Joe is a member of the firm’s Government Services Practice Group and serves as general counsel for clients in both the private and public sectors, including municipalities, townships and school districts. He thrives by digging through complex issues and working with clients to produce creative solutions that are beneficial both financially and from a business perspective. His approach to working in partnership with innovative clients has made him a trusted and sought-after counselor in the legal profession.
Joeโs practice has an emphasis in labor and employment issues, including contract negotiations, grievances, arbitrations, union avoidance, wage and hour law, Family Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, workersโ compensation, unfair labor practice charges, harassment, discrimination and misconduct investigations, policy development, litigation, evaluation, nonrenewal and termination. He has served as a lead negotiator in more than 100 collective bargaining negotiations.
Joe also advises school districts in the areas of career-technical education, student issues, civil rights, public records, abuse reporting, ethics, board policies and meeting requirements. He defends boards of education and municipalities in arbitration and against charges filed with a variety of federal and state administrative agencies including the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, State Employment Relations Board, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.
Joe shares his passion and experience with the next generation by serving as an adjunct professor at Miami University for graduate level public law students. Courses focus on the First Amendment, collective bargaining, employee and student rights,ย discrimination, and other issues important to all public employers.ย He also trains administrators and presents at education law forums across Ohio on a wide assortment of matters affecting public entities.
During Joeโs first year as general counsel for a school district,ย he identified a revenue generation opportunity that netted the client an additional $300,000 annually after legal fees.
As labor counsel for a municipality, Joe and his colleague negotiated collective bargaining agreements that saved a public entity $5 million inย one yearย as the entity was facing a major budget shortfall.
As labor counsel for a municipality, Joe and his colleague negotiated collective bargaining agreements that reduced expenses by $12 million over a three-year period.
As general counsel and labor counsel, Joe created a joint public entity and merged two existing and very different collective bargaining units into one. The joint entity saves taxpayers over $1 millionย per year.
University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 2000
Miami University, B.A., 1997
The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, Litigation โ Labor and Employment, 2021-2024; Education Law, 2023
Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyersยฎ, 2012-2014 and Rising Starsยฎ 2010
Cincinnati Business Courierโs Forty Under 40 Class of 2010
Humanitarian of the Year (Legacy Society members) LifeSpan 2010
Frost Brown Todd Mentor of the Year, 2012
Frost Brown Todd Volunteer of the Year, 2004
Butler County Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award, Co-Winner, 2004
School District Attorney Committee, Member, School Superintendents Association (AASA)
American Bar Association
Cincinnati Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
Butler County Bar Association
Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys, Vice Chair
National Council of School Board Attorneys, Executive Board Member
Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association, Member
Multiple Sclerosis Leadership Class, Cincinnati
Mid-Miami Valley Leadership, Graduate
Miami University Middletown Campus, Board Member, Former Chair of Citizen Advisory Council
Miami University Citizenโs Advisory Council Member
Coaches vs Cancer, Board Council Member
Ohio Legal Rights Service Commission
LifeSpan Inc., Past Chair
Government Services Practice Group, former Chair for six years
โEmployee Disciplineโ City of Cincinnati Seminar, November 4, 2014
โCloud Computing Issuesโ School Law Seminar, October 14, 2014
โThe Battles in the Courts and Legislatures over Collective Bargaining and Teacher Tenureโ NSBA Council of School Attorneysโ 2014 School Law Practice Seminar, October 9, 2014, with Michael Julka, Jay Fernow and Nancy Hungerford
โFourth Amendment Search and Seizureโ School Law Seminar, October 24, 2013
โClarifying the Commonly Misunderstood Notion of โPast Practicesโ: Are They Binding Or Not?โ Public Employment Seminar, April 26, 2013
โEvaluations: Rules to Rememberโ School Law Seminar, August 8, 2012
โHuman Resources Issuesโ Presented with Julie E. Byrne, National Business Instituteโs Current Challenges in Local Government Law Seminar, June 2012
โEmployee Discipline: Effective Process and Strategiesโ School Law Seminar, August 12, 2011
โWhere are we Now?: Collective Bargaining Reform Senate Bill 5, House Bill 153, and Othersโ Senate Bill 5 Seminar, August 13, 2011
โHandling Student Recordsโ National Business Institute, Student Liability Issues Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio
โUnderstanding Student Rightsโ National Business Institute, Student Liability Issues Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio
โA Refresher on Due Processโ Public Sector Employees, Public Labor Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio
โCurrent issues Regarding Foreign and Migrant Studentsโ Ohio School Board Association Seminar
โTreating Sick Leave Abuse Disorderโ Public Sector Employers, Public Sector Labor Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio
โCollective Bargaining in the Real Worldโ Guest Presenter, Masterโs Level Collective Bargaining Course, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio
โIntroduction to Harassment and What You Should Do If You Witness Harassmentโ Middletown Adolescent Achievement Group, Middletown, Ohio
โHarassment in the Workplaceโ Southwest Ohio Business Teacher Association, Cincinnati, Ohio
โUsing the Consumer Price Index Effectively in Collective Bargaining Negotiationsโ Public Sector Employers, Public Sector Labor Seminar, Cincinnati
โA Public Employeeโs Right to Remain Silent During an Administrative Investigation:ย How Should You Handle It?โ Public Sector Employers, Public Sector Labor Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio
โEmployment Law Considerations: Ten Common Mistakes of Employersโ Medical Practice Management Program, Grandview Hospital, Dayton, Ohio
โClassifying Public Safety Administration Under The New Fair Labor Standards Act Regulationsโ Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association Update
Co-Author: โDesegregation in the 1990โs,โ The Principalโs Legal Handbookโ Second Edition, 2000 Education Law Association, co-authored with Dr. Charles J. Russo
Co-Author: โDesegregation in the 1990โs:ย The Supreme Court Pulls Backโ School Business Affairs, August 2000, Volume 66, Number 8, co-authored with Dr. Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D.
Co-Author: โCourt View, Update on School Desegregationโ Updating School Board Policies, July 2000, Volume 31, Number 3, with Dr. Charles J. Russo, J.D., Ed.D.
Co-Author: ย โThe Battles in the Courts and Legislatures over Collective Bargaining and Teacher Tenureโ NSBA Council of School Attorneysโ 2014 School Law Practice Seminar, October 9, 2014, with Michael Julka, Jay Fernow and Nancy Hungerford
Publication: The School Superintendents Association (AASA)
Publish Date: January 18, 2024
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