Biography

Rusty concentrates his practice primarily in the firm’s government relations, regulatory and administrative areas, with a focus on transportation, insurance and land use issues, and related litigation matters. He joined Kegler Brown in 1987 after serving as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Montgomery County, Ohio.

Transportation + Public Law

Rusty counsels clients on complex transportation improvement projects and related transactions, including engineering and construction contract issues, land use issues, real estate acquisition and eminent domain, and project planning and financing. He also advises transportation improvement districts, and local government and private sector partners, on project-related transactions and implementation and interacts with state and federal regulatory authorities. He serves as counsel to public boards on governance issues and matters of procedure and Ohio public records law.

Insurance

Rusty also has extensive experience with a wide variety of insurance matters, including insurance company insolvencies, reinsurance, third-party administrators, and agents licensure and regulatory issues and related litigation matters

Practice Areas

Education

  • University of Dayton School of Law (J.D., 1982)
  • University of Dayton (B.A., 1979)

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Professional Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, member
  • Columbus Bar Association, member
  • Ohio State Bar Association, member

Special Honors

  • Recognized in Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers, 2022
  • Selected as “Lawyer of the Year” in Columbus for Insurance Law in The Best Lawyers in America®, 2021, 2018
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Martindale-Hubbell Rating of AV Preeminent®

Charitable + Civic Involvement

  • Central Ohio Diabetes Association, Board of Trustees, Former Member
  • Charity Newsies, Member
  • Upper Arlington Civic Association, Member; Board of Trustees, Former Member

Career Highlights

  • General Counsel to the Hamilton County and Clermont County Transportation Improvement Districts, including counsel on the Eastern Corridor Multi-Modal Transportation Project, which encompasses a 165-square mile area in eastern Hamilton and Clermont counties
  • Since 1994, has served as General Counsel to the Butler County Transportation Improvement District, providing counsel on matters relating to the planning, design and construction of over $200,000,000 in highway, road and interchange improvements and related economic development initiatives
  • Serves as General Counsel to the Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Lucas, and Warren County Transportation Improvement Districts. Also, served as Special Counsel to Geauga County, Ohio, on certain local government issues
  • Served as Special Counsel to the Ohio Department of Insurance on State of Ohio insurance matters and insurance company insolvencies.
  • Served as Magistrate for Grove City, Ohio
  • Ohio Senate appointee to Ohio Legal Rights Services Commission from 1996-1999
  • Assistant County Prosecutor, Montgomery County, Ohio, from 1983-1987
  • Judicial Law Clerk, Montgomery County, Ohio Court of Common Pleas from 1980-1983
  • Judicial Intern, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in 1980