governments with cross-border investment and expansion projects. This includes coordinating legal counsel on matters such as corporate structuring, taxation, immigration, incentives, intellectual property, employment among others. Dan serves as external general counsel to a number of cross-border companies.

Dominic DeMatties

Dominic is a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on design, implementation and administration of a wide range of employee benefit programs, with an emphasis on compliance of tax-qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements with ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code (such as the tax qualification rules, 409A, and excise tax provisions), and other applicable laws and rules. Dominic has significant practical and policy experience across a wide range of employee benefits arrangements with a particular emphasis on employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), 401(k) and other defined contribution plans, association multiple employer plans (MEPs), pooled employer plans (PEPs) and other open MEPs, multiemployer plans, and defined benefit plans, particularly those that provide for shared risk, such as cash balance plans and variable annuity plans. He is a frequent speaker on a wide range of ERISA and tax issues related to employee benefit plans. Dominic frequently represents clients before the various governmental agencies that regulate employee benefit plans, including private letter ruling requests, comment letters and other stakeholder meetings regarding regulatory and policy issues. He also has extensive experience representing clients in connection with investigations, audits, and similar inquiries related to their benefit plans brought by the Department of Labor, IRS, and PBGC as well as with various correction programs established by the agencies such as the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) and the Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program (VFCP). Dominic assists clients with the design and implementation of defined benefit risk transfer transactions, including bulk lump sum offers and annuity purchase transactions, navigating cutting-edge questions such as plan fiduciary obligations under ERISA regarding protection of retirement plan data, as well as with employee benefits issues associated with corporate transactions.

Ryan is a partner in the firm’s Government Contracts practice group. His practice focuses on regulatory compliance guidance, business counseling, and dispute resolution for clients operating in the complex realm of government procurement. He also handles commercial and civil litigation matters and serves a wide range of industries. Leveraging his extensive knowledge of government contracts litigation, Ryan provides counsel on bid protests, trade secrets, the False Claims Act, and various contract disputes in addition to business torts. He often advises contractors on negotiating agreements, responding to government investigations, organizing their corporate structure, and obtaining set-aside statuses for small and disadvantaged businesses. Ryan’s deep experience with contract law, government procurement, trademark law, and corporate law affords him the keen insight to address potential issues of concern and propose creative approaches to advancing his clients’ interests.

Sandra L. Brown

Sandy is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and a partner in the firm's Transportation group. She represents bulk commodity shippers and other entities that use transportation services. Her clients include Fortune 500 companies, electric utilities, government entities and ports that buy, sell or move coal, aggregates, chemicals, crude oil and other hazardous materials by rail. Sandy also has past experience representing a Class I Railroad. This unique blend of experience assists Sandy in providing strategic counsel for the transportation of bulk commodities. Sandy counsels on ways to increase competitive leverage including counsel on rail construction options, contract negotiation and drafting, federal preemption, rate challenges, rail service and practices, rail mergers and other regulatory proceedings before the Surface Transportation Board. Sandy also defends shippers in contract and derailment disputes with railroads. Before entering private practice, Sandy worked on Capitol Hill and worked as an attorney with the White House Counsel's office and the Interstate Commerce Commission.

Francis E. Purcell

Francis E. "Chip" Purcell, Jr. is the partner in charge of the Washington, D.C. office and the leader of the Government Contracts practice group. He focuses his practice on all aspects of government contracts law and litigation. Chip counsels clients on issues involving the formation and performance of government contracts and represents clients in pre- and post-award disputes involving the government as well as prime contractors and subcontractors. He assists clients in conducting due diligence relative to mergers and acquisitions of government contractors, drafting teaming agreements and subcontracts, addressing organizational conflicts of interest, protecting intellectual property in government contract transactions, addressing small business and other socioeconomic issues and conducting contractor compliance training and internal investigations. Chip represents clients in disputes before federal courts and administrative bodies, including the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals and the Government Accountability Office. He also advises clients on issues involving commercial contracting under government agency programs, including the General Services Administration's Federal Supply Schedule program.

