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Bill joined the firm in 2004 as a director. He has extensive legal experience in oil and gas law, commercial litigation, general business and close corporation law, non-profit corporation law, all aspects of real estate, including zoning, and land use financing. Bill represents oil and gas companies, real estate developers, two Ohio public colleges, direct marketing companies, forklift dealers, gas pipeline companies, environmental consultants, physicians, and other businesses and industries, in both general corporate and commercial litigation (federal and state court) matters.
Of note, Bill received a $1.6 million arbitration decision against Pennzoil Quaker State. He has successfully defended breach of contract actions, non-competition claims, oil and gas securities, eminent domain, adverse possession, zoning appeals, slander of title and Fair Housing Act violations. He has served as appointed special counsel for the Ohio Attorney General since 2004. In 2006, he handled two significant acquisitions consisting of a stock brokerage firm and a large oil services company which operates in three states. Bill also recently handled the sale of a large company with six locations in three states, and the refinancing of a number of shopping centers in two states. Bill also resolved two federal court civil commercial causes of action and received a dismissal on a third.
Bill is extremely involved in community activities. He is serving his 15th year as legal counsel for the Better Business Bureau Canton Region. He served for 10 years as a member of the Board of Directors and Secretary of the Stark State College Foundation. Bill is also a member of the Walsh University Advisory Board and the Stark County Community Foundation Planned Giving Committee. He is a member of the Greater Canton Chamber of Commerce's Environmental and Legislative Committees, and is a member of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association.
Bill received his undergraduate degree from the University of Steubenville and his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and has been a title insurance agent since 1985. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, serving on the Natural Resources Law and Environmental Law Committees. He is licensed as a member of the bar for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth District, the U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio and the Ohio Supreme Court. He is also a member of the Stark County Bar Association and served as Chairman of the Real Estate Law Committee (1994-2005) and is past editor of the Ohio State Bar Association's Corporate Counsel Newsletter.
Bill is a past member of the State of Ohio Oil and Gas Board of Review (1986-1992), past Executive Director and Trustee of the Eastern Mineral Law Foundation, past President and Trustee of the Canton Palace Theatre Association, past President of the Downtown Canton Association and past member and Chairman of the Board of Zoning Appeals, Plain Township (1986-1992).
Bill was selected by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America (2007 & 2008). He was named an Ohio Super Lawyer for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008; the Ohio Super Lawyers list is published in each January issue of Cincinnati Magazine, and in a special publication, Ohio Super Lawyers, a joint project of the Publishers of Cincinnati Magazine and Law & Politics magazine. Bill has held for many years the exclusive AV Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory as designated by his colleagues; the AV rating was renewed in 2006 for another five years.
Bill resides in Plain Township with his wife, Denise, and their two children, Tara and Kelsey. | 