Hamilton County approves new outside counsel for stadium negotiations; longtime county counsel objects

Hamilton County commissioners voted unanimously May 15 to apply to the Court of Common Pleas to retain two outside law firms to serve as special counsel on major sports-stadium and riverfront matters.

The board authorized applications to retain Dinsmore & Shohl to advise on Paycor Stadium and the riverfront development, and Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease to advise on matters related to the Cincinnati Reds and Great American Ball Park. Jeff Alito, Hamilton County administrator, told commissioners the move represents a shift from the county’s long-standing relationship with Frost Brown Todd.

Tom Gableman, a lawyer who said he served as the county’s project counsel for 28 years, told the commissioners he learned his office’s retention had been terminated about an hour and 15 minutes before the meeting and described his work on stadium and property-tax innovations as “an honor and a privilege.” Gableman said his office had helped secure roughly $25 million in property tax refunds and developed ideas about funding stadiums that he characterized as “innovative.”

County Prosecutor Connie Pillich told the board that, after meeting with each commissioner since taking office, she recommended a new “tactic” and “fresh eyes” for stadium negotiations. Pillich said she supports retaining Dinsmore & Shohl for Paycor Stadium and riverfront matters and Vorys, Sater, Seymour & Pease for the Reds lease negotiations. She also cited hiring national stadium-negotiation expert David Abrams to support the county’s team and noted the office’s in-house experience in Roger Friedman, a staff attorney familiar with the projects’ legal history.

Pillich emphasized timing: she said the Bengals face a June 30 deadline to decide whether to take an extension provided in the existing lease, and she argued the county should assemble a legal team with specialized experience to protect taxpayers’ interests as negotiations continue. Pillich said the change is not a criticism of Frost Brown Todd’s prior work but a change in perspective for the next phase of negotiations.

After discussion the board approved the two applications by unanimous vote. Commission President Denise Driehaus moved approval; the motion was seconded and commissioners voted “Yes.” No additional conditions were attached to the applications at the May 15 meeting.

What happened next remains procedural: the board authorized filings to the local court so the county may employ special counsel. Pillich and the county administrator said the added counsel would provide drafting and negotiating expertise for complex leases, bond and real-estate matters.

Gableman’s remarks and the transition in counsel drew repeated public and commissioner attention at the meeting. He told the board he and his team had worked at a reduced hourly rate and that the firm’s work had produced “direct savings” for the county; Pillich said that new counsel would be available to provide specialized negotiating and drafting support and that the office had already added outside experts to the legal team.

Commissioners did not vote on specific contract terms or fee arrangements at the May 15 session; the vote authorized the applications to hire outside counsel and to seek court approval.