Jason D. Tutrone

Jason is a partner in the firm’s Transportation group. He helps businesses develop and maintain safe, competitive, and efficient transportation capabilities by providing guidance on freight-transportation and aircraft transactions, compliance with transportation regulations, regulatory solutions to transportation challenges, and resolution of transportation-related disputes. Jason’s practice is multimodal, involving air, ocean, rail, and truck transportation, and covers domestic (U.S.) and international transportation. His clients are shippers, including chemical manufacturers, fertilizer manufacturers, retailers, automotive manufacturers, and food producers; trade associations representing shippers; transportation intermediaries; aircraft owners and purchasers; and businesses that use or are affected by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Andrés, a senior managing associate in the firm’s Government Contracts practice, focuses on federal contracting, small business procurement, and general corporate law impacting government contractors. He has extensive experience advising startups and small businesses on entering and competing in the federal procurement industry. He represents federal contractors and subcontractors in contract litigation including bid protests, contract disputes, claims, and similar proceedings before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, Government Accountability Office, Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, and other forums. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Andrés had nearly five years’ experience in government contracts law at a Washington, D.C. area law firm and served as a law clerk at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, and U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Leveraging his experience and contacts from the SBA, Andrés provides informed counsel on compliance and eligibility for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s government contracting programs including the 8(a), HUBZone, Woman-Owned (WOSB), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB) small business programs as well as similar state and local certification programs for small and disadvantaged businesses. He represents clients in connection with size protests, eligibility determinations, and appeals involving these programs and contracts set aside for participants in them.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Katie is a partner in the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation group. Katie advises clients on all aspects of qualified retirement plan compliance. As a former attorney with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), she has a unique background concerning single and multiemployer defined benefit pension plan issues. In addition to day-to-day compliance counseling, Katie assists clients in finding practical and valuable solutions regarding retirement plan mergers and spinoffs, plan de-risking transactions, plan terminations, plan corrections, and overfunded plans. Katie has a strong track record advising clients on retirement and benefit plan issues arising in corporate transactions and in- and out-of-court restructuring. Katie also frequently guides clients through regulatory enforcement processes and regularly advises clients in investigations by the DOL, IRS, and PBGC. Katie has significant experience assisting clients with participation in multiemployer pension plans, including structuring ERISA-compliant asset sales and evaluating or disputing withdrawal liability assessments. Additionally, Katie advises private funds and benefit plan investors on ERISA compliance issues, particularly regarding disclosure, plan investment issues and negotiations. Katie has a strong litigation background and represents clients in federal court and arbitration involving corporate and multiemployer benefit plans, benefits litigation, ERISA preemption and actuarial malpractice claims.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Marla represents clients in the medical, semiconductor, power, networking and other high-tech industries in high-stakes commercial litigations, arbitrations and trials. She helps clients proactively take on commercial threats, monetize their patent assets and/or defend against lawsuits that threaten their businesses. She conducts critical early case evaluations to help clients quickly assess risk, which helps them predict important outcomes and see a fuller range of strategic options. Marla has developed a deep understanding of technology and is skilled at building and leading diverse teams of lawyers, scientists and economists, which enhances her ability to devise and implement successful litigation and trial strategies and to simplify complex technology concepts for judges, juries and arbitrators.

Frank is a partner in the firm and the chair of its Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. In addition, he serves on the International Practice Committee. Frank focuses his practice on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, startups, joint ventures and commercial agreements, and has extensive experience with international transactions, in particular foreign direct investments into the United States. He also serves as general outside legal counsel to a wide range of business clients.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Kim is a partner in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group with over twenty years of experience helping employers understand and apply requirements applicable to health and welfare employee benefit plans. She advises large national and global employers, as well as smaller employers and service providers. These clients rely on Kim to provide proactive, practical, and cost-effective advice on everything from implementing new legal requirements to addressing day-to-day compliance issues. By collaborating with colleagues through organizations such as the American Bar Association and the American Benefits Council, Kim stays current on the various issues impacting welfare plans and the risks and options for addressing those issues. Kim provides advice on all aspects of health and welfare plan compliance, including: Applying new legal requirements, including the No Surprises Act, prescription drug reporting, gag clause prohibition compliance attestations, and mental health parity NQTL analyses; Applying more established legal requirements, including with respect to the Affordable Care Act, COBRA, HIPAA, HSAs, cafeteria plan rules, wellness program rules, nondiscrimination requirements, and taxation of benefits; Evaluating responses to legal and coverage trends, such as health plan fee lawsuits, state and federal regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, promotion of lifestyle accounts, expansion of travel benefits, and coverage of wilderness therapy; Advising on welfare plan fiduciary processes and documentation; Analyzing proposed plan designs and associated risks; Reviewing and negotiating service provider agreements; Helping health plans update HIPAA privacy and security compliance and providing HIPAA training to employees; Drafting and reviewing plan documentation and participant communications; and Consulting on benefit claims and appeals and provider demands for payment.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Laura is a partner in firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. She focuses her practice on the design, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and trusts; analysis of employee benefit issues in the context of corporate mergers and acquisitions; welfare plan and flexible benefit plan administration and documentation; various aspects of executive compensation including establishment and maintenance of non-qualified deferred compensation plans; IRS and Department of Labor plan audits; governmental reporting obligations; compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules; and corrective actions under regulatory relief programs.

