Christopher P. Finney

Mr. Finney is a shareholder in the firm, where he concentrates in commercial and constitutional litigation as well as matters of real estate law and title to real estate.

He won an important victory in 1997 in the First Amendment rights case styled Kruse, et al. v. City of Cincinnati, et al., in which the City of Cincinnati’s campaign spending limits ordinance was ruled unconstitutional. In 1998, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear the case, preserving victory for Mr. Finney’s clients. It was in part as a result of this victory that Mr. Finney was named one of eight “Ohio Lawyers of the Year” for 1998 by Ohio Lawyer Weekly.  In 2010, Mr. Finney also prevailed in the case of Brinkman, et al. v. Budish, et al., a landmark decision striking down Ohio’s “revolving door” statue.  Mr. Finney’s other high profile victories have included the “Votes for Ice Cream” scandal at the Cincinnati Public Schools, and the defeat of Congressman Jean Schmidt in the defamation action styled Schmidt v. Krikorian, et al.  His work has been featured in such publications as the New York Times, USA Today, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and on Fox News.

Admitted to Practice
Ohio, 1987; Kentucky, 1994; U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 1988; U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, 1994; U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, 1997; the United States Supreme Court, 2011.

Areas of Concentration
Commercial and constitutional litigation, real estate; real estate title; real estate brokerage; zoning and land use.

Education
Covington Latin School, 1977; Xavier University, A.B., cum laude, 1981; University of Vienna, 1978; Salmon P. Chase College of Law, J.D., 1987; Northern Kentucky Law Review, 1986-1987.

Civic Associations
1851 Center for Constitutional Law, Board of Directors, 2010; COAST Board of Directors, 1999-present;  Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP, Executive Committee 2009-present; Hamilton County Tax Levy Review Committee, Member 2003 and 1995-1998, Chairman, 1995-1997 and 2004-2006; Drake Center, Board of Trustees, 2005-2006; Hamilton County Children’s Trust Fund, Board Member 1994-1995; Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Local Government Committee, Chairman 1991-1992, Member 1989-1994; Hamilton County Corrections Financing Review and Strategies Commission, Member 1993; Cincinnati Bicentennial Commission, Member 1987-1988; Chabot for Congress Campaign, Manager, 1988, Advisor, 1994.

Presentations, Publications and Other Accomplishments
Property Tax Valuation Reduction; Ohio Public Interest Law; Ohio Public Records Law; Mastering Real Estate Titles and Title Insurance, Canons of Ethics, Civil Rights for Commercial Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Contacts Analysis and Comparison, How Tenants Can Solve Problems in Commercial Leases, Layman v. Binns and the Caveat Emptor Doctrine. Mr. Finney was honored as “Educator of the Year” by the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors in 1997.