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Biography

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.

Joeโ€™s 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.

Other Info About Joe

Experience

Legal Work Highlights

During Joeโ€™s 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.

Education

Law School

University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 2000

Undergraduate School

Miami University, B.A., 1997

Bar Memberships

Joe is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Ohio, 2000

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

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 Courierโ€™s 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

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

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

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Miami University Middletown Campus, Board Member, Former Chair of Citizen Advisory Council

Miami University Citizenโ€™s Advisory Council Member

Coaches vs Cancer, Board Council Member

Ohio Legal Rights Service Commission

LifeSpan Inc., Past Chair

Firm Committees

Joe serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Government Services Practice Group, former Chair for six years

Presentations

Joe was invited to speak at the following events:

โ€œEmployee Disciplineโ€ City of Cincinnati Seminar, November 4, 2014

โ€œCloud Computing Issuesโ€ School Law Seminar, October 14, 2014

โ€œThe 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

โ€œFourth Amendment Search and Seizureโ€ School Law Seminar, October 24, 2013

โ€œClarifying the Commonly Misunderstood Notion of โ€œPast Practicesโ€: Are They Binding Or Not?โ€ Public Employment Seminar, April 26, 2013

โ€œEvaluations: Rules to Rememberโ€ School Law Seminar, August 8, 2012

โ€œHuman Resources Issuesโ€ Presented with Julie E. Byrne, National Business Instituteโ€™s Current Challenges in Local Government Law Seminar, June 2012

โ€œEmployee Discipline: Effective Process and Strategiesโ€ School Law Seminar, August 12, 2011

โ€œWhere are we Now?: Collective Bargaining Reform Senate Bill 5, House Bill 153, and Othersโ€ Senate Bill 5 Seminar, August 13, 2011

โ€œHandling Student Recordsโ€ National Business Institute, Student Liability Issues Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio

โ€œUnderstanding Student Rightsโ€ National Business Institute, Student Liability Issues Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio

โ€œA Refresher on Due Processโ€ Public Sector Employees, Public Labor Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio

โ€œCurrent issues Regarding Foreign and Migrant Studentsโ€ Ohio School Board Association Seminar

โ€œTreating Sick Leave Abuse Disorderโ€ Public Sector Employers, Public Sector Labor Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio

โ€œCollective Bargaining in the Real Worldโ€ Guest Presenter, Masterโ€™s Level Collective Bargaining Course, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio

โ€œIntroduction to Harassment and What You Should Do If You Witness Harassmentโ€ Middletown Adolescent Achievement Group, Middletown, Ohio

โ€œHarassment in the Workplaceโ€ Southwest Ohio Business Teacher Association, Cincinnati, Ohio

โ€œUsing the Consumer Price Index Effectively in Collective Bargaining Negotiationsโ€ Public Sector Employers, Public Sector Labor Seminar, Cincinnati

โ€œA Public Employeeโ€™s Right to Remain Silent During an Administrative Investigation:ย  How Should You Handle It?โ€ Public Sector Employers, Public Sector Labor Seminar, Cincinnati, Ohio

โ€œEmployment Law Considerations: Ten Common Mistakes of Employersโ€ Medical Practice Management Program, Grandview Hospital, Dayton, Ohio

Major Publications

Joe is an author or contributor to the following publications:

โ€œClassifying Public Safety Administration Under The New Fair Labor Standards Act Regulationsโ€ Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association Update

Co-Author: โ€œDesegregation in the 1990โ€™s,โ€ The Principalโ€™s Legal Handbookโ€ Second Edition, 2000 Education Law Association, co-authored with Dr. Charles J. Russo

Co-Author: โ€œDesegregation in the 1990โ€™s: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: โ€œCourt 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 โ€œThe 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

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