David, a partner in the Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice, is a leader in the employee benefits industry. He holds leadership positions for the American Bar Association’s Employee Benefits Committee, the ESOP Association and the Ohio Employee Ownership Center. His practice focuses on assisting private and public companies and nonprofit organizations with all areas of employee benefits. This includes working with employers in design, implementation and compliance areas in connection with tax qualified plans, including 401(k) plans, ESOPs and defined benefit plans. His representation also extends to working with employers in arranging their nonqualified deferred compensation (e.g., 409A compliance), in addition to health and welfare arrangements and employee fringe benefits. David has extensive experience in the area of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). His ESOP experience includes representing company sponsors of ESOPs and ESOP trustees and fiduciaries in acquisition transactions between the company, selling shareholders and the ESOP. In addition, he has worked with ESOP companies and ESOP trustees and fiduciaries in connection with acquisitions, divestitures and corporate organization once the ESOP owns company stock. Further, he assists both ESOP companies and lending institutions in connection with loans being made to ESOP companies so as to enable those companies to be able to meet their unique needs. Finally, David assists both ESOP companies and ESOP trustees and fiduciaries in connection with governmental investigations, participant claims processing, and governmental and plaintiff litigation. In addition to his ESOP experience, David’s practice encompasses assisting employers with modifying and properly administering both small and large defined benefit and defined contribution plans, supplemental retirement programs, equity compensation programs, health and welfare arrangements and employee fringe benefits programs.

Kimberly E. Ramundo

Kim is a partner in the firm's Construction, Product Liability Litigation and Business Litigation practice groups. With respect to construction, Kim has handled claims on behalf of owners, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, construction managers and other construction professionals in lawsuits, mediations and arbitrations arising out of both public and private construction projects. She has experience in a broad range of construction matters, including cases involving heavy and highway, wastewater treatment, bridges, structural steel, building envelopes, soils and foundations, and other design and construction defects. Kim also has experience in prosecuting and defending complex construction claims involving delay, inefficiency, changes, defective work and the design professional standard of care. In her product liability practice, Kim defends manufacturers of industrial and consumer products against wrongful death and personal injury claims. Kim's commercial litigation practice involves a variety of sophisticated commercial disputes.

Stephen M. King

Steve is a partner in the firm's Real Estate, Commercial and Public Finance, and Corporate Transactions & Securities practice groups. His commercial real estate practice focuses on the acquisition, development (mixed use, office and retail), finance and sales of commercial land; commercial leasing; sale/leaseback transactions; zoning and land use planning; and construction contracts. Steve is co-chair of the Development Team of the Real Estate practice group. Steve represents developers, owners, users and operators of office buildings, multi-family projects, shopping centers, industrial and manufacturing facilities, and other mixed use projects on a local, regional and national basis. He represents clients in sophisticated, multi-faceted loan workouts and restructurings. Steve has a wide range of experience with joint ventures and syndications, including involvement with developers, investors and contractors, with an extensive variety of structures. He has been involved with the real estate aspects of, and loan documentation for, New Markets Tax Credit transactions.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Louis is a partner who focuses his practice on corporate transactions and commercial law with extensive experience in general corporate representation of publicly and privately held businesses including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures; formation of corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures; bank and venture capital financing; Uniform Commercial Code; executive employment consulting and noncompetition agreements; license agreements; and service as corporate director and secretary. Louis also has extensive experience in major Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases throughout the United States, workouts, other corporate reorganizations and creditors' rights including secured financing and letters of credit; commercial foreclosures; secured party sales and assignments for the benefit of creditors; rights of secured and unsecured creditors, landlords and equipment lessors in bankruptcy.

