Mr. Gerken is a partner with Porter Wright. He focuses his commercial litigation practice in product liability, mass tort, catastrophic injury and wrongful death defense, real estate disputes and ERISA matters. He regularly advises businesses facing high-value claims that their products are defective and cause injury or death. Mr. Gerken’s broad real estate litigation practice extends from lease disputes to eminent domain, in which he has garnered substantial experience representing public utilities in hundreds of appropriation proceedings throughout Ohio. Mr. Gerken also represents employee-benefit plans, sponsors and administrators in ERISA litigation, including long-term disability and severance cases. He earned his B.A. degree from Princeton University, and his J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from Capital University Law School.

Mr. Young is a shareholder with Roetzel. His litigation practice is based in Roetzel’s Columbus office and serves a state- and nationwide clientele. Mr. Young’s practice focuses primarily on infrastructure and real estate-related issues and disputes, particularly eminent domain and easements. Two things set him apart from his peers in the infrastructure space. First, he focuses almost exclusively on representing businesses and commercial properties. This gives him a superior understanding of the unique concerns and challenges businesses face in this specialized area of the law. And second, he has long experience representing both property owners and condemning authorities. This gives him unparalleled insight into the many different issues that can arise and how both sides approach those issues. Mr. Young works hard to obtain just compensation for his clients. Throughout the eminent domain process, he educates and counsels his clients, presenting them with all available options and ensuring that they are equipped to make the right decisions for their businesses. He has represented some of the nation’s largest retail pharmacies, auto parts stores, grocery stores, discount retailers, gas stations, and pipeline companies, yet also enjoys helping smaller, local businesses. In addition to his eminent domain practice, he has considerable experience in zoning and land use, property tax appeals, and commercial foreclosures. Mr. Young also advises and represents clients with their business, contract, commercial, corporate, shareholder, securities, and trust/fiduciary issues and disputes. He earned his B.A. degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University, and his J.D. degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law.

Mr. Zimmerman is chair of the Government Relations Practice Group and partner in the Litigation Practice Group with Benesch. As a civil trial and appellate lawyer with over 30 years’ experience, he has litigated cases involving employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, unfair competition, defamation, breach of contract, real estate, landlord-tenant, zoning, land use, eminent domain, constitutional rights, election law, campaign finance, trusts, administrative, business and commercial law. Mr. Zimmerman practices in state of Ohio courts and in federal courts in Ohio and around the country. He is a frequent lecturer on various legal topics and his opinions are often solicited by the print and broadcast media. Mr. Zimmerman earned his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University, and his J.D. degree from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law.