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Brouse McDowell’s Jeff Heintz to receive St. Thomas More award
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: April 26, 2019
Growing up in Silver Lake Village, Brouse McDowell partner Jeffrey Heintz said he often watched the legal drama “Perry Mason” on television, imagining what it might be like to become a lawyer himself.
But as enticing as being an attorney seemed Heintz said he never realized just how satisfying it would be to help a client solve a difficult problem until he entered the profession.
“If you like to work hard and you care about helping people, there’s no better place for you than the practice of law,” said Heintz. “It is an amazing feeling to help solve a serious, complicated problem for someone.
“It is the best part of being a lawyer and that’s what makes it a profession rather than just a job.”
His efforts to assist people don’t end when he leaves the office for the day. Over the years, Heintz has served on many boards and committees designed to improve the legal profession and the community.
As he begins winding down his practice, Heintz, 69, recently learned that he had been selected as this year’s recipient of the prestigious St. Thomas More award.
Presented annually by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland during Red Mass as part of the Akron Bar Association’s Law Week Celebration, the award pays tribute to St. Thomas More, the patron saint of lawyers. It is given to a member of the legal community who has demonstrated outstanding personal integrity, community service and professional excellence.
“I was extremely surprised and flattered,” said Heintz. “It’s not something I ever thought about.
“Former recipients are extraordinarily distinguished professionals, many of whom were role models for me. I did not consider myself to be in that league so it was immensely humbling and gratifying when I was notified.”
Solo practitioner and former award recipient J. Dean Carro, emeritus professor of law at The University of Akron School of Law served on the nominating committee.
“Jeff is very deserving of this award,” said Carro. “He has lived his life well and learned life’s lessons. He is very wise, works hard and is politically astute.
“Jeff is a former Akron Bar Association president and chair of the past presidents group. Jeff has guided us through many issues over the years.”
Retired attorney Frank Quirk, a past recipient of the St. Thomas More award, said Heintz is an “excellent” choice.
Quirk, a former managing partner at Brouse McDowell said Heintz has been “a leader in his firm, at the bar and in our community.
“Jeff exemplifies all of the qualities that the award recognizes,” said Quirk. “He is the whole package.”
Longtime colleague Clair Dickinson, of counsel at Brouse McDowell described Heintz as a “consummate professional” and the “perfect choice” to receive the award.
“We have worked together for over 25 years,” Dickinson said. “Jeff is a problem solver, who has contributed to the legal profession in many ways, including as president of the Akron Bar Association and as a member of the board of the Ohio State Bar Association.
“I’ve consulted with him on cases many times and Jeff has always come up with good suggestions for resolution.
“I consider him a close friend and greatly value our friendship.”
Born in Akron, Heintz received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Ohio University in 1972 and immediately enrolled at The University of Akron School of Law.
It was while attending Ohio University that Heintz met his wife Rose.
They were married in 1972 and live in Silver Lake Village. The couple has two sons Adam and Michael. Adam and his wife Erin live in Herndon, Virginia and have two children, Patrick Jeffrey (PJ) and Ainsley.
Michael is an attorney and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife Ilana.
“I no longer practice law, but I would say my dad inspired me to get my law degree,” said Michael, director of advocacy and training for the Society for Neuroscience. “When I graduated from college I was not really sure what I wanted to do. But having grown up around my father, going into the office with him on Saturdays, I had a good sense of what being a lawyer entailed.
“I decided to go into environmental law,” he said. “I remember that when I was in law school my dad gave me Black’s Law Dictionary. He wrote a set of rules in the front cover, one of which is ‘plan the work, work the plan.’ To me that sums up how he leads his life. He committed himself to the law and follows through with his maximum effort.
“He instilled in my brother and me a number of key values--work hard, respect those around you, help out where you can and take responsibility for your actions and place in the community--all of which I follow today.”
Heintz began his legal career at Blakemore, Rosen & Norris in 1975, the same year he obtained his law degree.
He joined Brouse McDowell in 1984, where he practices commercial law and litigates real estate title issues. Heintz served as managing partner of the firm from 2004-2012.
He said he’s very proud of his time as managing partner.
“I took over in January 2004 and almost immediately thereafter we began the economic tailspin known as the Great Recession,” he said. “It was an immense responsibility to lead the firm through that dark period, knowing that the livelihood of so many employees and their families was dependent on the firm’s success.
“The work we did at Brouse in the area of bank failures and economic loss arising from the Great Recession was some of the most interesting and rewarding legal work that I’ve ever done,” Heintz said. “The cases were complex and the stakes were very high. I worked with some exceptionally qualified lawyers on all sides, which made the work interesting and competitive.”
