An Exemplary General Practice Law Firm
Building Relationships
Finding Solutions

At Bieser Greer in Dayton, our law firm has been serving businesses and individuals in the community for more than 160 years.

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A Tradition Of Exceptional Service

Since 1854, we have helped companies and individuals solve their problems – in and out of the courtroom. Our approach to litigation is simple: We build relationships with our clients and seek efficient solutions to their problems.

We conscientiously strive to avoid spending time and money on collateral and secondary disputes and issues. Instead, we focus on resolving the underlying disputes without creating side issues that generate legal fees and provide little or no benefit for our clients. Therefore, we subscribe to the admonition, “Never mistake motion for action.” By understanding our clients’ situations and focusing on practical solutions to their problems, we effectively advocate and protect their interests.

Premier Legal Representation For Clients In
Dayton, Ohio Since 1894

History That Works For You

Bieser Greer was founded in Dayton, Ohio in 1854 – seven years before the start of the American Civil War. Weathering such events as the Great Flood of Dayton, the Great Depression, and many firm name changes, Bieser Greer’s roots are deeply planted in history.

Bieser Greer’s team of attorneys have been involved in a number of historically significant cases and other legal matters, including the drafting of the Miami Conservancy Act, the Estate of Orville Wright and the return of the Wright Flyer to the U.S. from England, and the incorporation of the People’s Railway, predecessor to the City Transit Company and the Miami Valley Regional Transit Authority.

Many of the firm’s partners throughout the years have acted as Presidents of the Dayton Bar Association. The firm’s current attorneys continue to be actively involved in bar associations as well as other non-legal and charitable organizations in our community.

Sketch of Clement Vallandigham

The firm Vallandigham & McMahon (predecessor Bieser, Greer & Landis LLP) is formed.

The Attorney Who’s Defense Was Too Perfect (as published in Ripley’s Believe it or Not)
Clement Vallandigham (1820-1871) defending an accused murderer in Lebanon, Ohio pledged in his opening statement to the jury that he would prove that if his client hand handled the gun in the manner charged he would have killed himself! Practicing with a loaded revolver in front of a mirror on the eve of his summation address, Vallandigham accidentally killed himself.

The firm becomes known as McMahon & McMahon with the arrival of McMahon’s son, J. Sprigg McMahon. Five years later they are joined by another lawyer, H.L. Ferneding. Previous associates of John A. McMahon in the practice include George W. Houk (a. 1847) & John McMahon Sprigg (a. 1865).

After Robert G. Corwin (a. 1901) and Robert K. Landis (a. 1911) become Partners in the firm, the name is changed from McMahon & McMahon to McMahon, Corwin & Landis.

Following the Great Dayton Flood 1913, John A. McMahon drafts the Miami Conservancy Act to form the first consortium of governmental entities for a conservation project. The Act itself will serve as a model for the TVA and other New Deal legislation.

The firm changes its name to Landis, Ferguson, Bieser & Greer.

The firm changes its name to Bieser, Greer & Landis. At that time the associates in the firm are Charles S. Bridge (a. 1948), Charles D. Shook (a. 1952), Douglas K. Ferguson (a. 1955) & Edward L. Shank (a. 1965). David C. Greer will join the firm in the following year.

David C. Greer & Leo F. Krebs argue the school desegregation case of Brinkman v. Gilligan before the United States Supreme Court. They will be involved in this litigation for a total of ten years, a series of District Court trials, three trips to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and another oral argument before the United States Supreme Court.

David C. Greer publishes “Sluff of History’s Boot Soles” which chronicles Dayton’s 200-year sweep of legal history against the background of the country’s three revolutions during that period. Greer brings personalities to life – through drama or the telling of comic episodes.

Bieser, Greer & Landis celebrates its 160th anniversary in 2014. Its current attorneys collectively have in excess of 350 years of legal practice with in-depth experience in all varieties of courtroom disputes. Over its history, eight partners have been President of the Dayton Bar Association. The firm’s associates are the wave of its future. They are heirs to the character traits given the firm by its two founders – the personal courage that caused one to speak up with indifference to popularity or consequence and the personal dedication that caused the other to dedicate 69 years of life to the profession.

Committed To Protecting Our Clients, Both Professionally And Personally

The attorneys of Bieser Greer provide sophisticated legal advocacy for a full spectrum of complex legal matters involving business and corporate disputes, business formation and counseling, intellectual property matters, professional liability, construction disputes, criminal charges, family law, and personal injury claims. We complement a strong emphasis on litigation with general practice services in the fields of real estate, estate planning and administration, healthcare law, and business and professional organizations.

We Help You Explore Your Legal Options

There are many alternatives to trial, and while the lawyers of Bieser Greer are experienced in the various forms of dispute resolution, we are advocates of only two of these forms: binding arbitration and mediation.

The choice between trial and arbitration, if such a choice is available, is dependent on the facts and issues presented by a given dispute. Mediation, however, when properly timed and undertaken, has proven effective in almost every matter and every substantive area that becomes the subject of litigation. Our attorneys have served as mediators, arbitrators, and on frequent occasions, as counsel for parties to such proceedings.

The Team At Bieser Greer

We take pride in our team of attorneys and supporting staff. Every member of our firm – from partner to paralegal – is committed to meeting the needs of our clients. The majority of the firm’s attorneys carry the highest eligibility rating in Martindale-Hubbell.

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