A partner in the firm’s Business Litigation practice group, Ned has extensive experience representing clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on securities and shareholder litigation, corporate governance matters, and complex contractual disputes. He also has experience litigating trade secret, antitrust, and employment discrimination claims and frequently advises clients on a variety of pre-litigation and general business matters, including best practices and regulatory compliance.

Bob is senior counsel in the firm's Real Estate practice group and former partner-in-charge of the Dayton office. He focuses his practice on commercial real estate transactions, office, industrial, shopping center and mixed-use development, public-private partnerships involving real estate, commercial leases, mortgage loan transactions, zoning and land use law, broker/agency law, condominiums and planned unit developments. Bob is a co-author of a leading treatise on Ohio real estate law and the former chair of the Real Property Section of the Ohio State Bar Association.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Corby advises clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, take-private transactions, tender offers, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, licensing and distribution arrangements, and other significant corporate transactions. She also represents activist investors and issuers in director nomination campaigns, proxy contests, and hostile takeovers. In addition, Corby has extensive experience advising boards of directors, special committees, investors and financial advisors in corporate transactions, corporate governance, and securities law matters. Corby represents investors and privately held companies in early-stage and follow-on investments as well as issuers, underwriters, and selling stockholders in securities offerings and de-SPAC transactions. She has represented clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences, aerospace, manufacturing, chemical, health care, insurance, communications, technology, professional services, and retail industries.

Stuart is a partner in, and vice chair of, our Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. He focuses his practice on international and domestic mergers and acquisitions, securities laws and compliance, and corporate governance matters. Stuart represents public and private companies, boards of directors, board committees, investors, and financial advisors in a range of corporate transactions and governance matters. Stuart joined Thompson Hine in 1996 and became a partner in 2001. Prior to joining the firm, he was a corporate finance solicitor in England. Stuart has particular expertise in the following areas: Buy-side and sell-side representation of clients in auction situations involving public and private company targets (or their assets), with consideration ranging from the tens of millions to multiple billions of dollars. Representation of public companies, boards of directors and special committees of independent directors in connection with mergers and acquisitions, capital markets transactions, securities filings, takeover defenses, activist and passive investor engagement, director and senior management transition situations, and compliance and corporate governance matters. Representation of public and large private companies that have a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in their past, with complex balance sheets and disparate shareholder bases composed of former lenders, hedge funds, and institutional investors. Stuart helps these clients, their boards of directors and standing and special committees, to navigate the many business and legal challenges they face in the years that follow their emergence from bankruptcy. Representation of overseas public companies, particularly those headquartered in the United Kingdom and Ireland, in connection with acquisitions of businesses in the United States and other countries. Representation of investment funds in connection with the acquisition, holding, disposition, and voting of registered and unregistered securities. Stuart represents clients in a number of industries, including specialty chemicals, energy, transportation, telecommunications, automotive, manufacturing, health care and retail.

Sarah Sparer is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. She has extensive experience representing a wide array of construction industry clients, including design professionals, real estate developers, property owners, commercial lessees, design builders and contractors in transactional, corporate governance, risk management and litigation matters. Her experience includes front-end advising on the selection of appropriate project delivery methods, drafting and negotiating design and construction agreements, risk management and insurance advising, and managing and litigating complex construction claims.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Garrett D. Evers

Garrett is a partner in the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities and Life Sciences practices, and chair of the International Committee. He focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions; private equity and venture capital transactions; private placements of securities; securities offerings for publicly held companies; corporate organization and governance; state securities laws, and joint ventures and strategic alliances. In his role as chair of the International Committee, Garrett oversees the firm’s international strategy and manages relationships with select law firms and business advisors in key jurisdictions around the world, including Africa, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, among others.

Curtis is a partner in the Business Restructuring, Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy practice group, as well as the Commercial & Public Finance and Business Litigation practice groups. Curtis concentrates his focus on commercial and creditors' rights, bankruptcy (primarily Chapter 11 reorganizations), workouts, preference action litigation, commercial litigation, Uniform Commercial Code controversies and other commercial law cases including secured transactions. He has significant experience representing indenture trustees and secured lenders in major bankruptcy and cross-border insolvency proceedings and workouts. In addition to representing financial institutions in distressed and default situations, Curtis regularly provides advice and counsel on domestic and international corporate trust matters including corporate financings, secured and unsecured debt transactions, collateral agencies and escrows.

