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Kurt Tunnell is a partner with Bricker & Eckler LLP and serves as the firm's administrative partner. He also chairs the manufacturing and logistics group. Kurt has unique expertise in the development and and operation of legislative coalitions to advocate public policy goals through the Ohio General Assembly, including service as legislative and legal counsel to the over 200-member Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice which has advocated dramatic and comprehensive tort reform initiatives including medical criteria for asbestos, silica and mixed dust cases. He has significant experience before the Ohio General Assembly and the Administration in representing trade associations and business coalitions in complex and technical public policy debates to develop and implement strategies for the successful enactment of legislation.
Kurt led the legislative initiatives which have reduced and broadened the insurance premium tax, applied Ohio's tax abatement law to all electric generation facilities and eliminated the tax on prescription pharmaceutical samples. He has extensive experience in and a practical understanding of the executive branch of State government, including the Governor's office, all major departments and agencies, and the significant Ohio boards and commissions.
His practice emphasizes:
Ohio governmental ethics and election laws
Petition and ballot issues
The formation and development of corporate political action committees
Utilization of alternative dispute resolution in a governmental context
Active appellate advocate for trade associations filing numerous amicus briefs in federal and state courts on behalf of insurance and manufacturing interests.
Representative Experience
Legislative Counsel to the Association of Ohio Life Insurance Companies
General Counsel and Parliamentarian to the Ohio Republican Party
General Counsel to the Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Retained Counsel for the American Insurance Association in Ohio
Special Ohio counsel to the National Federation of Independent Business
State of Ohio, Office of the Governor, 1991-1994, Chief Legal Counsel to Governor Voinovich. Responsible for providing counsel on legal and policy matters to the Governor, chief of staff, and other members of the governor's office, as well as directors of the administrative departments of state government. Managed the 29 chief legal counsels in the various state departments and indirectly supervised the over 150 in-house lawyers in state government. Provided counsel on legislative, regulatory, clemency and ethical matters in state government. Served as the governor's representative at state government chief of staff meetings
Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice, Legal & Legislative Counsel, 1994-present. Responsible for providing counsel on legal and legislative issues before the Ohio General Assembly to the Ohio Alliance for Civil Justice, a non-profit corporation consisting of well over 200 businesses, medical providers, local political subdivisions, and charitable organizations and their related trade organizations, which was formed to advocate the passage of meaningful tort reform legislation. Further, responsible for establishing a statewide CourtWatch program to monitor state constitutional challenges to tort reform and coordinate the filing of amicus briefs to defend the new statutes. Led the effort on ground breaking asbestos and silica and mixed dust legislation
Insurance Coalition for Equity and Growth, Legislative Counsel, 1996-1997. Responsible for providing leadership and legislative counsel to over 20 domestic insurance companies which advocated and secured the passage of revisions to Ohio's insurance taxes by eliminating the unconstitutional "domestic preference tax" and establishing a uniform tax rate which was nearly 50% lower than the previous maximum insurance tax rate
Government Board Service
Member via appointment by Chief Justice Moyer, Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution and Conflict Management, 1995-2007
Member via appointment by Governor Taft, Ohio Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors
Chairman, 1991-94, Ohio Public Facilities Commission
Community and Professional Activities
Member, Board of Trustees, Maryhaven, Inc.
Treasurer, Ohio Public Expenditure Council
Leadership Columbus Program, 1989 Participant
The Executive Order of the Ohio Commodore
Eagle Scout
Member, American Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association (Insurance Section, Corporate Counsel Section); Columbus Bar Association (Government Lawyers Committee, Professionalism Committee, Community Service Committee)
Member, Simon Kenton Council of the Boy Scouts of America Board Nominating Committee
Political Actitivies
Ohio Legal Counsel, Bush/Cheney '04
General Counsel and Parliamentarian Ohio Republican Party
Treasurer, Citizens for Wolpert Committee, Teater for Schools, Citizens for Uttley, Citizens for Allison, Judge Kay Lias, Judge Guy Reece and many other campaign committees
Franklin County Republican Party Executive Committee
Awards and Recognitions
Recipient, Distinguished Service Award, The Columbus Jaycees, 1997
Recipient, Ten Outstanding Young Citizens Award, The Columbus Jaycees, 1997
First recipient of the Ohio State University College of Law's Outstanding Young Alumni Award, 1996
Recipient, Ohio Lobbying Association's Outstanding Lobbyist Award, 1995
Selected as one of Business First's Forty Under 40, 1995
Recipient, Columbus Bar Association Community Service Award Under Age 36, 1994
Robert A. Taft Award for Outstanding Young Republican, 1990
John M. Ashbrook Award for Community Activities, 1990
John W. Bricker Man of the Year Award, 1988
Who's Who in American Law
Education
Hastings College (B.A., magna cum laude, high distinction in political science, 1983); Harry S. Truman Scholar; Who's Who at Hastings College
University of Toronto (M.A., 1985); Rotary International Scholar
The Ohio State University (J.D., with honors, 1987); President, Society of International Law OSU Graduate and Professional Academic Board.
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