Overview

An experienced trial and appellate lawyer and legal counselor, Todd practices general public sector law, land use and development issues, tax incentive development, eminent domain, litigation, public sector employment and labor law, antitrust law, and sports law. He has managed and tried a wide range of civil and administrative cases and counsels business owners, developers and public officials on related matters. He has also successfully handled a wide variety of cases involving zoning and land use, eminent domain, tort and civil rights, construction contracts, and general government authority issues. His litigation experience also includes class action and antitrust cases.

For over 27 years, Todd has been the former city solicitor or special counsel for Hudson, Ohio, the director of law for the city of Richmond Heights for 26 years, and the village of Gates Mills for over five years. Dating back to 1984, he also served as a municipal attorney for the cities of Cleveland and Cleveland Heights. Todd is, and has been, special counsel to several cities, villages, townships, counties, other governmental entities and taxing authorities throughout Ohio. He also regularly represents private parties in their dealings with public entities. He serves as general counsel for a Division I college sports conference and performs all of its multi-faceted litigation and transactional matters.

 

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Recognition

• 2014-2022 – Selected for inclusion in the 2014-2022 editions of The Best Lawyers in America©.  Listed in the current edition for Land Use and Zoning Law; Municipal Law; Real Estate Law.
• 2021 – Named the Best Lawyers® 2021 Land Use and Zoning Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland.
• 2019 – Named the Best Lawyers® 2019 Land Use and Zoning Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland.

 

 

 

 

 

Articles

• Nearly Half of All Walter | Haverfield Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers®
• Two Walter | Haverfield Attorneys Selected as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers®
• The State of Ohio Enacts House Bill 180 Which Prohibits Local Governments From Enacting Local Hiring Requirements.
• Facade Inspections Mandate Adopted – with Sunset Clause
• Land Use

Presentations

• “5th Amendment ‘Takings’ After Knick and Eminent Domain Update” – Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association (OMAA)/Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association (NLDA) 2019 Fall Municipal Civil Law Seminar, October 4, 2019
• “Section 1983 Litigation and the Government’s Duty to Defend and Indemnify Public Officials and Employees” – Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association, June 2019
• “The Legal & Practical Aspects of Master Comprehensive Planning for Local Communities” – Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association, March 20, 2019
• “Elected vs. Appointed Law Director Issues, Contesting Proposed Charter Amendments and More” – Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association/Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association, February 21, 2019
• “Encouraging Economic Development Through Planning” – Northeast Ohio Planning & Zoning Workshop Conneaut, June 8, 2018
• “Telecommunications Law Update” – Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association Law Institute, July 27, 2017
• “Land Use Law Update” – American Planning Association, NE Ohio, Warren, Ohio, June 9, 2017

• “Right-of-Way Regulation after Senate Bill 331,” NE Ohio Law Directors Association, February 2017

• “Basics of Local Regulation of Political/Ideological Signs Under The First Amendment” – American Planning Association, Ohio Chapter, Cleveland Planning & Zoning Workshop, Westlake, Ohio, October 24, 2014

• “Recent Ohio Planning & Zoning Cases” – American Planning Association, Ohio Chapter Cleveland Planning & Zoning Workshop, Westlake, Ohio, October 24, 2014

• “Land Use” – Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, 2014 Municipal Law Institute, Dublin, Ohio, July 24, 2014

• “Land Use Law Update” – Ohio State Bar Association, Land Use and Zoning Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio, May 21, 2014

• “Home Rule and Local Control”, Ohio Municipal League Newly Elected Council Members, Independence, Ohio, March 29, 2014

• “Liabilities of and Litigation re: Local Governments and Local Officials” and “Zoning and Land Use”, Seminar for Elected Local Government Officials, Independence, Ohio, December 7, 2013

• “Defending Local Land Use Decisions” and “The Board of Zoning Appeals Jurisdiction and Best Practices,” American Planning Association 2013 Planning Conference, Cleveland, Ohio, September 27, 2013

• “Zoning Case Law Update” – Ohio Township Association, Township Law Directors’ Group Meeting & Continuing Legal Education, Blacklick, Ohio, August 2, 2013

• “Oil and Gas Regulation/Leasing: A Municipal Perspective” (with Aimee Lane) and “Oil & Gas: Hydraulic Fracturing (“Fracking”) & Oil and Gas Leasing” – Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, 2013 Municipal Law Institute, Dublin, Ohio, July 25, 2013

• “The Board of Zoning Appeals Jurisdiction and Best Practices” – Medina County Planning Department, Sharon Center, Ohio, March 27, 2013

• “Current Issues in Land Use & Zoning” – Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, 2013 Spring Municipal Civil Law Seminars, Cleveland, Ohio, May 3, 2013, and in Columbus, Ohio, March 15, 2013

• “Beef Up Your BZA: Beyond the Basics,” American Planning Association’s “24th Annual Cleveland Planning and Zoning Workshop,” Cleveland, Ohio, November 16, 2012

• “Planning Law Hot Topics,” NE Ohio Planning & Zoning Workshop, Mentor, Ohio, June 22, 2012

• “Final Ohio Senate Bill 5: Public Management Perspectives on Collective Bargaining and Employment Issues,” Holiday Inn Cleveland South, April 8, 2011

• “BZA: Powers and Duties-Variance Authority and Those Other Pesky Applications,” “NE Ohio Planning & Zoning Workshop,” Ohio Planning Conference, June 25, 2010

• “A Challenge to the Existence of Ohio’s Mayor’s Courts,” 2010 Mayor’s Court Clerks of Ohio Professional Development Program, Kent State University, April 29, 2010

• “Legal Implications of Zoning Decisions for Smart Planning and Development,” Planning Law Seminar, Cleveland State University, March 26, 2010

• “Municipal Employment Law Overview,” Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association’s 2010 Spring Municipal Civil Seminar, March 5, 2010

• “Administrative Law (Municipal),” Kent State University Elected Officials Academy – Personal Leadership, February 17, 2010

• “Municipal Employment Law Overview,” 2009 Winter Municipal Civil Law Seminar, Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, December 4, 2009

• “Legislative, Regulatory and Current Case Law Developments/Key Issues in Government Law,” National Business Institute: State and Local Government Law, December 1, 2009

• “General Municipal Law,” Kent State University 27th Annual Ohio and West Virginia Municipal Clerks Career Development Program, October 5, 2009

• “Eminent Domain Seminar,” Ohio State Bar Association, May 27, 2009

• “Land Use & Zoning Law Update,” 2009 Municipal Civil Law Seminars, Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, March 13, 2009, May 1, 2009, & July 31, 2009

• “Land Use and Zoning Seminar”, Ohio State Bar Association, April 16, 2008

• “Development of Business and Industrial Parks in Ohio”, Lorman Education Services, December 5, 2007

• “Current Issues in Storm Water Regulation”, Lorman Education Services, March 28, 2007

• “Zoning, Subdivision and Land Development Law in Ohio Constitutional Issues: Inverse Condemnation and Takings”, sponsored by Lorman Education Services, April 19, 2006

• “Home Rule Under Attack: Current Topics”, sponsored by the Cleveland Bar Association, Government Attorney Section, March 15, 2006

• “Local Government Regulations of Sexually Oriented Businesses,” Lorman Education Services, January 27, 2004

• “Local Government Regulations of Signs,” Lorman Education Services, January 27, 2004

Associations

• American Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association
• Northeast Ohio Law Directors Association
• National Association of Industrial & Office Properties
• American Planning Association, Ohio chapter
• Sports Lawyers Association