Hi, How Can We Help You?

Category Archives: Finney Law Firm News

Image of Christopher Finney sitting on his desk, black suit, pink tie and polka dot pocket square

Hemmer Wessels and McMurtry PLLC combines with Finney Law Firm, broadening commercial practice (and new partners!)

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

We issued this press release today on this important development for Finney Law Firm: 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Christopher P. Finney, Esq.

513-943-6655

Chris@FinneyLawFirm.com

Finney Law Firm, LLC and Hemmer Wessels McMurtry PLLC announce combination under the Finney Law Firm banner

 ~ Combined firm creates strong Cincinnati-area commercial law firm on both sides of the Ohio River ~

[Cincinnati, Ohio, December 2025] – The law firms of Hemmer Wessels McMurtry PLLC (HWM) and Finney Law Firm, LLC (FLF) have agreed to combine, with an effective date of January 1, 2026.

The new firm will retain the name Finney Law Firm, LLC and will expand on the success of both firms with a more powerful Cincinnati-area presence: 21 attorneys focusing on commercial transactions and litigation, with particular strengths in Real Estate, Employment Law, Defamation Law, and Constitutional Litigation.

The announcement follows agreement by both firms to meld their mature and accomplished practices with a now-broader geographic footprint. The firm is uniquely positioned to serve corporate and individual clients from innovative startups to established and successful businesses of all sizes.

Christopher Finney will serve as President of the firm, while Carlo Wessels and Todd McMurtry of HWM and Stephen Imm, Bradley Gibson, and Isaac Heintz of FLF will be named partners. The firm will also welcome Donald Hemmer as an Of Counsel Attorney and Scott Thomas as Senior Counsel.

“This combination is a momentous step for both firms, bringing together top-notch commercial and real estate transactional attorneys, with nationally recognized litigators in Employment Law, Defamation Law and Constitutional Law,” said Christopher Finney.  “HWM’s attorneys share our commitment to ‘making a difference’ for our clients and our communities, with a focus on delivering creative legal services with determination.  This, combined with our respectful culture, where each employee is empowered to reach their professional potential and personal goals, exemplifies the focus of our firm.”

Carlo Wessels added, “The combination of the two firms advances the historic mission of the members of Hemmer Wessels and McMurtry to deliver quality, reliable and breakthrough legal services for our clients on both sides of the river.  With the newly expanded firm, clients will gain access to a broader array of many of Cincinnati’s best attorneys bringing to the table enthusiasm for the law, each with deep experience and accomplishment.”

The combination will take effect on January 1, 2026, with client services and legal operations integrated immediately. A broader brand integration, including visual branding, website updates, and expanded public communications, will roll out in phases with a formal rebrand and full public launch planned for March 2026.

The combined firm will keep each of its three offices: Eastgate, Downtown Cincinnati, and Ft. Mitchell.

About Hemmer Wessels and McMurtry PLLC
Headquartered in Ft. Mitchell, KY, with a strong presence on both sides of the Ohio River, HWM has historically maintained a formidable transactional practice anchored by Donald Hemmer and Carlo Wessels.  Todd McMurtry has complemented that corporate practice with his superior litigation team that has become, among other accomplishments, nationally preeminent in Defamation Law.  Todd McMurtry also currently serves as president of the Kentucky Bar Association.  HWM will onboard eight attorneys to the combined firm.

About Finney Law Firm, LLC

Founded in 2014, FLF has grown to 15 attorneys located in offices in Eastgate and downtown Cincinnati with five major practice areas: Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Employment Law, Commercial Litigation and Public Interest and Constitutional Litigation.  FLF has the unique claim to three 9-0 victories at the United States Supreme Court for its public interest practice along with breakthrough class action work.

FLF also has an affiliated title insurance company, Ivy Pointe Title, LLC, that closes and insures nearly a thousand commercial and residential real estate transactions annually.

For more information about Finney Law Firm, visit finneylawfirm.com.

Media Contact: Mickey McClanahan; mickey@finneylawfirm.isoc.net; 513.797.2850.

Finney Law Firm welcomes our law clerk Peyton Urich

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

We are pleased to have with Finney Law Firm for his second year in law school as a law clerk, Peyton R. Urich.  We got to know Peyton from his work over the 2025 summer, and asked him to stay part-time while he is in law school.

Over the years, our annual clerkship program has allowed us to get to know law clerks, a proving ground for new associates, and for them to get to know us and our client base.  It is a challenge for them and us to expose them to the legal world, our clients, opposing counsel and the Courts, but over the years it also has been a richly rewarding experience.

Peyton is an East Tennessee native and currently a 2L at Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He started his undergraduate studies as a Biology major focusing on the pre-med track before finding his way to law where he has developed a strong interest in both civil litigation and transactional work. Outside of school, he enjoys being active in the gym and outdoors. He is also a car enthusiast who enjoys both the mechanics as well as the drive.

Join us in welcoming new talent and a fresh and enthusiastic new addition to Finney Law Firm!

