Jun 27, 2022
MARTIN, BROWNE, HULL & HARPER, PLL accepted the Ohio Bar 25 Mile Challenge for Mental Wellness Campaign and crushed the goal! The challenge was organized by the Ohio State Bar Association in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month (May), to encourage positive mental health and raise funds for Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program (OLAP) and National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio (NAMI Ohio).
Lawyers and members of the firm’s three (3) local offices presented a team effort and earned 2nd place in the challenge. Further, Randall Comer, the firm’s managing partner, garnered 1st place in the individual results, Kara Stephens, a paralegal in the Urbana Office walked her way to 5th place and Debbie Blair, a legal assistant in the Springfield Office, also hustled to a top ten finish.
OLAP’S MISSION
The Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program is a private, non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to helping Ohio’s judges, attorneys, and law students obtain treatment for substance abuse, chemical dependency, addiction, and mental health issues.
NAMI OHIO’S MISSON
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio is a 501c3 group whose mission is to improve the quality of life and ensure dignity and respect for persons with serious mental illness, and offer support to their families and close friends.
ABOUT MARTIN BROWNE
Celebrating the firm’s 150th anniversary in 2022, MBHH roots date back to 1872 with an office opened in Springfield (Clark County). Today the firm has expanded with offices in Urbana (Champaign County) and Bellefontaine (Logan County), Ohio. The firm has twelve (12) attorneys who practice in multiple areas of law, including: agriculture, corporate, creditors’ rights, family law, environmental, labor & employment, litigation, non-profit, probate & estate planning, real estate, tax and workers’ compensation.
May 20, 2021
Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper, P.L.L. (“Martin Browne”) is pleased to announce the addition of local native, Anthony M. Edwards, to the firm. As an associate of the firm, Mr. Edwards will be assisting with providing exceptional legal services to the firm’s clients in a variety of areas.
Mr. Edwards is a graduate of Urbana High School, Georgetown College with a B.A. in History and Political Science, and the Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law, where he graduated cum laude in May of 2020. Anthony served as Associate Editor of The Ohio Northern University Law Review. During law school, Anthony completed an internship with the ONU Legal Clinic, as well as an externship with the Hardin County Juvenile/Probate Court.
Anthony resides in Springfield and will be practicing in the firm’s Urbana and Bellefontaine offices.
Mar 31, 2021
On March 11, 2021, The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”) was signed into law and includes key employment provisions of which employers should be aware.
Please see the attached legal updates regarding the 100% COBRA subsidy that will go into effect on April 1, 2021 and the extended tax credits and benefit expansion applicable to leave under the FFCRA.
Martin Browne will continue to monitor these situations and provide updates, as appropriate. Our attorneys are on hand to answer your questions and provide guidance on how to navigate these critical issues. Please contact Shannon Wahl, Randall Comer, Steve McCready, or any attorney in Martin Browne’s Labor & Employment Practice group to discuss how this update may impact your business.
The information contained in this legal update is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice and its receipt does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.
Feb 4, 2021
Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper, P.L.L. (“Martin Browne”) is pleased to announce the expansion of its presence into Logan County as of January 1, 2021. Richard A. Hemphill, Attorney and Title Agent, and his staff at Mad River Title have joined the firm of Martin Browne to ensure their ongoing commitment to providing outstanding professional services to Logan, Champaign, Clark and surrounding counties.
Attorney Hemphill has been a practicing attorney since 1985 and is a native of Logan County. Martin Browne has been active in real estate matters for more than 145 years and has a dedicated staff of attorneys and paralegals with extensive experience in the real estate field. Mad River Title Agency, LLC will continue to provide real estate and title services to lenders, builders, realtors, buyers and sellers for commercial and residential properties.
The Bellefontaine office, located at 230 South Madriver Street, joins the main office in Springfield and the Urbana office on the Square. Additional information about Martin Browne, its services and staff are available at https://martinbrowne.com.
Feb 3, 2021
Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper, P.L.L. (the “Firm”) is pleased to announce the addition of local native, Benjamin D. Noll, to the Firm. As an associate of the Firm, Mr. Noll will be assisting with providing exceptional legal services to the Firm’s clients in a variety of areas.
Mr. Noll graduated from Shawnee High School, The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science, and The University of Toledo College of Law, where he graduated cum laude in May of 2020. During law school, Ben completed internships with the Honorable Jack Zouhary of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Ben also served as Articles Editor of The University of Toledo Law Review and as President of the Environmental Law Society.
Ben resides in Springfield and will be practicing in the Firm’s main Springfield office. He is active in the community, especially as a member of the Clark County Goat Committee.
Feb 3, 2021
On January 12, 2021 Governor DeWine signed into law House Bill 352, the Employment Law Uniformity Act (“ELUA”). ELUA reforms Ohio’s employment discrimination statute and will bring much-needed clarity to Ohio employers when it becomes effective on April 15, 2021. The key changes include:
- Requiring employees to file charges and exhaust administrative remedies with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (“OCRC”) before commencing a lawsuit in court;
- Implementing a uniform two-year statute of limitations for filing employment discrimination claims with the OCRC and/or in court;
- Simplifying the process and remedies available for age discrimination actions;
- Eliminating personal liability for employment discrimination claims for managers and supervisors; and
- Providing an affirmative defense to harassment claims for employers who have appropriate anti-harassment policies and procedures in place.
The information contained in this legal update is not intended as a substitute for professional legal advice and its receipt does not constitute an attorney-client relationship.