Skip to Main Content.

Municipal, Townships & Counties

No matter the issue, we got you covered.

Today’s suburban cities and towns face complex, wide-ranging issues that demand a wealth of knowledge and experience that one individual often cannot provide. That’s why more and more mid-sized communities turn to us as their outside counsel. At Frost Brown Todd, we have at our fingertips the resources of a full-service, multi-state law firm. We can draw on a talented team of lawyers with deep experience in every legal issue a local government might face, from environmental and real estate development projects to bond deals and workers’ compensation lawsuits.

Everything we do is grounded in helping you make your community a better place to live. When we say we’re deeply invested, we mean it! We attend committee, board and council meetings and get to know the personalities and politics, so we can better understand the everyday realities of your community. More than anything, though, our experience sets us apart. Our relationships with numerous municipalities and public officials span decades, meaning we’ve seen and done it all. Eminent domain? Been there. Drone regulations? Done that. Union negotiations? Check. Annexation? Absolutely.

Key Contacts

A smiling individual wearing glasses, a dark suit, a light blue striped tie, and a white shirt poses for a professional portrait against a plain background.
Stephen J. Smith

Partner

Columbus, OH

Learn More

Law Director & General Counsel Services

Comprehensive services. A creative, can-do approach. 

Cities and towns are intricate organizations with political nuances, high-profile sensitive issues, potentially costly risks and untapped opportunities. This work requires both institutional city knowledge and a wide breadth of government law experience. That’s why we take a comprehensive, broad approach instead of just tackling a single issue without a full understanding of your unique needs.

Our attorneys provide law director and general counsel services to many entities of various sizes. We aim to be true team members. This means that while we offer project-based solutions as needed, we also focus on our clients’ long-term needs and objectives. Our capabilities include:

  • Procurement and bidding
  • Bonds and other financing
  • Legislative services, such as preparing ordinances and drafting resolutions
  • Litigation, both defense and plaintiff, including eminent domain
  • Real estate, land use and zoning
  • Labor and employment
  • Environmental law
  • Intellectual property
  • Day-to-day operational functions
  • Public records
  • Open Door Law (Sunshine law)

Public Litigation & Dispute Resolution

The experience to tackle complex issues. 

Our team has represented government entities of all sizes in over 500 public sector labor contracts, several hundred labor arbitrations, as well as countless zoning commission and board of zoning appeals’ decisions and constitutional challenges to zoning ordinances. Our attorneys also defend or negotiate on behalf of clients engaged in real estate and eminent domain litigation, as well as multimillion-dollar construction matters for township, municipal and educational projects.

We draw on our cumulative knowledge and experience to help clients solve complex issues, including:

  • ADA, FMLA, FLSA, discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower claims
  • Wrongful discharge
  • Civil Service Hearings
  • EEOC & State Agency Proceedings
  • Handling grievances and arbitrations
  • Discipline & Discharge
  • Workers’ Compensation Defense
  • Unemployment Compensation Defense
  • Due process claims
  • Common law claims
  • Statutory claims

Client Service Commitment

Going beyond project work to achieve real progress. 

Our attorneys invest time and work hard to foster lasting relationships with our clients, saving them the headaches of high in-house staff turnover or the frustrations of transferring institutional knowledge from one law firm to another.

Embedding ourselves into your community we:

  • Get to know personalities and politics.
  • Spot potential landmines and road bumps.
  • Bring in special counsel when needed.
  • Regularly attend committee, board and council meetings.

This saves you time and money, as we act as your conductors when it’s time to orchestrate the right legal team for getting the job done — whether it’s issuing bonds, planning economic and redevelopment projects or managing day-to-day operational needs with community leaders.

Proud Member

Related Insights

Close up of chessmen on chessboard with the focus on a queen
Long-Awaited Publishing of Kentucky Department of Revenue Administrative Writings – Will They or W...

November 6, 2024 | Blogs

While the 2024 Kentucky Legislative Session was pretty quiet on the tax reform front, there was one ...

American courtroom
Ohio Supreme Court Ruling Opens the Door for Legal Challenges to Ordinances that Criminalize Feeding...

October 25, 2024 | Publications

On Oct. 23, 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the term “companion animal” in O...

Group of young American football players standing together in a circle on a sports field talking strategy
New Defibrillator Placement and Training Requirements for Public Recreational Facilities

October 23, 2024 | Publications

Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 47 into law July 23, 2024. The new law establishes automated ...

Frame structure at under construction site on rural landscape
Supreme Court Holds That Constitutional Limits on Permit Conditions Apply to Both Legislative and Ad...

September 26, 2024 | Publications

Sheetz v. County. of El Dorado, California, 144 S. Ct. 893 (Apr. 12, 2024) In Sheetz v. County of El...

Supreme Court Rules Anti-Camping Ordinances Do Not Violate the Constitution

September 26, 2024 | Publications

City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, 144 S. Ct. 2202 (June 28, 2024) In City of Grants Pass, Oreg...

Close up of examining of test sample
U.S. EPA Delays TSCA PFAS Reporting Deadline to January 2026

September 6, 2024 | PFAS Updates

On September 5, 2024, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) issued a direct f...

Real estate and property law. House model and gavel.
Sixth Circuit Considering Whether Placing a Water Lien on a Property Could Violate the Fair Housing ...

August 22, 2024 | Publications

In 1968, the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) was enacted to protect individuals from discrimination b...

The real estate or residential concrete and wooden frame construction 3d model on blueprints and house the keys to the apartment a stack of coins.
New Procedure for Valuing Federally Subsidized Rental Property in Ohio

August 12, 2024 | Blogs

Owners of federally subsidized multifamily properties in Ohio are now able to make specific financia...

A blank billboard at a bus station at night
Norton Outdoor Advertising, Inc. v. Village of St. Bernard: Sixth Circuit Decides “Public Service...

May 9, 2024 | Publications

On April 19, 2024, the Sixth Circuit published its decision in Norton Outdoor Advertising, Inc. v. V...

Aerial View of Drinking water treatment plant. Microbiology of drinking water production and distribution, water treatment plant. Microbiology of drinking water production. Morning scene.
POTW Alert! U.S. EPA’s Upcoming Information “Request” for PFAS Information and Potential Sampl...

May 7, 2024 | PFAS Updates

Over the last 6-7 years in the emerging “PFAS world,” most sewer authorities did not sample wast...

Stay ahead of the law.

Subscribe to receive email updates and choose your topics.