Learning a few things about real estate while developing our new offices downtown

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Recently, the Cincinnati Business Courier was nice enough to run a photo spread of our new law firm offices and we have had hundreds of clients drive by or visit our new City-home of Finney Law Firm.  The project was more than $2 million invested in our offices and two apartments in the core of downtown Cincinnati, taking about three years to complete.

We undertook this project to invest in the City that has given so much to us, but also to deeply learn things our investor clients already know about real estate investing, financing and development, so we can share those lessons with other clients.  Here are a few things we learned:

  1. Patience is a virtue.  Things (plans, regulatory approvals, material orders and contractor work) are not going to happen overnight.
  2. Further, every project is a trade-off of three things: a) time, b) money and c) quality.  You can get two out of three, but it’s hard to get all three.
  3. You have to trust and respect your designers, architect, construction manager, contractors, materialmen, and laborers.  They know more about this business than you do.  And although I help clients address failed contractor relationships, I found the vast majority of the people I dealt with to be honest, qualified and quality-minded and very hard-working.  Indeed, they had to repeatedly push back on me (on time or money) to insist on high quality in the project execution.
  4. A lender pulled me aside as I was planning the financing of the project, and told me to avoid construction financing if at all possible.  Do it with cash.  Otherwise, the bank will be looking over your shoulder and slowing you down every step of the way.  He was right.  Avoiding that headache was key in the project’s success.  Obviously, this is not always possible, but great and unsolicited advice.
  5. The City was great to work with.  The Building Department (especially), the Historic Conservation Department, the Water Works, the Police.  At every juncture, I was awed at the cooperation and enthusiasm I received from City officials.
  6. Key incentives.  For this project, we employed key incentive packages which were incredibly valuable.
    • Cost segregation.  Again, an accountant friend told me to explore cost segregation on the project.  This is where an engineer’s study allows you to significantly accelerate deprecation on project components.  Over the years, I had heard of cost segregation studies, but I literally had no idea how incredibly valuable this approach can be, resulting in hundreds of thousands of additional early depreciation deductions.
    • Federal and State Historic tax credits.  Again, after I had purchased the building, a friend told me of state and federal historic tax credits (not deductions!).  These can pay for up to 45% of an historic project.  20% federal is more or less automatic, but the additional state credits (essentially a grant) are a competition and Cincinnati gets more than it’s fair share, so it is competitive.  We won both!
    •  City tax abatements, residential and commercial.  I had to jump thru a few hoops (cutting the building into condos and applying separately), but the City has generous (although slightly complicated) residential and commercial property tax abatement programs that every developer should get to know about.  They are readily attainable.
    • Port/Sales tax avoidance.  Our project was too small for the strategy to be effective, but another turn-key, money-saving program for County projects is to partner with the Port Authority to avoid sales taxes on all of your building components and materials.  For larger projects, it is a “must do.”

If you are embarking on a development project of your own, I am glad to share my contractor and materialmen list, the short-cuts and procedures I learned for each of project components.

 

Ashley L. Duckworth headshot

Finney Law Firm welcomes new attorney Ashley Duckworth

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Finney Law Firm is pleased to announce the addition of Ashley Duckworth as our newest associate attorney.  Ashley joins the firm’s litigation group, primarily handling real estate and commercial law disputes.

Ashley graduated in the spring from Salmon P. Chase College of Law and just recently passed the Ohio Bar Examination.  The firm and many of its clients have gotten to know Ashley through her clerkship for the past 15 months.

Ashley graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication.

Finney Law Firm opens its office in downtown Cincinnati

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Exterior photo on the downtown Cincinnati location

Finney Law Firm and Ivy Pointe Title have opened their office in downtown Cincinnati at 635 Main.  For us, this has been a much-anticipated and long-awaited development.  This office replaces our Mt. Adams office on Celestial Street in the historic Rookwood Pottery Building.  We hope you enjoy this new office as much as we have enjoyed crafting it.

Why downtown?  First, this office joins a post-COVID resurgence for downtown, which is seeing a return of office workers, a huge growth in residential development and a host of new hotels and restaurants, bars and other entertainment venues.  Second, many of our major corporate clients are downtown-based and some are downtown-focused.  Third, the office is located strategically just one block north of the Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse (which houses the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals) and three blocks immediately south of the Hamilton County Courthouse.  Ample parking surrounds the new facility.

We are jazzed about our ability to revive an historic 150-year-old building into a sparkling new facility, with energy-efficient HVAC and lighting, and cutting-edge smart technology throughout.  In this revival, we have retained many of the original historic features of the building.  We hope you come by for a closing, a deposition, a mediation or a meeting with our attorneys and staff.

The project took the best of our creativity (I know, I know, we are attorneys) and resources, partnering with a host of talented consultants, architects, designers, and contractors.  (I learned so much by doing this project and am glad to share my experiences as well as our list of consultants, contractors and materials that have made it a rousing success).  We combined a smart initial purchase of the property with federal and state historic tax credits and City of Cincinnati residential and commercial tax abatements.  My transactional team handled the tax details and legally divided the building into three condominiums, our office and two residential condos.

