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Roetzel & Andress partner elevated to practice group chair
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: July 5, 2016
It’s been just under four years since attorney Christopher P. Reuscher joined the Corporate and Business Services Group at Roetzel & Andress.
During his time as partner, he’s focused on large and complex corporate transactions and related business matters, while working to grow the firm’s client base in Ohio and around the country.
But on June 10 Reuscher embarked on a new journey after being appointed chair of the Corporate and Business Services Group. He’s now charged with overseeing nearly 30 partners, associates and paralegals in the firm’s 11 offices located nationwide.
“This is something that I’ve wanted from the beginning,” said Reuscher. “One of the reasons I decided to make a switch from my previous firm was because I wanted an opportunity to get into management so this was part of my five-year plan. I am very happy to take on the role.”
Born in Massillon, Ohio Reuscher attended Malone University in Canton receiving his bachelor’s degree in law and society.
During his undergraduate years, he spent four years on the nationally ranked golf team, earning recognition as a 2X First Team All-American. He’s been inducted into both the Malone University Athletics Hall of Fame and the Perry High School Athletic Hall of Fame in Massillon.
After graduating from The University of Akron School of Law, Reuscher took a job as an associate in the corporate and securities group in the Cleveland office of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff.
When he left in September of 2012 to join Roetzel & Andress, he was an equity partner and the chair of Benesch’s hiring committee.
Roetzel & Andress President Robert Blackham said Reuscher’s outstanding skills and leadership were apparent right away.
“Chris is an excellent lawyer,” said Blackham. “He’s a classically trained mergers and acquisition attorney with the ability to instill client confidence and close even the most difficult deals.
“I identified him early on as a potential candidate to head up the practice group but I was waiting for the right opportunity,” said Blackham. “He’s a deal maker as opposed to a deal breaker. A lot of lawyers focus on the negatives in a deal; Chris lays out the information for the client and gives the client a chance to make a decision on his/her own and then makes the deal happen.”
A Leadership Akron Class 30 graduate, Reuscher, now 40, received the Greater Akron Chamber’s “30 for the Future” award last year. He serves on the board of the One-In-Six Foundation, which supports early research into prostate cancer treatment as well as being president of the executive alumni board at Malone University.
He and his wife Tara live in Bath Township with their three children, Nicholas, 7, Alexander, 3, and Victoria, 1.
As practice group chair, he said he plans to focus on growing the client base nationally and to the extent possible, internationally.
“Although the firm does not have any international offices at this time, I want our attorneys to be able to handle international transactions for existing clients and international clients who do business in the U.S.,” said Reuscher.
“I believe we have the baseline to accomplish these goals and my plan is to expand the number of attorneys handling corporate and business matters from around 30 to 50 or 60 within the next five years.”