Celebrating 50 Years

Transcription

1 Celebrating 50 Years

2 The Early Years 1954 Charles H Keating Jr., John L. Muething and William J. Keating, Sr. leave other firms to form Keating, Muething & Keating. The firm takes on a small space on the 39th floor of the Carew Tower and starts with one secretary, Helen Bayer William J. Keating, Sr. begins his career in government service when he is appointed as Judge of the Hamilton County Municipal Court. As required as a result of Bill s judicial service, the name of the firm is changed to Keating & Muething. Donald P. Klekamp is hired from U.S. Steel in Cleveland to take over Bill s work. Don s continuing employment is conditioned on Bill s election to continue as a Municipal Court Judge. Bill, Don and the firm campaign hard, and Bill is elected. Meanwhile, Charlie Keating, John Muething and Don Klekamp try cases, search titles and seek out paying clients Timothy A. Garry, Don R. Gardner, Gary P. Kreider and others are hired as the firm grows. Early clients include Carl H. Lindner and his brothers, Robert D. Lindner (United Dairy Farmers) and Richard E. Lindner (Thriftway), George J. Joseph (Columbia Olds), Richard T. Farmer (Cintas) and William E. Besl (Fenton Rigging) American Financial Corporation (AFC) makes its first public offering resulting in KMK s first public client, first IPO and the beginning of its well-respected securities law practice. This was KMK s introduction to Wall Street and New York practice. Mid 1960s Later in the 1960s, KMK is actively involved in AFC s acquisition of other assets and companies including The Provident Bank. KMK s standing in the political arena expands as Bill Keating, Sr. moves from Municipal Court to Common Pleas Court in 1964 and to Cincinnati City Council in Bill Keating, Sr. returns to practice with the firm while on City Council. The firm moves three times in the Carew Tower as additional space is required Don R. Gardner helps found and grow the SAY Soccer program, which becomes the largest youth soccer organization in the Tri-State. Since the firm s founding, KMK attorneys have been actively involved in and served in leadership and Board positions with numerous civic and charitable organizations, including: James H. Brun, Board Member, Cincinnati Dreams Come True; Robert E. Coletti, Trustee for Coalition for a Drug Free Greater Cincinnati; Paul D. Dorger, immediate past president of the Board of Trustees, Catholic Social Services of Southwestern Ohio; Sue A. Erhart, Board Member, Great Rivers Girl Scout Council; Lisa Wintersheimer Michel, Trustee for Young Women s Christian Association; Gail Glassmeyer Pryse, Vice Chair of March of Dimes of Southwestern Ohio and Gregory M. Utter, past president and Board of Directors for the Southwestern Ohio Council on Child Abuse. Late 1960s Michael J. Burke, Louis F. Gilligan and Thomas A. Hayes join KMK. Don Klekamp is elected a partner, and the name of the firm is changed to Keating, Muething & Klekamp. 1 AFC continues to grow and Lindner-related clients, including AFC, Provident, Hunter Savings, Thriftway and UDF, generate significant revenue for the firm. The firm outgrows its space in the Carew Tower, and when the Provident Tower is built and opened in 1967 and AFC and Provident move there, KMK takes over half of the 18th floor in Provident Tower.

