Michael Hardesty Email and Phone Number

Providing legal advice to veterans through Operation Legal Help Ohio and directly through the Veterans Administration.

I am very pleased to announce that I have actively re-entered the practice of law and will be engaging in a general practice including real estate, estate planning and probate, corporate, employment, ethics defense, government and public records, contracts, finance and general business law. I am also available to do mediation and hearing officer work. My new office is located within the law offices of William Morse, located at 800 High Street (Huntington National Bank building), Suite 200 in Worthington ,Ohio, 43085, (614) 330-0363

Public pension plan for Ohio’s public school teachers. Administers pensions and other benefits such as disability and health care benefits for retirees. An approximate $70 billion fund which is managed 80% in house.- Responsible for drafting and negotiating complex contracts with a heavy emphasis on financial investments and insurance.- Successfully negotiated complex ISDA documents with Credit Suisse, HSBC Bank, and Goldman Sachs providing STRS mangers flexibility in negotiating most favorable investment rates.- Successfully negotiated a highly lucrative third party provider agreement for claims administration with United Healthcare in conjunction with STRS self-insured medical plan for its employees.- Successfully negotiated international custody agreements with State Street Bank & Trust Company and Citibank, N.A. for the handling of STRS foreign assets.- Opened investment accounts in over 50 foreign countries where the requirements were often very difficult to meet.

State agency responsible for running Ohio’s 529 college savings plan including overseeing investment of contributions.- Individually revised the 80+ page Offering Statement for OTTA’s 529 Direct Sold Program (the equivalent of a corporate prospectus).- Revised OTTA existing rules and implemented new rules through JCARR so as to not exceed OTTA statutory authority. This electronic approval process resulted in significantly reducing OTTA Guaranteed Fund which, in turn, reduced the State of Ohio’s liability.- Served as Chief Ethics Officer implementing the Governor’s ethics training for OTTA required for all State agencies

- As a solo practitioner I successfully represented a variety of clients in a general practice composed of probate, corporate, general business, bankruptcy, litigation, estate and financial planning and real estate.- Administrative Hearing officer for six Ohio State agencies. - Served as a title agent for two title companies.

My section represented 45 state agencies on any and all legal matters.- My attorneys never missed a deadline in literally hundreds of administrative and litigation matters. In conjunction with the litigation my team saved the State of Ohio hundreds of thousands of dollars by successfully defending cases.- Provided leadership for 30 attorneys in three cities including 7 support staff. - Personally performed much of the contract work for Administrative Services and the Arts & Sports Facilities Commission.- Negotiated many successful lease and contracts such as the new BCI lab facility in Richwood, Ohio and the Crew stadium lease in Columbus, Ohio.- Personally met yearly with the Directors of all our section’s large clients to ensure cooperation, maintain goodwill and gaining feedback on providing the best possible legal services.

Investigated and prosecuted ethics complaints against central Ohio lawyers.