“We’ve trusted Jake’s guidance for years. From complex contract negotiations to routine compliance matters, Jake is the ideal counsel for any organization.  His expertise, accessibility, and efficiency will make any CEO’s job easier.”

 -Chara Fischer Jackson

CEO, Cincinnati Preschool Promise

“As a small business owner you want to surround yourself with a good team, and there is no other lawyer I’d want on my team than Jake Purcell. His skills at negotiating helped me buy my business and his knowledge gives me the confidence I need when making decisions. As a first time business owner, his guidance and ability to make the hard-to-understand easy to comprehend is an incredible asset that cannot be overstated. I know that my business and I will be set for years to come with his expertise.”

 – Macon Lindberg

Owner of Rip N’ Stitch

“Our Foundation has been working with Jake for several years and his strategic guidance, responsiveness and professionalism has been integral to our operations, pre-COVID and especially during COVID.  He is an excellent asset we have to call on so we do not drift from what matters most, our mission.”

-Scott Wingate

Executive Director, WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium

Jake has been a tremendous partner, helping to navigate complex contract and compliance processes, and always providing solid counsel on issues that necessarily arise in our work.  In addition to his professional acumen, he is a stalwart supporter of the work that cultural institutions do for their communities and has worked to equip our local institutions with the information and resources we need to flourish. 

-Jennifer Cox

The Contemporary Arts Center, Communications Director

Office:

225 West Court Street

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Practice Areas:

Corporate Law, Employment Law, Real Estate Law, Dispute Resolution, Non-Profit Organizations, Not-for-profit Organizations

Admissions

Ohio

Education

University of Pennsylvania, J.D.

University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Certificate in Executive Management

Miami University, B.S. Business, summa cum laude

Ohio State Bar Association

James Miller Memorial Fund (1N5)- Member, Board of Directors (2016-present); Member, Executive Committee (2019-2023)

Adjunct Professor at Mount St. Joseph University MBA Program

The WAVE Foundation at the Newport Aquarium-Member, Research and Development Committee, January 2019-Present; Member, Board of Directors, January 2020-Present

Corporate Governance

Jake Purcell advises Boards on corporate and non-profit “best practices”, fiduciary duties, Board structure, and Board disputes. Representative matters:

• Serves as outside General Counsel to a major private university, a nationally recognized art museum, and one of the largest auto dealers in the United States.
• Serves as General Counsel for a large public body, and frequently advises the 15 person Board of Managers on Sunshine Law compliance.
• Represented a major non-profit in the campaigning and procurement of $60 Million of Hamilton County tax levy funds, and related compliance matters.
• Served as US Counsel to the Board of a major French-owned manufacturing company for its expansion into the US market.
• Successfully negotiated a highly contested “break up” of a non-profit joint venture.
• Regularly structures employment and phantom stock agreements for C-Suite executives in the technology, non-profit, and manufacturing industries.

Intellectual Property & Technology Transactions

Jake Purcell regularly negotiates mission-critical intellectual property development agreements, and high-dollar (in many cases, multi-million dollar) royalty and license agreements. Representative transactions include structuring and negotiating:

• The development of a $1 Million+ custom national online labor sourcing application and related SAAS Agreement used across the United States.
•  A medical record and technology escrow arrangement to resolve a dispute between two major medical organizations, and an international trade secret recipe escrow arrangement between a German manufacturer and a US distributor.
• Numerous multi-million dollar national brand license and royalty agreements in the food service, manufacturing, hospitality, and medical industries.
• Numerous multi-million dollar data sharing, research, and co-development agreements with major hospitals, non-profits, and school districts.

Commercial Contracts

Jake Purcell frequently negotiates complex multi-tiered professional services agreements against Fortune 500 and global companies. Representative transactions include structuring and negotiating:

• A six figure workout arrangement against the Italian aerospace subsidiary of a Fortune 50 company.
• A major cosmetic branding arrangement and intellectual property transfer with a Fortune 50 company.
• Numerous master agreements and flow-down sub-contractor and sub-subcontractor agreements for tech services across the United States.

Shareholder Buyouts

Jake guides clients through high-dollar shareholder buyouts. Representative transactions include:

• Negotiated, structed, and closed one of the largest nonprofit mergers in Ohio history, with combined assets over $100 Million.
• A four-person buyout and reorganization of a $16 million real estate organization.
• A $9 Million multi-class “Zenz” buyout over a 10 year period.
• A $2.5 Million majority shareholder buyout and related rollover into the private equity owned parent company of a national franchise.
• A $600,000 forced buyout on behalf of a minority shareholder in an international ownership dispute of a large hotel complex.
• Managed foreign counsel in the restructuring of a tech services company in Asia, and represented the majority U.S. shareholder in the related complete company buyout.
• Negotiated a six figure (75%) purchase price reduction in a contested closed business purchase arrangement and secured a related tax workout arrangement with the Department of Revenue.