3 1970s 1970 Bill Keating, Sr. is elected to U.S. Congress and becomes Of Counsel to the firm. Tom Hayes joins Bill Keating, Sr. s Congressional Staff and later begins a 25-year career as an executive with Great American Insurance Company. Bill Keating serves in Congress until 1974 when he leaves Congress to become CEO and Publisher of The Cincinnati Enquirer Tim Garry is appointed to Cincinnati City Council to succeed Bill Gradison. Early 1970s AFC acquires National General, a holding company larger than AFC. This acquisition and the resulting assimilation and divestitures create new opportunities and the firm grows as Joseph P. Rouse, Richard D. Siegel, James E. Evans, Dennis M. Doyle, Joseph L. Trauth, Jr., James R. Whitaker, Richard L. Creighton, Jr., J. David Rosenberg and others join the firm. William A. McClain joins KMK after retiring as Cincinnati City Solicitor. He later served as a judge on both the Municipal Court and Common Pleas Court and has been recognized as one of the most respected attorneys in Cincinnati Charlie Keating leaves KMK to become Executive Vice President of AFC. John Muething succeeds him as Managing Partner. Mid-1970s KMK establishes and expands its relationships with many prominent Cincinnati businesses and families, including the Hansers (Davitt & Hanser wholesale distributors of musical instruments), the McCarthys (copying and office services), the Neyers (real estate and construction development) and the Rumpkes (waste handling and disposal). KMK fields its first softball team, a brave but weak squad that competes in an industrial league on Friday nights. In later years and through today, the firm continues the tradition of sponsoring a team in a lawyers softball league Charlie Keating leaves AFC to build American Continental into a home building and financial services holding company. Other KMK attorneys have achieved success in the business world, including Dennis M. Doyle, W. Bruce Lunsford, Lanny R. Holbrook, Brett J. Hutchens, Jeffrey K. Heinichen, Gregory J. Joseph and John E. Gardner. Late 1970s Lou Gilligan is appointed to the lead counsel committee in the Beverly Hills law suits, the first case that pursued enterprise liability against involved suppliers and manufacturers. Gary Kreider serves as an adjunct professor in securities regulation at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Other KMK attorneys have taught and continue to teach at various universities and colleges throughout the Greater Cincinnati region including Sue Erhart, J. Neal Gardner, Patricia B. Hogan, Timothy B. Matthews and Robert W. Maxwell II. Other KMK partners, including James M. Jansing, Mary Ellen Malas, William A. Posey, Greg Utter and Mark J. Weber begin their careers at KMK as messenger clerks. James E. Evans leaves KMK to become the first General Counsel of AFC. Other KMK attorneys later accept General Counsel positions with significant firm clients (Thomas E. Frooman Cintas; Mark Muething Great American Financial Resources; Matthew J. Rumpke Rumpke Waste; and Samuel J. Simon AFC, Citicasters and Infinity Property and Casualty; James R. Whitaker, Provident Financial Group). Paul V. Muething joins KMK as the first second-generation attorney. KMK subsequently hires other sons and daughters of KMK partners as lawyers including William J. Keating, Jr., Mark F. Muething, John E. Gardner, Jody T. Klekamp, Karen Kreider Gaunt, Kenneth P. Kreider and Mark A. Weiss. 2

4 1980s 1980 KMK holds its first annual Staff Appreciation Dinner to honor its secretaries and other staff members, a tradition that still continues. KMK grows to 24 attorneys and occupies two full floors in the Provident Tower. KMK hires its first female associate, Genina Bowman. KMK attorneys provide active service on Bar Association committees. Joseph P. Mellen has served on the Board of the Cincinnati Bar Foundation since 1999 and Patrick F. Fischer has served on the Board and been selected to serve as the President of the Cincinnati Bar Association in Rick Siegel becomes KMK s first participant in the Leadership Cincinnati Program. Bill Keating, Jr., Bob Coletti, James E. Burke and Lisa Michel each participate in this prestigious program in later years Many other clients raise capital resulting in record revenue and growth for KMK s corporate and securities practice John Muething retires as an active Partner. Mike Burke succeeds him as Managing Partner, and KMK establishes its first Management Committee Four attorneys previously with Brown & Gardner, including present KMK partners Neal Gardner and Tim Matthews, join KMK Additional lateral partners join KMK providing greater expertise and capacity in real estate law Herbert B. Weiss, and labor law Robert W. Maxwell II. KMK s real estate title insurance operations are expanded through the acquisition of Riverbend Commercial Title Agency. Tim Garry serves as President of Cincinnati Bar Association. Tim also serves as President of the Cincinnati Bar Foundation from KMK clients ride the wave of national economic growth as many clients (Cintas, Lighting Systems, Comair) become public companies. (L to R) Don Klekamp, John Muething and Bill Keating, Sr KMK s Litigation Department, headed by Lou Gilligan, wins its first multimillion dollar judgments in Mathey and Topogna cases. John Muething, Don Klekamp and Bill Keating, Sr. each is recognized as a distinguished alumnus or awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati. These three have also received numerous other awards and recognitions from charitable, civic and academic institutions. 3

5 1990s 1991 Don Klekamp serves as Mayor of Indian Hill from 1991 to Earlier, John Muething serves as an Ohio Bar Examiner from 1979 to 1980, Mayor of Amberley Village from 1982 to 1986 and on the Cincinnati School Board from 1991 to KMK strengthens its team with the additions of Stephen M. Goodson (Employee Benefits) and Edward E. Steiner (Corporate and Securities Law) Don and Marianne Klekamp create the Donald P. Klekamp Professorship of Law at the University of Cincinnati and Professor Michael E. Solimine is named to the professorship KMK now has 65 attorneys and occupies four full floors in the Provident Tower. KMK continues its steady growth and has 58 attorneys (49 men and 9 women) and occupies three full floors in the Provident Tower. The Forty Under 40 Program is started in the Greater Cincinnati area to identify and recognize the area s up-and-coming business and community leaders. Since then, Bob Coletti (1995), Charles H. Gerhardt III (1997), Lisa Michel (2002), Gail Pryse (2002), Gail King (2003) and E. Todd Wilkowski (2004) have been recognized for their business accomplishments and their contributions to the community. Paul Muething joins Mike Burke as Co-Managing Partner The Cincinnati Bar Association establishes the Cincinnati Academy for Leadership of Lawyers in cooperation with the University of Cincinnati College of Law. This program prepares selected lawyers in Greater Cincinnati to deal with complex, professional and ethical issues. Since 1996, Pat Fischer, Douglas L. Hensley, Ken Kreider, Gail Pryse, Michael L. Scheier, Rachael A. Rowe, Peter J. Stautberg, F. Mark Reuter, Steve C. Coffaro and Adrienne J. Roach have participated in this program Gail King is elected a KMK partner, becoming the first African-American female elected as a Partner in any major Cincinnati law firm KMK Consulting Company is formed to offer business consulting, economic development and government affairs representation. James J. McGraw, Jr. a nationally recognized consultant on economic development matters, joins KMK and KMK Consulting Co. W. Keith Noel graduates from the Leadership Northern Kentucky Program and Gail T. King participates in the Urban League s Leadership program R. Patrick DeWine is elected to Cincinnati City Council, continuing the tradition of KMK service on Cincinnati City Council. Pat DeWine is elected to Council twice more, and in 2004 runs for Hamilton County Commissioner. 4