Many have asked me: How was City Hall to deal with on this project?  I can say without exception that each City department with which we dealt has been exceptionally prompt and professional: Historic Conservation, the Building Department, the Economic Development Department, and even the Mayor and City Council.

_____________________

Thanks to our loyal clients while we completed this master work, to my attorneys and staff who were endlessly patient while I got it finished, and to our whole design and construction team who endured my endless questions, prompts and concerns, while each providing exceptional products and services.  You simply would not believe the hard work, long hours and creativity needed to bring this project to fruition by our design and construction team members.

Audio recordings of client and customer interactions

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

In today’s digital age, one should almost expect that all personal interactions and appearances in public places are being recorded.  In fact, there are apps for cell phones that automatically record every single phone call.  In some ways, it seems creepy.  In others the question would be: if you are doing nothing wrong, what do you have to fear?  Personally, I see it as creepy and I don’t like it.

However, Ohio is a “one party” state as it relates to recording interactions.  As such, it is legal for one party to a conversation to record that conversation, even if the other party is not aware of the recording.

We have learned through our law practice that clients, opposing counsel and opposing parties frequently are making recordings of interactions, on the phone and in personal meetings.

From my perspective, if I know I am being recorded, I likely would be more cautious and more guarded in what I say.  In some instances, I would limit my interactions with that person entirely, or make sure communications are all in writing.

As a result, we have added a provision to our client fee agreements requiring clients to tell us if they are recording interactions with our office.  If they fail to notify us of those recordings, they cannot later use those recordings against us.

I recently shared the fact that this is part of our standard engagement letter with a class of Realtors, and was asked by 9 participants for that form language to include in their own agency agreements.  So, I thought I would share that language here on this blog as well.  Feel free to make use of it as it suits your practice.

Audio and Video Recordings with this Firm

We will never make an audio or video recording of any communication with you or any third party.  We occasionally have clients who either want to make an audio and/or video recording of a call or meeting with us.  In the event that you choose to make an audio or video recording or any interaction with us, we require that you disclose each such instance to us in advance in writing.  If you fail to disclose any such recording, (a) it will be a material breach of this agreement, (b) it will be the basis for termination of the relationship by this firm and (c) you agree not to use that recording in any proceeding relating to our representation.

It’s a dangerous world out there.  Proceed with caution.

Another win for our employment law group at federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals

Author By Matthew S. OkiishiPosted on

On August 9, 2024, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held for a former public employee Eric Noble, represented by Matt Okiishi of our Employment Law group, that his posting of a meme critical of a well-known protest movement while on his private time was “protected speech” under the First Amendment.

While the public employer asserted that it terminated Mr. Noble because it “anticipated disruption,” the panel determined that this belief failed to be “objectively reasonable.” The panel also noted that the public employer’s decision to engage in the same debate as Mr. Noble cast “doubt on its motive for firing him,” undercut its interest in maintaining workplace harmony, and violated the First Amendment’s prohibition against allowing “one side of a debate from using the government to cancel the other side.”

The panel concluded that because Mr. Noble was terminated in retaliation for exercising his First Amendment speech rights, and prior precedent “does not give the Library carte balance to take away Mr. Noble’s means of livelihood based on his speech,” he was entitled to summary judgment in his favor. A copy of the decision in the case styled Eric Noble v. Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, et al. is linked here.

The Court has recommended this victory for full publication, signifying that it views the case as one of great importance and significance. This victory also comes just three years after another free speech victory by our firm, Barger v. United Bhd. of Carpenters & Joiners of Am., 3 F.4th 254 (6th Cir. 2021) (discussed here).

Casey Taylor

Finney Law Firm offers free FinCEN Webinar on Tuesday, May 14 at noon

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

As reported here and in our prior newsletter, new legislation requires owners of small businesses (including LLCs and corporations; under $5 million in revenue) to report their owners’ names to the federal agency known as FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network).  There is a fine of up to $500 per day for violations, so this is a regulation that should not be ignored.

For new LLCs and corporations, the deadline is within 90 days of the formation.  For LLCs and corporations in existence as of January 1st of this year, the deadline is January 1. 2025.

Finney Law Firm attorney Casey Jones has carefully researched and written about the new FinCEN requirements and is heading our efforts to educate our clients on the intricacies of the statute and to assure compliance by our firm and our clients.

  • On Tuesday, May 14, at noon Ms. Jones will conduct a webinar informing clients of the new FinCEN requirements and answering questions you may have.

The link to sign up for the webinar is here.

J. Andrew Gray

Finney Law Firm welcomes new associate J. Andrew Gray

Author By Christopher P. FinneyPosted on

Finney Law Firm is pleased to add to our team of attorneys J. Andrew Gray.  Andrew is a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law where he served as chair of the Honor Council, the student-run organization dedicated to academic integrity and enforcing the College of Law’s Honor Code.

Andrew also brings to our firm and the practice of law his background in engineering.  In 2020 he earned his bachelors degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Prior to joining the Finney Law Firm, he clerked for a long-serving local Common Pleas judge, helping the court resolve civil matters ranging from personal injury suits to complex construction litigation.

Andrew joins our burgeoning litigation team.

1 2 3