Bill has been with RCO since 1988 and focuses his practice on employment law and civil litigation. Bill serves clients ranging from Fortune 500 manufacturing companies to local businesses and nonprofit entities. He offers clients pragmatic and candid advice regarding all aspects of the employer/employee relationship and business related litigation.
Bill also defends employer interests before various administrative agencies which have oversight authority over employment issues, including the Department of Labor (DOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC), the State Employment Relations Board (SERB), the Ohio Department of Commerce, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission (UCRC), and the Ohio Industrial Commission.
When disputes result in litigation, Bill protects client interests in both state and federal court. He is actively involved in all stages of litigation from initial pleadings and discovery through trial and appeal where necessary. His trial experience provides significant insight for the benefit of employers seeking day-to-day employment advice and defending against administration claims.
The University of Toledo College of Law, J.D., 1988
University of Pittsburgh, B.A., 1984
Ohio
United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Ohio State University Extension Advisory Council, Hancock County, 2010-Present; Chair 2011-Present
Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Past Board Member
Samaritan Counseling Center, Past Board Member
Findlay-Hancock County Arts Partnership, Past Board Member
Findlay Area Human Resource Association
Toledo Area Human Resource Association
Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorney
Society for Human Resource Management
Findlay/Hancock County Bar Association
Toledo Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
Employment Law
Civil Litigation
Administrative Law
Alleged Disability Discrimination in Employment
Issue
Employer client terminated an employee’s employment for poor performance. The ex-employee then sued the employer alleging that his termination was wrongfully based on his disability and the employer’s perception that he was an individual with a disability.
Our Approach
Our client did not want to settle this case because they believed that the termination was just. Though a review of the former employee’s medical records could have identified an actual disability, we were able to establish that the disability in question was not a factor in the termination. Extensive client testimony also demonstrated that the employer’s concerns about the employee’s work performance did not amount to a perceived disability.
Results
The jury returned a verdict for the employer client on all claims for relief.
I was born and raised in Findlay, Ohio, and have called northwest Ohio home my entire life. My early years were consumed with school, sports and working on the family farm where I bailed a lot of hay and helped raise cattle, hogs and horses.
I left northwest Ohio to attend the University of Pittsburgh. I had the privilege of playing on the Pitt football teams that went to four straight bowl games. Pitt achieved the No. 1 ranking in the country during each of my first three years. I competed with great athletes daily. Among my old Pitt teammates are five members of the NFL Hall of Fame; five members of the College Football Hall of Fame; 13 First Team All-Americans; four Heisman Finalists; 12 first-round draft picks; and a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and former recordholder in the 110-meter high hurdles.
After graduating from Pitt, I earned my law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law while helping on the family farm.
Today, my life is focused on family and work. It has been a pleasure watching my children grow and develop into great young adults. I look forward to the day when they have their own families.
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