A partner in the firm’s Business Litigation practice group, Ned has extensive experience representing clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on securities and shareholder litigation, corporate governance matters, and complex contractual disputes. He also has experience litigating trade secret, antitrust, and employment discrimination claims and frequently advises clients on a variety of pre-litigation and general business matters, including best practices and regulatory compliance.

Jim is a partner in the Real Estate group, chair of the firm’s Real Estate Capital Markets practice and the former partner-in-charge of the firm’s Cleveland office. He is regularly called upon to represent and advise real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate equity funds both transactionally, and in evaluating internal structures to maximize shareholder and investor value. He also focuses his practice on organizing joint ventures, partnerships, limited liability companies and other pass-through entities; commercial real estate financings, including representation of REMICs and others in securitized offerings; leasing (both retail and commercial); shopping center development and construction; as well as significant acquisitions and divestitures of resort and other lodging and gaming properties.

Robyn Minter Smyers

Robyn is a partner in the Real Estate, Construction and Corporate Transactions & Securities practice groups, as well as a co-chair of the firm’s Site Selection practice. Robyn also is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee. She is the immediate past partner in charge of the firm’s Cleveland office and a former chair of the firmwide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative. Robyn focuses her practice on helping companies find and develop new plants, headquarters and facilities. She also has significant experience with shopping center, urban redevelopment, multifamily housing, distribution center, hospitality and public-private partnership (P3) deals. Her forte is coordinating complex transactions, particularly multi-site, multi-state acquisitions and divestitures, ground-up developments and sale-leaseback deals. To all her engagements, Robyn brings a commitment to efficiency and predictability through value-based pricing and legal project management.

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Erin counsels owners, construction managers, design-builders, architects and engineers on large and complex projects in a broad range of industry sectors, including energy and infrastructure, event and entertainment venues, hospital and medical complexes, manufacturing and industrial facilities, and historical and cultural institutions. Her experience includes project delivery and structuring advice, contract negotiation and drafting, insurance and risk management counseling, operational project management advice, and claims resolution.

Alan leads Thompson Hine's Construction practice group and is a co-chair of the firm's Site Selection practice. He is also a partner in the Real Estate practice. Alan is also on the board and is a member of the firm's wholly owned subsidiary Project Management Consultants, which provides owner's representative, consulting and public and private debt structuring services to a wide range of stakeholders in the construction and development industry. Alan is a founding member of the firm’s public-private partnership (P3) practice group. He has served as developer/sponsor counsel on Ohio’s first transportation and infrastructure P3 projects. Alan's construction practice includes project delivery counseling, the preparation of all "front-end" documents and the creation of risk management and insurance programs on behalf of owners, developers, architects, engineers, construction managers, contractors and subcontractors, and participation in dispute resolution of claims. As project counsel, he has worked on many community impact projects, including many major league and professional sports facilities, convention centers and mixed-use projects. Alan's real estate practice includes the representation of public owners, lenders, borrowers, developers and other corporations in connection with public-private development transactions, zoning and project entitlement, public and private finance, wind, solar and other renewable energy transactions, new market and historical tax credit transactions, build-to-suit and sale-leaseback transactions, acquisitions and sales, development, leasing and other general corporate real estate matters.

Dan is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group who focuses on the litigation of disputes in courts and arbitrations. He has over 25 years of experience representing owners, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, construction managers, construction product manufacturers and other construction professionals. He has acted as first chair trial attorney in jury trials and bench trials in both federal and state court, and first chair attorney in numerous arbitrations. Dan also has significant experience in commercial real estate litigation with particular emphasis on landlord/tenant issues, large commercial foreclosures and court receiverships.

