CINCINNATI, OH – The law firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP announces the formation of the General Counsel Access Program. This new practice group is designed to offer small and mid-market companies the same quality of general counseling legal services available to larger companies having their own in-house legal staff, on a cost-effective basis.

While the business legal climate is becoming increasingly complex, both small and mid-market companies frequently lack ready access to lawyers who are experienced in protecting the value of business assets, business legal problems and developing pro-active strategies for avoiding such problems. The General Counsel attorneys will invest the time required to understand their clients business, business philosophy and industry environment.

All companies participating in the General Counsel Access Program will receive a legal compliance analysis and recommended compliance program, including the development of policies, presentations and other materials, tailored to address the company’s particular industry, regulatory environment and identified problem areas.

Taft attorneys James Farmer, Nancy Brown, Diane Reynolds and Donna Flammang are members of the practice group.

Farmer, a partner in the Columbus office, received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a masters degree in city and regional planning from The Ohio State University, and law degree, graduating cum laude, from The Ohio State University. He has a general corporate, business and real estate practice, with considerable experience in mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt financings, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, intellectual property, franchising, distribution relationships and international law.

Brown, of counsel in the Columbus office, received her undergraduate degree with honors from The University of Chicago, a masters degree from The University of Chicago, and law degree, graduating summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, from The Ohio State University. She has a general corporate and business practice, with experience in mergers and acquisitions, compliance programs, construction, copacking, and advertising contracting, distribution relationships and international law. Brown has served as general counsel for companies with one and two billion dollars in sales.

Reynolds, also of counsel in the Columbus office, received her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and law degree from Capital University. She focuses her practice on merger and acquisition, divestitures, finance general law, corporate law and real estate. Reynolds has extensive financing experience, having structured both term and revolver facilities, equity purchases and sales, and structured financings. She also has significant experience in the purchase and licensing of information technology hardware and software. Prior to joining the firm, she was engaged in a diverse corporate practice with two Fortune 500 multinational corporations.

Flammang, a partner in the Cleveland office, received her undergraduate degree from Albion College, Albion, Michigan, and law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. In her practice, she advises and counsels domestic and foreign corporations and other types of business entities, on general corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions, public and private offerings, environmental compliance matters, antitrust issues including pricing, distribution, sales, advertising and promotional matters, real estate transactions, and all types of financing arrangements.

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP has offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and Northern Kentucky. The firm provides a broad range of legal services to businesses and individuals, including litigation, corporate and business law, securities and municipal financing, tax and estate planning, labor and employment law, real estate and environmental, health care, intellectual property and unfair competition and antitrust law.

For more information about the General Counsel Access Program, contact James B. Farmer at (614) 220-0249.