International business planning and implementation

Securities disputes

International Business Services Practice Group, Chair

Ohio PAC Chair

• Ohio, 1973
• Florida, 1986

• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Courts for the Eastern District of Kentucky
• U.S. Court of International Trade
• U.S. Courts of Appeals
• Sixth Circuit (Life Member of Judicial Conference)

• Harvard Law School, J.D., 1973, with honors
• Princeton University, A.B., 1970, with honors

Joe concentrates his practice on multinational business and securities disputes. He counsels a wide variety of companies, domestic and foreign, on issues confronting global business, including transnational investment, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, Customs and trade issues, international business structures, distribution and agency agreements and the resolution of international disputes. He is business counsel to emerging digital technology and other firms. He represents companies, owners, investors, securities brokerage firms, brokers and public customers in disputes involving the securities laws and claims involving takeovers, fiduciary duty, fraud, negligence and securities statutes. In 1975 Joe joined Kyte Conlan Wulsin Vogeler in Cincinnati, Ohio, after a two-year federal appellate clerkship. That firm merged into Frost & Jacobs LLP in 1978, and became Frost Brown Todd LLC in 2000. Joe has chaired the Firm’s international services group for over ten years.

Experience

Purchase of Americas’ largest spirits distillery by Trinidad company

Sale of U.S./U.K./Irish robotic monitoring business

General counseling of small to mid-sized multinational software businesses, automotive parts suppliers, global candy maker, angel and development stage entrepreneurs

Management of domestic and global distribution/agency agreements

Resolution of FCPA, USAID, Customs and OFAC claims against U.S. companies

Defense of hostile takeover battle (including litigation over constitutionality of Ohio corporate law) and settlement on favorable terms to public company

Limited liability company formation and operating agreement negotiation

Formation of U.S. entities for businesses from over 25 countries

Global licensing of technology in medical and other areas

Joint venture and strategic alliance structuring in more than 20 countries

Counsel to first Peoples Republic of China company to build facility in Ohio

Formation of first Ukrainian/U.S. offshore reinsurance company

Trial and settlement of over 200 securities disputes, including more than 100 NASD arbitrations

Recovery of multiple $ millions in ponzi scheme, boiler room and other securities class and group actions

Expert witness for U.S. Government in successful structured settlement criminal prosecution

30-year representations in structured settlement industry

• Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers® 2005-2012
• The Best Lawyers in America® 2008-2012, International Arbitration- Commercial; International Trade and Finance Law
• AV® Rated, Martindale-Hubbell®

• American Bar Association International
• Ohio State Bar Association
• The Florida Bar
• Adjunct Professor (International Business Transactions) University of Cincinnati, 1993-96
• MULTILAW (multinational association of 60 independent law firms) – Executive Council member, Chairman of Business Development ; ABA Task Force on Litigation and the World Wide Web, 2000, Co-Chair
• ABA International Litigation Committee, Vice-Chair, 2002-04
• Founding Chairman, Ohio State Bar Association International Law Committee, Member
• Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association, Member, 1996-2005
• Southern Ohio District Export Council, Chairman
• Greater Cincinnati Foreign Trade Zone, Director/Counsel
• Greater Cincinnati Global Center, Director
• Founding President, Cincinnati-Kharkiv Sister Cities Project
• Founding Chairman, Foreign Policy Leadership Council of Greater Cincinnati
• Co-organizer of Ohio-Ukraine Rule of Law Program
• Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Investment Attraction Team
• Chairman, Advisory Committee to Ohio Jury Instructions for Securities Law
• Chairman, Cincinnati/Hamilton County Public Library Foundation
• Princeton University, Trustee,1970-74
• Cincinnati Planning Commission, 1982-83

• Compliance with Transfer Pricing Rules - A new way to bridge differences between the IRS and Customs –
• Blocking “Unfair Competition” from China - A new weapon for US Industry
• China and Securities Regulation-- It’s getting tougher
• New Taxes on Foreign Companies Another Challenge to Profitability in China
• China’s Trade Flows Not just a matter of Currency Manipulation
• Internationalization of the RMB - The Hong Kong Bridge – The Pace Increases -
• Manufacturing Expansion, Legal Update and VAT News
• The End of an Era: Inflation and China’s Evolution as a Medium-priced Manufacturing Center
• Update on Chinese Employment Law and Practices
• The Yuan creeps towards world currency status

Upcoming

Past

Lecturer on international business topics (once a month average)

Author of China Blog (www.fbtchina.com)

Author of about an article a month on international business

Co-author:  Structured Settlements & Periodic Payment Judgments (1986, updated twice a year – American Lawyer Media)