6 5 2000s 2001 John Muething turns 80 on August 7 and throws out the first pitch at the Reds game. Mike Burke wages a courageous battle with cancer before passing away in December. KMK now has 86 attorneys (66 men and 20 women) occupying six full floors in the Provident Tower. David K. Montgomery leads KMK s participation in the HOSTS (Help One Student To Succeed) program at Oyler Elementary School that has been nationally recognized as the most successful program of its kind in the United States. Today, numerous KMK personnel, including Don Klekamp, meet weekly with students providing invaluable academic and personal counseling. Bill Keating, Sr. is honored as one of the Greatest Living Cincinnatians. Gail King is recognized by the YWCA with its Career Women of Achievement Award Tom Hayes rejoins the KMK family as Vice President of KMK Consulting Co KMK receives The Heart of Gold Award from Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater Cincinnati for the financial and community support given to its organization. Brian P. Muething joins KMK as the first third-generation attorney. KMK attorneys are consistently recognized in The Best Lawyers in America publication with Ed Steiner, Gary Kreider, Lou Gilligan, Herb Weiss, Don Klekamp, Kevin Irwin and Bob Maxwell so recognized in KMK attorneys are also recognized for their legal expertise by inclusion in the American College of Trial Lawyers (Lou Gilligan and Jim Burke) and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (Herb Weiss). John Muething receives the Lifetime Achievement in Law Award from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation.

7 50 Years KMK financially supports more than 150 local charities, schools and civic institutions each year, continuing the tradition of community service that the firm s attorneys and other personnel have demonstrated since the firm was founded. The firm also actively participates in many charitable and civic causes, including fundraising walks and runs, community care work sponsored by United Way, Fine Arts Fund, serves dinners at Anna Louise Inn and NAST Trinity Church, and supports and raises funds for the Catholic Inner-city Schools Education Fund (CISE) For the first time, a comprehensive listing of Ohio s lawyers in more than 50 areas of practice and recognizing the top 5% of all lawyers in Ohio is published. KMK is well represented with 26 of its lawyers recognized as Ohio Super Lawyers Brian Babb, Jim Burke, Bob Coletti, Dan Donnellon, Pat Fischer, Don Gardner, Neal Gardner, Tim Garry, Lou Gilligan, Doug Hensley, Kevin Irwin, Dan Izenson, Jim Jansing, Bill Keating, Jr., Don Klekamp, Gary Kreider, Bob Maxwell, Jim McGraw, Lisa Michel, Paul Muething, Gail Pryse, Joe Rouse, Rick Siegel, Ed Steiner, Joe Trauth, and Herb Weiss. Gary Kreider is further recognized as one of the top 100 lawyers in Ohio. Jim Burke, Patty Hogan, Kevin Irwin, Gary Kreider, Bob Sanker and Ed Steiner are recognized in the edition of Chambers USA: America s Leading Business Lawyers publication. KMK continues to strategically expand its expertise and personnel by adding lateral partners Laurie A. Briggs (Banking and Insurance Law), Richard D. Spoor (Government Finance and Bank Law) and Jill A. Weller (Environmental Law). After more than 35 years representing The Provident Bank, KMK is actively involved in the merger of The Provident Bank with National City Bank. Jim Whitaker returns to KMK following the merger. Keating, Muething & Klekamp is named one of the top Corporate Law firms in Cincinnati by Corporate Board Member magazine for the fourth consecutive year. KMK celebrates 50 years and looks to the future. (L to R) Tim Garry, Don Klekamp, John Muething, Don Gardner, Gary Kreider, Lou Gilligan and Herb Weiss

8 1400 Provident Tower One East Fourth Street Cincinnati, OH TEL FAX