Addition Brings Depth to the Firm’s Commercial Litigation/White Collar Crime Practice

Dayton, OH – Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP announced today Gregory G. Lockhart, most recently United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, is joining the firm in its Dayton office.  Lockhart, who served as U.S. Attorney for eight years, will be a partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice and specialize in Commercial Litigation and White Collar Crime.

“Greg Lockhart has been an outstanding public servant for many years and is known and respected throughout the region as a superior trial lawyer,” said Thomas Terp, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Managing Partner of Taft. “We are proud to welcome Greg to our firm, where he will join more than 110 other lawyers in our Litigation Practice Group.”

As U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Lockhart was appointed by former President George W. Bush in 2001.  He was one of 93 U.S. attorneys who serve as the nation’s principal trial lawyers under the direction of the Attorney General and represent the United States, its agents and employees in cases to which they are a party.  In this role, Lockhart led more than 100 employees, including attorneys and support staff. 

“Greg has tried hundreds of jury trials over his career and is known as a ‘litigator’s litigator’ in Southern Ohio,” said Jeffrey A. Mullins, Partner-in-Charge of Taft’s Dayton office. “He is going to be a powerful addition to our team and his real-world courtroom experience expands the capabilities we can offer to our clients throughout the Miami Valley and beyond.” Taft’s Dayton office has more than 30 attorneys and Lockhart’s addition comes on the heels of seven lawyers joining the firm earlier this year.

"After leaving the U.S. Attorney’s office, I wanted to continue to practice law in an environment as close to what I had been doing for the past 20 years and be associated with a firm and attorneys who practiced law at a high level -- both in terms of quality work and ethical standards of practice -- this led me to Taft," said Lockhart.  “I'm excited to be joining an outstanding firm that offers the professional opportunities I am seeking as well as the ability to remain part of the Dayton community."

Prior to his appointment as U. S. Attorney, Lockhart was an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1987, prosecuting violations of federal law – contract fraud, murder, firearms, drugs, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, organized crime, gambling, bank robbery, grand jury investigations and wire intercepts. He also has been responsible for the civil defense of all manner of lawsuits brought against the United States and its employees, including medical and tort claims, discrimination, the training of agents and appellate practice.

Lockhart is an Air Force veteran and served during the Vietnam War.

Lockhart’s legal expertise has been widely recognized as he has taught at the University of Dayton's College of Law for 10 years and at Wright State University's Colleges of Political Science and Business for more than two decades.  Also, he served as President of the Federal Bar Association in Dayton and was a Founding Member & Master of the Bench (Emeritus), Carl D. Kessler, Inns of Court. He was an Officer of the Greene County Bar Association and was a member of the Greene County Republican Central Committee. He has also served as a Lieutenant Governor (Ohio) of the Ohio Kiwanis, and President of the Xenia Kiwanis and the Xenia Jaycees.

Lockhart is a graduate of Wright State University; and The Ohio State University School of Law. 

About Taft
At Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, delivering outstanding legal performance to help clients succeed is what drives and motivates its more than 375 attorneys and legal professionals every day. Taft has offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Northern Kentucky; Phoenix, Arizona; and Beijing, China. The firm practices across a wide range of industries, in virtually every area of law, including: Business and Finance, Litigation, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Creditors' Rights, Environmental, Health and Life Sciences; Personal Services; Real Estate and Tax law. With a proven track record of experience since 1885, Taft offers breadth and depth of legal expertise coupled with a trusted business perspective, helping its clients, big and small, regionally, nationally and internationally, in reaching their goals.