Lawyer Overview

Jim Petro presents extensive experience as a counselor, litigator, advocate and public officeholder. Immediately prior to joining Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley, Jim served as Attorney General of Ohio and as Auditor of State of Ohio, beginning this elected service in 1995. For over twenty years before his election to state office, Jim was a practicing lawyer in Cleveland, Ohio, partnering in a small, ten-lawyer firm and in a large one hundred fifty-lawyer, multi-office firm. In addition to his private practice, Jim was continually engaged in public service as a Prosecutor, City Law Director, State Legislator and County Commissioner. His advocacy experience has also included an appointment to senior management of an international corporation, directing state and local government relations in over thirty states.

AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for nearly thirty years, Jim is listed in Who's Who in American Lawyers and Ohio Super Lawyers. 

Areas of Practice

• Administrative Law
• Antitrust & Trade Regulation
• Business & Commercial Law
• Contracts
• Business Organizations
• Constitutional Law
• Election Campaign & Political Law
• Government Agencies & Programs
• Government Contracts
• Litigation & Appeals
• Securities Law
• State, Local & Municipal Law

Representative Cases

• Wilkinson v. Austin, 545 US 209 (US Supreme Court 2005)
• Mahoning Valley Sanitary Dist. ex rel. Montgomery v. The Gilbane Bldg. Co., 86 Fed. Appx. 856 (US Court of Appelas, 6th Cir. 2004)

West Practice Categories

Administrative Law, Antitrust & Trade Regulation, Business & Commercial Law, Contracts, Business Organizations, Constitutional Law, Election Campaign & Political Law, Government Agencies & Programs, Government Contracts, Litigation & Appeals, Securities Law, State, Local & Municipal Law

Bar Admissions

• Ohio, 1973
• U.S. District Court, 1974
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court, 2001

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Society of Attorneys General Emeritus (National Association of Attorneys General)
• American Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Columbus Bar Association

Honors and Awards

• Legacy Award and Visionary Leadership Award (Ohio Chiefs of Police), 2005 - 2006
• March Fong Eu National Achievement Award (National Notary Assoc.), 2005
• Jurisprudence Award (American ORT), 2003
• Scantlebury Memorial Award (U.S. General Accounting Office), 2002
• Outstanding Achievement in Government Award (National Association of Certified Fraud Examiners), 2002
• Achievement of the Year Award and Snodgrass Award for Distinguished Leadership (National Association of Government Accountants), 2000
• Ethics in Government Award and Excellence in Government Finance Award (U.S. Government Finance Officers Association), 2000
• Honorary Doctor of Public Administration ((University of Toledo), 2000
• Honorary Doctor of Public Administration (Denison University), 1998
• Society of Benchers (Case Western Reserve School of Law), 1998

Pro Bono Activities

• Ohio Innocence Project, 2007

Past Employment Positions

• Attorney General of Ohio, Attorney General, 2003 - 2007
• Auditor of State of Ohio, Auditor of State, 1995 - 2003

Education

• Case Western Reserve University Law School, Cleveland, Ohio, 1973
  J.D.
• Denison University, Granville, Ohio, USA, 1970
  B.A.
  Honors: Dean's List Graduate
  Major: History

Fraternities/Sororities

• Lambda Chi Alpha
• Omicron Delta Kappa

Offers Free Initial Consultation

Accepts Credit Cards

Address

107 S. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215

Phones

(614) 223-0000

Faxes

(614) 341-2354

Emails

Contact Us

Websites

http://www.wsbclaw.com
http://www.wsbc-col.com