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Philip K. Hartmann
Practice Group Leader
Columbus, OH
Practice Group Leader
Columbus, OH
Phil leads the Government Services Practice Group. He serves his clients in the areas of general municipal law, land use and zoning, eminent domain, real estate acquisition, annexation, home rule charter drafting, economic development and administrative appeals. He counsels a wide-variety of clients from cities, villages and the private sector. Phil also serves as General Counsel (i.e. Law Director) for the cities of Hilliard and Pickerington, advising the cities on day to day issues and all other matters.
Phil currently serves as the International Municipal Attorneys Association’s (“IMLA”) Regional Vice President (Representative for the 6th Circuit) and is the past State of Ohio Representative. Phil also served as President, First Vice President, Second Vice President and Board Member of the Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association (“OMAA”) from 2012- 2018. He has received the highest AV peer review and client ranking by Martindale Hubbell and recognized by the Best Lawyers in America publication. Phil often oversees amicus briefs prepared on behalf of the Ohio Municipal League and the International Municipal Attorneys Association relating to various municipal issues.
Prior to joining Frost Brown Todd, Phil was the co-chair of the Public Law Practice Group at an Am Law 200 firm.
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, J.D., 1992
Capital University, Cum Laude, B.A., 1989
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States District Court – Southern District of Ohio
The Best Lawyers in America©: Land Use and Zoning, 2020-2026; Municipal, 2026; Real Estate, 2020-2026
Martindale-Hubbell AV® Peer Review Rated, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
International Municipal Attorneys Association, Regional Vice President and Representative for the 6th Circuit (Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee), 2010-present
International Municipal Attorneys Association, State of Ohio Representative, 2008, 2009
Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, Past President, 2016
Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, President, 2015
Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, First Vice President, 2014
Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, Second Vice President, 2013
Nonprofit Excellence Award, Ohio House of Representatives, 2012
Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars®, 2005, 2006
Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association
International Municipal Lawyer Association
American Bar Association
American Planning Association
Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio Municipal League
Ohio Planning Association
Ohio City Manager Association
Columbus Bar Association
Dublin Food Pantry, Board of Trustees
Cancer Support Community, Board of Trustees
Pickerington Chamber of Commerce, Member
Parkview at Goodale Park Condominiums, President Board of Trustees
Parkview at Goodale Park Condominiums, Former Board of Trustees
Columbus Bar Association Mentoring Program, Former Mentor
Firstlink, Inc., Former Board of Trustees
Ronald McDonald House Charities, Former Young Professional Board
The Wellness Community of Greater Columbus, Former Board of Trustees
Bexley Architectural Review Board, Former Member
Bexley Board of Zoning Appeals, Former Member
“Liability of Municipalities and Municipal Officials,” Ohio Municipal League, Newly Elected Council Seminar, March 2014.
Moderator for the Ohio Municipal Attorney Association Winter Law Seminar, Dublin, Ohio, December 13, 2013.
“Case Law Update” Ohio Municipal Attorney Association Winter Law Seminar, Dublin, Ohio, December 13, 2013.
“Public Private Partnerships” International Municipal Lawyers Association – IMLA Annual Conference, San francisco, california, September 30, 2013.
“Social Networking: Challenges for Municipalities,” Ohio Municipal League – OML Annual Conference, Columbus, Ohio, September 26, 2013.
“Social Media Issues for City Officials,” The Mayor’s Association of Ohio Annual Conference, Canton Ohio, June 5, 2013.
“Eminent Domain: Strategies and Tactics in Right-of-way Acquisition and Eminent Domain Litigation,” Presenter, International Right of Way Association, Plain City, Ohio, October 26, 2012.
“Open Meetings and Public Records Law,” OML Newly Elected Council Members Seminar, March 2012.
“Eminent Domain: Processes and Pitfalls,” Co-Presenter, Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus, Ohio, March 9, 2011.
“Adoption and Amendment of Zoning Ordinance and Map,” National Business Institute, Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law, Cincinnati, Ohio, October 7, 2014.
“Drafting Resolutions and Ordinances,” Auditor of the State of Ohio, 16th Annual Local Government Officials’ Conference, April 1, 2015.
June 17, 2025 | Experience
Frost Brown Todd (FBT) played an instrumental role as legal counsel to Hexion Inc. in securing a 10-...
June 9, 2025 | Publications
The U. S. District Court for the North District of Illinois recently enjoined the Village of Glen El...
February 6, 2025 | Publications
On January 28, 2025, fifteen Republican members of the Ohio House of Representatives renewed a bill ...
January 23, 2025 | Publications
Recently, in Russell Twp. Bd. of Trustees v. 7722 Fairmount LLC, Ohio’s 11th District Court of App...
January 6, 2025 | Publications
Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 135 into law on Jan. 2, 2024. Among other provisions, the new...
October 25, 2024 | Publications
On Oct. 23, 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the term “companion animal” in O...
August 22, 2024 | Publications
In 1968, the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) was enacted to protect individuals from discrimination b...
December 9, 2022 | Publications
Public bodies generally deliberate and conduct their business in meetings that are open to the publi...
December 9, 2022 | Publications
By way of brief background, in August 2020, the City of Maple Heights, Ohio, (“Maple Heights”) f...
May 13, 2022 | Publications
Background The U.S. Supreme Court recently clarified the distinction between government speech and w...
November 5, 2021 | Publications
Recently, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals invalidated a local tree replacement ordinance that req...
August 6, 2020 | Publications
In a unanimous decision, the Ohio Supreme Court held that a territory to be annexed under an expedia...
July 27, 2017 | Publications
In the City of Dayton v. The State of Ohio (Slip Opinion No. 2017-Ohio-6909), the Ohio Supreme Court...
April 4, 2016 | Publications
Recently, the State Board of Education of Ohio unanimously voted to transfer a house from the Columb...
June 29, 2015 | Publications
On June 18, 2015, the United States Supreme Court issued a 9-0 decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, ...
June 3, 2015 | Publications
On April 6, 2015, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in Planet Aid v. City of St. ...
May 18, 2015 | Publications
On April 30, 2015, the Ohio Supreme Court issued two separate opinions, Hillenmeyer v. Cleveland Boa...
April 6, 2015 | Publications
Currently there are dual bills before the Ohio General Assembly that would eliminate open container ...
March 17, 2015 | Press Releases
Frost Brown Todd attorney Phil Hartmann will be recognized with the Amicus Service Award by the Inte...