Tony is a partner in the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and currently serves as chair of the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions practice. He focuses his practice in the following areas: mergers and acquisitions private equity and venture capital transactions joint ventures and other strategic transactions manufacturing, distribution, supply and other commercial agreements corporate governance and general corporate matters

Will is a partner in the Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and currently serves as chair of the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions practice. He focuses his practice in the following areas: Mergers and acquisitions, principally in the middle-market space; Private equity, including add-on acquisitions and exits; Commercial contract drafting and associated counseling; and Corporate organization and general governance matters. Will has extensive experience in middle-market M&A transactions, having negotiated and closed transactions ranging in value from less than $1 million to over $500 million, with an aggregate value exceeding $3 billion over his career. His clients include private equity firms as well as privately-held and publicly-held Fortune 1000 companies. With regard to corporate drafting and counseling, in addition to working on transactions, Will has assisted clients in the drafting and negotiation of complex commercial agreements, ranging from purchase and supply agreements to complex long-term partnership and joint venture agreements. He also advises on day-to-day corporate governance matters, including employment agreements, consulting agreements and separation agreements. Recently, he completed a secondment at a division of a Fortune 10 company.

Corby advises clients in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, take-private transactions, tender offers, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital investments, licensing and distribution arrangements, and other significant corporate transactions. She also represents activist investors and issuers in director nomination campaigns, proxy contests, and hostile takeovers. In addition, Corby has extensive experience advising boards of directors, special committees, investors and financial advisors in corporate transactions, corporate governance, and securities law matters. Corby represents investors and privately held companies in early-stage and follow-on investments as well as issuers, underwriters, and selling stockholders in securities offerings and de-SPAC transactions. She has represented clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech, life sciences, aerospace, manufacturing, chemical, health care, insurance, communications, technology, professional services, and retail industries.

Tom has served as practice group leader of the firm’s 50-member national Real Estate practice group for over 20 years and has handled billions in commercial real estate transactions across the U.S. He concentrates his practice on transaction planning, strategy and execution. Principal clients include public and private companies, real estate developers, individual and family interests, and institutional and fund investors. Representative transactions include acquisitions and sales; build-to-suit development; headquarters and large-scale mixed-use development; office, retail and industrial leasing; government incentives; complex easement agreements; borrower financing; broker agreements; brownfields redevelopment; and real estate tax challenges. Tom has spoken and published widely on commercial real estate topics. He is a member of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He currently serves as chair of the Real Estate Committee of the United States Law Firm Group and vice chair of the Downtown Cleveland Improvement Corporation. He serves on the board of EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute and is former chair of Family Transitional Housing, Inc. and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress.

Cathryn Greenwald

Cathryn is a partner in the Real Estate practice group. She focuses her practice on all aspects of commercial real estate transactions, including construction and permanent financing, development, public-private partnerships, acquisition and sale of real estate, ground, retail, industrial and office leasing, and other general real estate matters.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions

Julia leads the firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice and has more than 30 years of experience providing proactive and practical advice to businesses on all aspects of employee benefits and executive compensation, including ERISA compliance, defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, health and welfare plans, executive employment agreements and non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements. She advises publicly traded companies, privately held companies and non-profit corporations in the Cleveland, Ohio area and nationwide from a variety of industries including technology, banking, retail, and manufacturing which gives her insight into best practices and emerging trends in various industries. Julia has significant experience with respect to defined benefit pension plan de-risking transactions, including lump sum windows for deferred vested participants, annuity purchases and pension plan terminations having advised on over 20 such transactions. Julia also has significant experience with respect to employee benefits issues in mergers and acquisitions and post-closing integration matters, including unique issues relating to stock and asset acquisitions and merger transactions. Julia also frequently advises clients with respect to unique issues relating to multiple and multiemployer pension and health and welfare plans such as negotiation of participation agreements and withdrawal liability issues.

Patrick J. Sweeney

Pat is Senior Counsel in the firm’s Construction and Real Estate practice groups. His transactional construction practice includes the negotiation and preparation of construction and design professional agreements along with counseling clients on project management and risk control on a variety of large projects, such as regional shopping malls, industrial projects, offices, hotels, convention centers and major sports venues such as MLB parks, NFL stadia, NBA arenas and NHL arenas. He has represented owners, contractors, architects and engineers. A significant portion of his practice also involves commercial real estate development, including acquisitions, dispositions, financing and leasing. Pat has lectured extensively on construction contracting issues with a variety of trade groups, the American Arbitration Association, the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cleveland Bar Association. Pat assisted in the facilitation of the Ohio construction reform panel and has assisted in drafting the new legislation for the Ohio Construction Reform Law.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Jen has over 20 years of experience helping clients resolve complex product distribution and supply chain problems. Her experience includes drafting, negotiating and litigating contractual arrangements among manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and dealers. She works with clients to formulate distribution strategies and draft agreements to meet their needs in the United States and internationally. Jen also advises clients and provides training on antitrust issues relating to product distribution, including product pricing programs, communications with competitors and customers, and vertical restraints. Jen has trial experience in both federal and state courts in matters relating to product distribution, antitrust, dealer termination and supply chain issues as well as cases involving unfair competition, false advertising and trade secret claims.

