- Number of partners: 35
- Number of other lawyers: 28
FIRM OVERVIEW: Founded in 2000 by 15 attorneys, Frantz Ward has grown to over 60 attorneys in the past eleven years to become one of Ohio’s premier law firms. Such growth is proof of the firm’s commitment to building strong relationships with clients and providing excellent legal work in a practical and cost-effective manner. To further its commitment to client service, Frantz Ward became a member of ALFA International, a global legal network of independent law firms. The firm’s membership in ALFA International enables it to serve the needs of clients across the United States and around the world.
MAIN AREAS OF PRACTICE:
Alternative Dispute Resolution: Frantz Ward attorneys represent clients in many dispute resolution matters, including mediation, early neutral evaluation of claims, arbitration, private judging, summary jury trials and one on one negotiation. Several of the firm’s attorneys serve as neutral mediators, evaluators and arbitrators in court-annexed and privately administered and non-administered proceedings.
Bankruptcy/Debtor & Creditor Rights: The firm’s Bankruptcy attorneys are highly skilled at representing debtors and creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and complex non-bankruptcy workouts. Its attorneys represent major financial institutions and borrowers in troubled loan transactions, providing advice on restructuring obligations in anticipation or avoidance of bankruptcy.
Business Counseling: The firm’s business attorneys have the depth of experience and intuitive knowledge necessary to craft resourceful solutions to the dissimilar legal issues facing businesses today, as well as advising clients on business formation and growth, acquisition of equity or debt financing, and ownership restructuring.
Class Actions: The firm’s class action lawyers guide clients through these complex, high stakes cases and the challenges they present. The firm has defended clients, throughout Ohio and other jurisdictions, against class action lawsuits on a variety of issues, including alleged violations of consumer protection statutes, claims of deceptive trade practices, lender liability claims, product liability and breach of warranty claims, ERISA violations, insurance issues and employment discrimination disparate impact claims.
Commercial Lending: The commercial lending attorneys represent banks, thrifts, and other lending institutions throughout all phases of the negotiating, structuring, closing, and enforcing of a variety of lending transactions, as well as counseling clients in connection with issues pertaining to lending matters and their ramifications.
Competition Law: The firm’s Competition Law Group advises clients confronting competition issues affecting their businesses, including antitrust, franchise, intellectual property, business tort, and consumer protection laws. Services range from day to day counseling to representation in complex litigation.The firm’s attorneys counsel both public and private companies in the development and implementation of compliance programs, in addition to representing clients in litigated administrative, civil and criminal matters.
Construction: Frantz Ward’s construction lawyers are well recognized for their knowledge and experience in all aspects of construction law, including project conceptualization and planning, contract preparation, project financing, project management, construction contracts, construction litigation, construction claims prosecution and analysis, and alternative dispute resolution proceedings, including arbitration and mediation. The group represents general contractors, design/builders, subcontractors, heavy highway contractors, tunnelling contractors, specialty trades, suppliers, manufacturers, developers, lenders, owners, and design professionals.
Consumer & Warranty Litigation: Frantz Ward attorneys represent manufacturers and finance companies in the defense of claims under manufacturers’ warranties, federal warranty and consumer protection statutes and state lemon laws. They currently handle all Ohio litigation of this type - including class actions - for several national automobile manufacturers and finance companies.
Corporate/Business Law: The corporate/business law attorneys counsel clients in traditional corporate and transactional areas, including corporate governance, commercial finance transactions,mergers/acquisitions, public and private debt offerings and licensing, and represent both target and acquiring corporations in the buying and selling of their privately-held businesses.
Environmental: The firm’s Environmental Practice Group, led by the former Director and Chief Legal Counsel for the Ohio EPA, possess the broad skills and knowledge essential for counseling clients in all aspects of environmental law and guiding them through the complex environmental regulations and requirements that pertain to their business activities.
Estate Planning/Probate: The firm provides a full range of estate planning services and advises clients regarding succession issues in closely held businesses. The firm’s probate practice includes estate administration and other representation in probate-related proceedings.
Healthcare: The firm’s attorneys are highly skilled in successfully steering healthcare organizations through regulatory compliance and operational matters, including employment and labor issues, risk management, medical malpractice/liability, governmental and third party billing and reimbursement, licensure and certification, survey and enforcement, managed care contracting,Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, HIPAA compliance, and healthcare contracting. It counsels hospitals, physicians, long-term care providers and other healthcare organizations regarding corporate structuring,mergers and acquisitions, and joint venture arrangements, and represents healthcare clients in litigation.
Higher Education: The firm’s Higher Education Group deals daily with the broad range of issues confronting colleges and universities. Services range from specific assistance in specialized areas, such as the hiring of faculty members to broad general counsel on the various legal issues confronting higher education today.
Labor & Employment: Frantz Ward’s Labor and Employment Group represents both private and public sector management clients nationally regarding issues arising in the ever-changing modern employment relationship. The group is decidedly adept at providing effective personnel management strategies, counseling and training to assist clients in avoiding costly litigation, lengthy government investigations, labor disputes, and other outside party intervention. When litigation, investigation or disputes cannot be avoided, this group provides clients with comprehensive cost-effective representation that leads to favorable results.
Litigation: A team of highly skilled and qualified trial lawyers, the firm’s litigation attorneys represent clients nationally in federal, state and appellate courts, and in arbitrations, mediations and other dispute resolution procedures. The group represents clients involved in disputes and lawsuits involving a wide range of business issues. In addition, the firm represents clients in nationwide toxic tort cases, serves as national coordinating counsel in multi-jurisdictional litigation and represents manufacturers of a wide host of products, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, industrial equipment and various consumer products in product liability litigation.
Real Estate: Frantz Ward’s real estate attorneys are skillful in representing the interests of businesses of all sizes, as well as individuals, in all types of real estate transactions. The group has represented property owners and property users in the acquisition, development, lease and finance of real estate and related property interests (including mineral and oil and gas matters), and has extensive proficiency in retail (including anchor, linestore and freestanding), industrial and office leasing and in construction contracts and disputes.
CLIENTS: The firm’s client base is national in scope, encompassing individuals to small privatelyheld businesses to publicly traded Fortune 500 companies.