Chad R. Ziepfel

Chad is a partner in Taft’s Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense Practice, with more than 15 years of experience representing clients in white collar investigations and prosecutions. Chad has defended clients in complex matters involving federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, DEA, HHS, FDA, EPA, and DOJ Antitrust and state agencies such as the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Ohio EPA, and Ohio Department of Commerce. He also regularly conducts internal investigations for clients ranging from small businesses to large corporations.

Chad’s best work is done when nobody sets foot in a courtroom – when he dissuades prosecutors from pursuing criminal charges. But when a case needs to be tried, Chad is ready, willing and able to defend his clients in the courtroom. Chad has been repeatedly recognized by legal publications as a “Rising Star” and a “Leading Lawyer” for white collar criminal defense.

State of Ohio v. Roger Reynolds, Butler County Common Pleas Case No. CR2022-02-0162

In February 2022, long-time Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds was indicted on six public corruption charges, alleging that he had used his position for personal gain. In addition to the charges, the State sought to have Mr. Reynolds suspended from public office while awaiting trial.

The case was aggressively prosecuted by the Ohio Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Unit. But with Chad as lead counsel, the Taft team vigorously defended Mr. Reynolds. They defeated the State’s suspension efforts, thus allowing Mr. Reynolds to remain in office until trial. They assisted in a public relations campaign, which helped Mr. Reynolds get reelected to his county-wide office while under indictment. And, during the two-week trial, they mounted a strong defense, securing an acquittal on five of the six charges.

Chad and the Taft team swiftly appealed the lone conviction. After a contentious oral argument in November 2023, the court of appeals reversed Mr. Reynolds’ conviction on May 13, 2024. Not only was the conviction reversed, but the court of appeals ruled that Mr. Reynolds must be granted a full judgment of acquittal, as the charge was so insufficient that it should have never even been submitted to the jury.

As a result, Mr. Reynolds has been fully and finally cleared of all charges against him.

State of Ohio v. Steve Rauch, Montgomery County Common Pleas Case No. 2018 CR 04386

With Chad as co-lead counsel, Taft won a trial victory for client Steve Rauch, a prominent Dayton-area entrepreneur who operates numerous businesses, including a demolition and excavation contracting business, a trucking company, a construction and demolition debris landfill, and a cattle farm. But in 2018, the Ohio Attorney General’s environmental enforcement section charged Mr. Rauch and three of his companies with 12 counts of illegal dumping and operating an illegal solid waste landfill at three different locations.

After a lengthy trial, Mr. Rauch was found not guilty on all counts. The companies were also acquitted on all but two minor charges.

United States v. Tokai Kogyo Co. Ltd., 1:16-cr-00063 (S.D. Ohio)

In November 2017, Chad was a key member of the Taft team who, along with co-counsel from Barnes & Thornburg, defeated the U.S. Department of Justice’s claims that Tokai Kogyo Co. Ltd., a Japanese company, and its U.S. subsidiary, Green Tokai Co. Ltd. were involved in a multimillion-dollar automotive parts bid-rigging and price-fixing conspiracy. In this rare, high-stakes criminal antitrust trial, Chad and the Taft team secured a full defense verdict, finding both companies not guilty of Sherman Act violations.

This was the first and only case to be tried arising from the Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s investigation into the auto parts industry, which began in 2009 and resulted in the conviction of 48 companies and 65 executives, with criminal fines exceeding $2.9 billion.

State of Ohio v. Peter A. Beck, Hamilton County Common Pleas Case Nos. B 1304320 and B 1400589

After a two-and-a-half-year investigation by the Department of Labor, the IRS, the FBI, and the Ohio Division of Securities, the state of Ohio alleged that Peter A. Beck, a former Ohio State Representative, local politician, and respected certified public accountant, used his political influence and conspired to steal more than $2 million from individuals who invested in Christopher Technologies, a start-up tech company, and TML Consulting, a company owned by one of the co-conspirators, Thomas Lysaght. Mr. Beck was one of six co-defendants indicted on 63 charges of securities fraud, theft, perjury, wire fraud, telecommunications fraud, money laundering, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. All of Mr. Beck’s co-defendants either pled guilty or were dismissed, and each was required to testify against Mr. Beck as part of their plea.

After more than 10 weeks of trial with Chad as co-lead counsel, Mr. Beck was acquitted on all but 13 of the charges, including the most serious charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. Later, 10 of the 13 convictions were overturned on appeal, meaning Mr. Beck was ultimately only convicted on three of his 63 charges.

United States v. George Lang, Case No. 1:10-cr-00134 (S.D. Ohio)

In August 2009, George Lang, a West Chester Township Trustee, local politician, and successful businessman, testified at the trial of Orlando Carter, who was being prosecuted for his role in fraudulent conduct by a company called Dynus Corporation. Though Carter was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison, the government charged Mr. Lang with one count of perjury based on his trial testimony.

Only 47 days after indictment, the case went to trial. Following eight days of trial led by Chad and Taft partner Ralph Kohnen, the jury returned a full not guilty verdict. Mr. Lang was fully exonerated.