Kip is the partner in charge of the Cleveland office and a litigation partner who focuses on the defense of product liability and business claims. His business litigation practice includes the defense of putative class actions, commercial claims, consumer claims, intellectual property claims (litigation counsel, working with patent counsel), and other state and federal causes of action. Kip also serves as a court-appointed special master in federal litigation. In the product liability area, he represents corporations in the defense of putative class actions, personal injury claims, mass torts, toxic torts, consumer claims, and warranty claims. Kip defends manufacturers of heavy industrial and consumer products from wrongful death claims and claims involving serious economic and physical damages.

Curtis is a partner in the Business Restructuring, Creditors' Rights & Bankruptcy practice group, as well as the Commercial & Public Finance and Business Litigation practice groups. Curtis concentrates his focus on commercial and creditors' rights, bankruptcy (primarily Chapter 11 reorganizations), workouts, preference action litigation, commercial litigation, Uniform Commercial Code controversies and other commercial law cases including secured transactions. He has significant experience representing indenture trustees and secured lenders in major bankruptcy and cross-border insolvency proceedings and workouts. In addition to representing financial institutions in distressed and default situations, Curtis regularly provides advice and counsel on domestic and international corporate trust matters including corporate financings, secured and unsecured debt transactions, collateral agencies and escrows.

Tony is Thompson Hine’s firmwide managing partner. In this capacity, he serves as the firm’s chief executive officer. He is also the chair of the Executive Committee, the principal governing body responsible for the firm’s strategic direction, financial affairs, and oversight of its nine offices. With a unique national litigation and labor and employment practice, Tony represents significant clients in their most complex cases wherever they arise. His broad geographic experience includes serving as lead counsel in litigations in 39 states. From complex class action lawsuits and national FLSA collective action claims to simultaneous multidistrict trade secret and non-compete litigation, Tony has vast experience with the most difficult cases.

Frank is a partner in the firm and the chair of its Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group. In addition, he serves on the International Practice Committee. Frank focuses his practice on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, startups, joint ventures and commercial agreements, and has extensive experience with international transactions, in particular foreign direct investments into the United States. He also serves as general outside legal counsel to a wide range of business clients.

David is a member of the firm's Transportation practice group. He focuses his practice on matters involving freight railroad regulation, contracting and strategy. In particular, he assists clients in understanding their rights under federal law, in reducing their rail transportation shipping costs, and in meeting regulatory requirements of the Surface Transportation Board and other federal agencies.

Amy is a managing associate in Thompson Hine’s Construction practice group, focusing on transactional “front end” representation. Her transactional practice includes advising on project delivery methods for both private owners and public entities. Her experience encompasses creating procurement and bidding documents for general contractor, construction manager at-risk and design-build projects. Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Amy was an associate at a law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where she provided transactional procurement and contract negotiation support to school districts and other public entities. Amy served as a surface warfare officer in the United States Navy. She held several roles, including division officer onboard the USS Pearl Harbor, deploying out of San Diego, California. Amy also served as the ground operations department head and scheduling officer for the Navy’s west coast hovercraft of Assault Craft Unit 5 at Camp Pendleton.

