THOMPSON, HINE has practiced LAW for over 100 years. Beginning with its principal office in Cleveland, the firm expanded, opening offices in Washington, DC; Palm Beach, FL; Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus, OH; and Brussels, Belgium. In 1994 the firm employed 330 lawyers, who in addition to their legal practice are involved in various civic, governmental, and charitable activities. In 1907 Amos Burt (A.B.) Thompson, the firm's founding member, formed a partnership with Charles P. Hine. In 1911 Walter L. Flory joined Thompson & Hine in the SOCIETY FOR SAVINGS BUILDING. The firm moved to a temporary office in the old ARCADE, then to the BROTHERHOOD OF LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS Bldg. until Oct. 1925 when it moved to offices at the Guardian Bldg., now called the National City Bank Bldg. In 1994 Thompson, Hine & Flory's Cleveland office employed 170 lawyers and a staff of 277, including paralegals. In 1995 the firm moved its Cleveland office to Society Tower at 127 Public Square. Given the firm's strong commitment to public service, its lawyers have traditionally held prominent roles in the community, professional, and corporate life of Greater Cleveland. A. B. Thompson served longer than any other individual as a director of the Cleveland Trust Co. (later AMERITRUST). Walter L. Flory was a key organizer and supporter of the CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE. Charles P. Hine served as asst. attorney general of Ohio. Following in the tradition established by the founders of the firm, one of the firm's lawyers, CARL WEYGANDT, was a chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 1933 to 1963; two members of the firm, Leslie W. Jacobs and Gerald L. Draper, have recently served separate terms (1986-87 and 1990-91, respectively) as president of the Ohio State Bar Assn.; and John H. Gherlein and Daniel W. Hammer have each recently served as president of the CLEVELAND BAR ASSN. Thompson, Hine & Flory's rapid growth coincided with Greater Cleveland's emergence as a national law center. The firm has had a long relationship with many well-recognized Cleveland companies such as KeyCorp (formerly SOCIETY CORP.), OGLEBAY NORTON CO., PARKER HANNIFIN CORP., and others. The firm is a general practice law firm with a broad range of specialties in real estate, corporate securities, banking, labor, environmental, bankruptcy, estate planning, litigation, employee benefits, admiralty, antitrust, intellectual property, taxation, and other specialized areas.
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