Heintz continues to serve as national counsel for First American Title Insurance Company, handling matters arising out of the 2008 financial crisis.
Brouse McDowell Managing Partner Marc Merklin took the reins at the firm immediately after Heintz.
“I consider Jeff to be a mentor, especially when it comes to the leadership role that he held within our firm,” said Merklin. “He really looks out for our clients’ interests. He is not only a superior advocate he also understands the nature of their businesses and serves as a trusted advisor.
“He has always been very involved in advocating for the profession and is admired by other lawyers,” said Merklin. “Jeff is an excellent choice for the St. Thomas More award.”
Over the years, Heintz has mentored a number of younger attorneys.
Summit County Probate Court Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer was a law clerk at Blakemore, Rosen & Norris when Heintz was an associate.
“Jeff understood how daunting an experience it was to be just starting your career,” said Judge Stormer. “He was very helpful and extremely good at motivating everyone to do their work.
“He has come before my court a number of times over the years,” she said. “He is very honorable and his work is exemplary. I appointed him as special master in a difficult case in which a real estate development failed. He did an excellent job putting things back together and making sure everyone got paid.
“He brings elegance to everything he does.”
Amanda Leffler, a partner at Brouse McDowell said Heintz is one of her mentors.
“Jeff is not only a brilliant lawyer, he is a true advisor to his clients,” said Leffler. “He understands their businesses and works to achieve both a good legal result and long-term strategic goals. I have tried to incorporate his handling of clients into my own practice.
“Jeff wants every lawyer in the firm to achieve the greatest success possible and he tries to help everyone grow professionally.
“He has also been a role model for community involvement,” she said. “He is incredibly active in the community and he tries to encourage everyone to follow his example. I credit much of my activity in the community to Jeff’s mentorship and support.”
A member of the Akron, Ohio State and North Carolina bar associations, Heintz served as president of the Akron Bar Association in 2002 and as a member of the OSBA Board of Governors from 2009-2012. He’s also a life fellow and past president of the Akron Bar Foundation and an Ohio State Bar Foundation distinguished life fellow.
In addition, he is a past chair of the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education and spent six years on the Ohio Board of Professional Conduct, including one year as chair.
“I am extremely proud of the work I did on the professional conduct board,” said Heintz. “In my opinion, it is one of the most meaningful endeavors that I took on.
“The legal profession is the only one that polices itself and imposes discipline on its practitioners,” he said. “When you serve on the board you have someone’s law license in the palm of your hand, but at the same time you have to recognize that it is your responsibility to protect the public from bad apples.
“It is a very serious responsibility and I am very happy with what we accomplished during the six years that I was on the board.”
Heintz has been an expert witness in cases involving issues of professional responsibility and ethics and is an arbitrator of fee disputes among lawyers for the OSBA.
Outside of the legal profession Heintz chairs the Silver Lake Village Planning Commission and is a former member of the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services Board and the Summit County Social Services Advisory Board.
He has also served on the boards of Community Hall Foundation Inc., Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio, the Greater Akron Chamber and North Akron Savings Bank before Peoples Bancorp acquired it.
The St. Thomas More award is not the only honor Heintz has received.
Akron Law honored him with an Outstanding Alumni Award in 2014 and last year he was given the Harold K. Stubbs Humanitarian Award for Distinguished Service in Law.
Former St. Thomas More award recipient 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Deborah Cook applauded the selection of Jeff Heintz.
Judge Cook said she and Heintz have been “buddies since the days when we would sit in the back of the bankruptcy court hearing room with all the other lawyers awaiting cases to be called by Harold White.”
She said she soon learned “that Jeff was one super quick wit who made what otherwise would be gruesomely boring Tuesday mornings pretty darn enjoyable! That friendship, fostered by those many decades ago when Jeff was a Blakemore Rosen lawyer and I was a lowly associate at Roderick stood the test of time,” Judge Cook said.
“I’ve watched his obvious talent for leadership play out in his legal career and in community service.”
As Heintz nears the end of his legal career, he said he is “immensely grateful to have had the chance to practice law in Akron. From the very beginning, it was a dream come true for me and that feeling continues to this day.
“I’m very fortunate to have been surrounded with great partners and clients and my family has been a constant source of inspiration and pride.”
If and when he does fully retire, he and his life partner Rose will likely spend more time in Pinehurst, North Carolina, where they own a home. They’ll also work on spoiling their grandchildren, Ainsley and PJ.
“My wife is a retired elementary school principal and she’s the one who has really earned her retirement. She’s excited about the next phase of our lives,” he said.
Wherever they are and whatever they do, Heintz said, “the legal profession and the notion of community service will be part of the picture.”
Heintz will receive the St. Thomas More award on May 3 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Akron.