Overview

Brian was an active trial attorney for over 47 years trying cases throughout Ohio. His trial practice focused on significant construction projects, representing owners, contractors and architects/engineers.  

In addition to his construction law practice, Brian continually represented energy clients, representing a national electric power generation company and an interstate natural gas pipeline company. Brian also provided general commercial law counsel and represented clients in real estate matters, including eminent domain and appropriation projects.

Today, Brian devotes his entire practice to serving as an arbitrator and mediator in Alternative Dispute Resolutions (ADR) matters. He is a trained and experienced arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association (AAA), serving on its Commercial Panel of arbitrators since 1980, its Construction Panel since 1984, its Real Estate panel, and its Large Complex Case Panel of arbitrators determining disputes with a value of over $1 million since 2004. Since his initial AAA appointment in 1980, Brian has been appointed by the AAA as an arbitrator or mediator on more than 240 cases. In the last four years alone, he has issued or participated in over 30 written decisions as an AAA arbitrator on matters ranging from individual consumer disputes to a multiple-party construction dispute on a large institutional construction project that took over 40 hearing days seeking over $19 million in damages.

In addition to his service with the AAA, Brian has been selected by the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio since 1990 to serve on its “Blue Ribbon” panel of mediators to mediate cases pending in that court during the court’s “Settlement Week.” Since 1990, he has been assigned as mediator by the court in over 90 different cases to mediate the dispute and attempt to negotiate a settlement in lieu of advancing the matter to a full trial.

He is recognized by prominent peer-reviewed publications; he is named in Ohio Super Lawyers®, rated as AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell® and is listed as by Best Lawyers® in the area of construction law.

Education

  • The Ohio State University College of Law  (J.D., cum laude, 1974)
  • The Ohio State University  (B.A., 1971)

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Professional Associations

  • American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section
  • Ohio State Bar Association, Fellow, Class of 2006

Honors & Awards

  • The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Ohio Super Lawyers
  • Martindale-Hubbell®, AV Preeminent

Community

  • Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitation Golf Tournament, Volunteer, 2011-2014
  • First Community Church, Member
  • Grove City Council, Councilman, 1988-1993; President, 1992-1993
  • Central Ohio Builders' Exchange; Construction Law Group; Chairperson, 1997-1998