Company & Industry News

We are excited to announce that we have welcomed Michael David to our team of lawyers.  Michael is a graduate of Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law and is admitted to the Ohio Bar and Northern District of Ohio.  Prior to joining Sikora Law, Michael served as in-house counsel for one of the most active developers in Northeast Ohio where he handled transactional, entitlement, and tax abatement matters for the company’s multi-family development projects.  Michael is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.  He will make a wonderful addition to our stellar team at Sikora Law!

On May 18, Mike Sikora and Rick Craven attended NAIOP Ohio’s Legislative Day in Columbus.  Mike Sikora and Rick Craven  were two of the three presenters on the legislative issues that NAIOP members advocated on throughout that day.  Mike presented on the importance of Senate Bill 225 and the Opportunity Zone language that is currently in it, and Rick presented on House Bill 237 that addresses e-recording, electronic availability of records, and several other real property law improvements in that Bill.

Mike and Rick then had numerous meetings with Ohio Senators and Representatives to advocate on these issues, and they gained valuable insight on what’s holding them up and what it will take to get them passed.  NAIOP Ohio held its first legislative Happy Hour in the evening that was attended by several of Ohio’s most powerful legislators, where Mike and Rick were able to delve into specifics with those legislators in a more casual environment.

Kudos to NAIOP Ohio for another successful Legislative Day!

Governor DeWine signed House Bill 126 on April 21, 2022, and it will officially become the law of Ohio 90 days later on July 21, 2022.  Passage of House Bill 126 is a great step in the right direction for the commercial real estate industry, and our lawyers were active in the process to help make this happen.

To learn more about the passage of this legislation, click here to review the final version of House Bill 126 that was passed.

Sikora Law Managing Director Rick Craven recently testified before the Ohio House Finance Committee on behalf of the Ohio State Bar Association, in support of Ohio House Bill 237, which would improve multiple facets of Ohio real estate law, including electronic recording, access to real property records, powers of attorney, lien priority, and judgment liens.

If it becomes law, this proposed Bill would require County Offices throughout Ohio to accept documents electronically for recording and to provide access to records electronically going back to at least 1980.  Additionally, language that our firm drafted was amended into HB 237 to improve Ohio judgment lien law and to codify the Restatement view of mortgage subrogation in lien priority cases.

Check out Rick Craven’s testimony in support of HB 237 by clicking here to view a video of the Hearing before the Ohio House Finance Committee, during which Rick explained the Bill and its contours extremely well to the members of that inquisitive legislative body.

Sikora Law has been advocating for the passage of Senate Bill 225 for many months now.  That Bill would temporarily double the funds available in Ohio’s Opportunity Zone Program and Ohio’s Historic Tax Credit Program.  Our firm drafted the Opportunity Zone language in that Bill.  If passed, it would help mitigate construction cost increases with the incentive, and further improve the future of economic development in Ohio.

Senator Schuring (the Bill Sponsor) testified last week on the Bill before the House Ways and Means Committee.  Yesterday, Rick Craven of our firm, provided proponent testimony in support of the Bill on behalf of NAIOP Ohio.   To review Rick Craven’s testimony in support of SB 225, click here.

Contact your State Representative to ask your State Representative to urge the Ohio House to move expeditiously with the passage of Senate Bill 225.