Overview

Hans has a broad-based corporate, financial services and intellectual property practice. He represents clients in all aspects of general corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, lending and financial services, contract drafting and interpretation, transactional law, intellectual property, and licensing.

He is involved with his corporate clients in all stages of entity life, including entity selection and formation, corporate governance, financing, contractual relations and succession planning through sale or merger and acquisition. He effectively serves as the defacto general counsel for several of his corporate clients.

He represents national and regional banks and financial institutions in a variety of lending transactions. He represents higher educational institutions, hospitals, and other tax-exempt entities accessing the capital markets in a wide variety of taxable and tax-exempt financings, including exempt facilities, private activity, industrial development and general obligation and revenue supported transactions.

Hans advises cannabis clients on business organization, lending and intellectual property matters.

Hans also prosecutes and manages the trademark portfolios of several large regional entities and coordinates the application, management and licensing of these portfolios.

Prior to practicing law, Hans served as a nuclear trained submarine officer in a variety of engineering and tactical roles.


 

Practices

    • Successfully closed $86 million hospital facilities revenue refunding and improvement notes on behalf of hospital client.
    • Amended $30 million loan facility on behalf of cold rolled steel distributor.
    • Successfully closed $40 million and $13.86 million higher education facility revenue bonds on behalf of higher education client.
    • Successfully closed $52 million higher education revenue bonds on behalf of higher education client.
    • Successfully closed $23 million higher education revenue bonds on behalf of higher education client.
    • Successfully closed $5 million Program Reserve Letter of Credit on behalf of bank client.
    • Successfully closed $47 million Ex-Im Bank working capital guarantee facility on behalf of manufacturing client.
    • Successfully represented electronics manufacturer and fabricator in the sale of all assets of multi-facility operation.
    • Successfully prosecute and manage the trademark portfolio of aviation entity.
    • Successfully represented investment partnership as subordinated lender in multiple acquisition transactions by its subordinate borrowers.
  • Education

    • University of Virginia, School of Law, J.D., 1992
    • U.S. Naval Academy, B.S., Systems Engineering, with Distinction, 1982

    Admissions

    • State of Ohio
  • Professional Affiliations

    • American Bar Association—Member
    • Ohio State Bar Association—Member
    • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association—Member

    Community Involvement

    • U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, Northeast Ohio Chapter—Member (1992-Present)
    • Northeast Ohio Naval Academy Parents—Member (2015-2019)
    • Rocky River Youth Lacrosse—Coach/Head Coach (2011-2014)
    • St. Christopher Parish Council—Secretary (2008-2010)
    • Named to The Best Lawyers in America in the area of Corporate Law (2018-2024); Bankruptcy and Creditor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2021-2024)
    • “Ohio Banks Take a Closer Look at Cannabis,” Frantz Ward Cannabis Law and Policy Blog (December 2018)
    • "The Trump Administration's Position on Marijuana," Frantz Ward Client Alert (March 2017)
    • "The Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee is Ready," Frantz Ward Client Alert (October 2016)
    • “House Bill 523 and Under the Influence of Marijuana,” Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Ohio Q42016 FOCUS Newsletter (December 2016)
    • "Financing Alternatives," (Co-Presenter) Frantz Ward ACC Seminar (August 2022)
    • "Lender Financing for Your Deal - Challenging Provisions in Every Bank Loan Agreement," Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (August 2021)
    • "Corporate Organization and Obtaining Financing," Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (August 2019) 
    • “Implications of Marijuana Legalization in Ohio,” Northeast Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel Medical Marijuana in Ohio Seminar, Cleveland, OH (August 2016)
    • “Effect of Marijuana in the Workplace,” Council of Smaller Enterprises, Cleveland, OH (June 2015)