Business Details
37 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Trusted Legal Counsel for Ohio School Districts
Pepple & Waggoner has been dedicated to providing proactive and responsive legal counsel to school districts across Ohio for over 35 years. Founded in 1989 by William Pepple and Glenn Waggoner, the firm prioritizes ethical standards, cost-effective solutions, and early intervention to resolve legal challenges efficiently. Our team specializes in navigating complex education law matters, including board policy development, collective bargaining, special education compliance, and workers' compensation defense. With offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati, we combine decades of experience with a client-centric approach to empower school boards with practical strategies.Our attorneys deliver rapid responses, transparent communication, and tailored guidance to protect districts' interests while advancing quality education. We represent clients in litigation, arbitration, and administrative hearings, ensuring compliance with evolving state and federal regulations. Through in-service training programs, policy manuals, and ongoing legal support, we help districts minimize disputes and operational risks. Our commitment to fiscal responsibility and community-focused outcomes has made us a trusted partner for Ohio school boards since 1989.
Services
Board Policy
Collective Bargaining
Employee Matters
Special Education
Workers Compensation
Student Issues
Litigation Representation
Details
- Year established: 1989
Highlights and features
- We offer 35+ years of specialized experience in Ohio education law.
- Our team provides 24/7 responsive communication for urgent legal needs.
- We deliver cost-effective solutions through proactive policy development and dispute prevention.
- We maintain offices in both Cleveland and Cincinnati for statewide accessibility.
- Our attorneys combine litigation expertise with practical compliance training programs.
Services
Board Policy
We collaborate with school boards to create customized policy manuals that align with district needs and legal requirements. Our services include policy interpretation, revisions, and online maintenance systems. We ensure compliance with evolving state and federal laws while streamlining administrative processes for efficient implementation.
Collective Bargaining
Our attorneys represent school districts in labor negotiations to achieve favorable collective bargaining agreements. We protect management rights while maintaining financial stability through strategic contract negotiations and alternative dispute resolution methods for unionized environments.
Special Education
We provide comprehensive support for special education compliance, including IEP development, Section 504 plan implementation, and disciplinary procedure guidance. Our services help districts meet legal requirements while ensuring appropriate services for students with disabilities through training and litigation defense.
Workers Compensation
We defend school districts against workers' compensation claims while implementing preventive strategies to reduce fraudulent filings. Our services include claim investigation, administrative hearing representation, and compliance guidance for related employment laws like FMLA and ADA.
Litigation Representation
Our firm represents school districts in state and federal courts, administrative hearings, and grievance arbitrations. We provide zealous legal defense in employment disputes, student-related litigation, and regulatory compliance matters while maintaining proactive risk management strategies.
People
Kevin J. Locke
Managing Partner
Managing Partner in Cleveland with extensive experience in education law, providing strategic legal counsel to school districts across Ohio.
Christian M. Williams
Partner
Partner in Cleveland specializing in board policy development and collective bargaining negotiations for Ohio school districts.
Donna M. Andrew
Partner
Partner serving both Cleveland and Cincinnati offices, focusing on special education compliance and employee relations matters.
Daniel L. Lautar
Partner
Partner in Cincinnati with expertise in workers' compensation defense and administrative law proceedings for school districts.
Jacqueline Walsh Brickman
Partner
Partner in Cleveland providing legal counsel on student issues, disciplinary proceedings, and special education compliance matters.
Questions
What areas of law do you specialize in for school districts?
We focus exclusively on education law, including board policy development, collective bargaining, special education compliance, employee matters, workers' compensation defense, and student issues.
How do you help schools prevent legal disputes?
Through proactive policy development, staff training programs, and early intervention strategies to address potential issues before they escalate into formal disputes.
Do you provide ongoing legal support or just case-specific representation?
We offer both continuous legal counsel and targeted representation in litigation, arbitration, and administrative proceedings as needed by the district.
How do you handle special education compliance matters?
We provide comprehensive guidance on IEP development, Section 504 compliance, disciplinary procedures, and dispute resolution for special education cases.
Are your services available statewide in Ohio?
Yes, with offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati, we serve school districts across all regions of Ohio.
