mith
& Hale LLC traces its origins back to
the late 1880s, making it one of the oldest
law firms in Columbus, Ohio. Initially known
as the law firm of Wilson & West and later
as Wilson & Rector, the early attorneys
in the firm made their living representing local
business owners. The firm at one time represented
Nelson Rockefeller's business interests in Ohio
and also represented Charles Kettering of General
Motors. In the period between the 1930s and
1960s, a large potion of the firm's business
shifted to the representation of the railroads.
Harrison W. Smith, Sr. counted the Chesapeake
& Ohio Railroad (now CSX) as a major client.
During
the 1950s, Smith's son, Harrison Smith, Jr.,
joined the firm. Not long thereafter the firm
began representing Don Casto, Sr. and his extensive
and growing real estate interests. This, combined
with some annexation work that the younger Smith
had become involved with, began the firm's work
in the zoning, land use, and real estate fields.
In the early 1970s, Ben Hale,
Jr. joined the firm. While the firm still
represented the railroads, Hale and Smith orchestrated
a shift in its practice toward the representation
of landowners and developers in a growing Central
Ohio.
By
the early 1980s, the firm came to be known as
Smith & Hale and focused its practice on
zoning, land use, real estate, and related matters.
This transformation was spurred by the firm's
representation of many clients that would come
to be (and still are) fixtures in the local
development community. In addition to representing
Casto, the firm began its representation of
M/I Homes and played a key role in facilitating
the development of the Muirfield community and
golf course in Dublin through its representation
of Jack Nicklaus. Since then, the firm has represented
elite local developers such as The New Albany
Company, The Edwards Company, Continental Realty,
The Casto Organization and Plaza Properties,
as well as developers with a national presence
such as Duke, Multicon, Jacobs, Visconsi, and
Jacobs, Developers Diversified, Melvin Simon,
and Epcon Communities.
While
our lawyers have been significant contributors
to many of the highest-profile development projects
in Central Ohio over the last 50 years, our
firm has carefully managed its growth from a
three attorney office in the 1970s to a firm
with seven attorneys today. This combination
of size and experience has allowed Smith &
Hale to provide the unique level of expertise
and client service upon which it has earned
its reputation.
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