TOLLES, HOGSETT, GINN & MORLEY was formed in 1913 by the merger of 2 established Cleveland law firms: Kline, Tolles & Morley and Blandin, Hogsett & Ginn. It specialized in business law, working especially with railroads and utilities. Sheldon H. Tolles (1 Oct. 1858-14 July 1926) had been involved in local partnerships with Virgil P. Kline since beginning his practice in the early 1880s; ca. 1901, John E. Morley (13 Jan. 1874-8 Jan. 1947) joined their firm, Kline, Carr, Tolles & Goff. Around 1908 they formed Kline, Tolles & Morley. Blandin, Hogsett & Ginn had its origins in 1892, when FRANK H. GINN (25 Feb. 1868-16 Feb. 1938) was admitted to the Ohio Bar and joined the practice of Edwin J. Blandin and William L. Rice; by 1898 they had formed the partnership of Blandin, Rice & Ginn. In 1912 Thomas H. Hogsett (1858-17 July 1931) joined the firm, which then became Blandin, Hogsett & Ginn. Tolles, Hogsett, Ginn & Morley had its first office in the Williamson Building. The firm provided legal counsel for a number of local businesses, such as the Union Trust Co. (see HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK OF NORTHEAST OHIO). Tolles was active in the street railway disputes, served as counsel for the EAST OHIO GAS CO. and American Telephone & Telegraph, and was division counsel for both the Ohio Bell Telephone Co. and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Morley also specialized in corporate law before leaving the firm in the 1920s to manage real estate interests. On 18 Nov. 1938, with Tolles, Hogsett, and Ginn dead and Morley in business elsewhere, the firm announced plans to merge with Day, Young, Veach & LeFever to create the firm of Jones, Day & Reavis, effective 1 Jan. 1939 (see JONES, DAY, REAVIS & POGUE).
Article Categories