Tim is a former member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee and the former practice group leader of the firm's Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice group. He focuses his practice on employee benefits, executive compensation and ERISA, including: Analysis of benefit issues and liabilities in corporate mergers and acquisitions Creation, maintenance and termination of tax-qualified retirement plans and master trusts Development of non-qualified executive compensation arrangements All facets of employee stock ownership plan implementation, financing and operation Welfare plan administration and documentation, including: ACA compliance Flexible benefit plans COBRA Compliance with SEC rules affecting the operation of benefit plans IRS and Department of Labor plan audits ERISA litigation Voluntary corrective actions under regulatory relief programs Early retirement incentive programs Multi-employer plans and withdrawal liability Governmental reporting obligations Compliance with ERISA fiduciary and prohibited transaction rules PBGC reporting controversies Fiduciary reviews compliance, including benefits/investment committee structures and process

Jeffrey Appelbaum

For 40 years, Jeff has provided distinguished service to public/private owners, design professionals, construction managers and contractors. He served as lead counsel or project management consultant for hundreds of projects involving billions of dollars of construction, including 29 professional sports facilities; facilitated hundreds of partnering sessions; acted as lead trial counsel for multimillion-dollar claims; and mediated 300+ complex construction disputes. He facilitated the governor’s Ohio Construction Reform Panel and participated in creating final legislation that dramatically modified public procurement in Ohio. In 2012, he became the first lawyer inducted into the Cleveland Engineering Society’s Hall of Fame.

Todd is a member of Thompson Hine's Executive Committee, a member of the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is the former partner in charge of the Cincinnati office. Todd's practice focuses on middle-market mergers and acquisitions in the U.S. and around the world. He also advises clients in connection with a wide range of other transactional and business matters, including joint ventures, capital raising activities, commercial agreements, entity organization and governance, and everyday business counseling.

Jamie is a partner in the firm’s Construction practice group. He provides creative, efficient, and team-focused solutions to owners, architects, engineers, construction companies, and joint ventures on projects and transactions related to the built environment throughout the United States and abroad. He utilizes his team-building skills by counseling on project structuring, transactional documentation, and dispute resolution, bringing his multidisciplinary background and creative problem-solving skills to those client matters calling for efficient solutions.

Ed focuses on federal contracting, construction law, construction litigation, and small business procurement and litigation. He drafts and negotiates construction contracts, teaming agreements and joint venture agreements for subcontractors, contractors, developers and owners. In addition, he litigates, arbitrates and mediates complex construction and procurement cases in various jurisdictions and forums. Ed also provides guidance on small business procurement. He assists clients in obtaining certification as small and small disadvantaged businesses at the municipal, state and federal levels. He participates in bid protests involving Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) set-aside contracts and assists with responding to best-value procurements at the state and federal levels. Ed also assists government contractors in international disputes involving the federal government, with experience relating to Department of Defense and Department of State work in Germany, Lithuania, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Somalia.

Clients enjoy working with Shane on executive compensation matters because he is responsive, efficient and practical. Shane represents more than 20 public companies, with market caps between $30 million and $60 billion. He addresses complex compensation issues across various industries and identifies best practices as they evolve. As a result, he is well-positioned to provide a concise legal analysis, along with alternative and creative approaches, for emerging issues. Shane leverages this experience to drive cost-effective solutions for his clients in a predictable and transparent manner. Shane handles a large spectrum of executive compensation matters, including equity- and cash-based incentive plans; director compensation programs; employment and change-in-control agreements; SEC disclosures (including proxy statements, Forms 8-K and Forms 4); compensation policies (including stock ownership, anti-hedging, clawbacks, risk assessments, etc.); deferred compensation plans; and tax planning (including the golden parachute rules). He also helps private companies navigate the compensation “tune-up” phase of the IPO process, manages compensation programs for portfolio companies owned by private equity firms, and represents management teams in private equity buyouts. A recognized leader, Shane served as partner-in-charge of Thompson Hine’s Cincinnati office for 10 years and in top board positions for various nonprofits in the region.

Sarah leads our Immigration group that advises employers across the globe, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, on global talent management and cross-border employment issues. The immigration practice has three primary focuses: developing strategic immigration policies for employers consistent with their global talent acquisition and retention goals; supporting our clients immigration sponsorship for their employees; and advising our clients on compliance with immigration-based regulations. Sarah's experience includes: Counseling employers on strategies for sponsoring employees for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas Representing employers before the various agencies of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor Advising companies through audits to determine compliance with DOL and USCIS laws governing employment of global talent Guiding athletes, artists and musicians through immigration process for temporary visas and permanent residency Developing I-9 policies and providing I-9 training Performing I-9 audits Counseling employers on use of E-Verify Developing immigration related policies, such as how sponsorship decisions will be made Conducting due diligence to determine immigration issues within corporate transactions