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Mr. Butz is a director of Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., L.P.A. and is co-chair of the Litigation Section. He has also served as Chair of the Marketing Committee at the firm.  Mr. Butz devotes a majority of his practice to litigation matters including commercial and business disputes, domestic relations, construction litigation, personal injury litigation (plaintiff and defense), and oil and gas matters.

Education

  • Bethany College of West Virginia, B.A., 1984
  • Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., 1987

Professional Experience

  • First chair representation in complex business, construction and tort litigation, including handling jury trials and other dispute resolution proceedings and commercial arbitration, along with appellate practice in both state and federal courts
  • Counsels and advises producers and drillers involved in the oil and gas industry, including litigation before both state and federal courts in Ohio
  • Initiates and/or defends lawsuits for declaratory judgment (including under the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act and the Ohio Marketable Title Act), and claims for the slander of title, adverse possession, and contractual disputes involving oil and gas leases and related claims
  • David serves as a mentor in the Supreme Court of Ohio Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program, training new lawyers in the fundamental skills and core values of professionalism essential to the practice of law

Courts Admissions

  • Ohio, 1987
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, 2004
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1988
  • Stark County Bar Association – Executive and Courts Committee (past); Pro Bono Committee (current)
  • Member: Ohio State Bar Association

Professional and Community Affiliations

  • Board President: Community Legal Aid Services
  • Finance Committee and member: St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church
  • Former Member: Rotary Club of Canton
  • Former Member: The ARC of Stark County
  • Former Board of Directors: ArtsinStark – Board of Directors
  • Former Board of Directors and President: Siffrin Residential Association
  • Former Chairman: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ribs Burn off Festival
  • SCBA Pro Bono Subcommittee Chairperson; Senior Lawyer’s Committee Member: 
  • Leadership Stark County, Sixth Graduating Class

Honors & Awards

  • Ohio Super Lawyers®
  • Best Lawyers in America® (2010 to present)
  • Named as Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” in Family Law Akron Area (2015)
  • Elected As a Fellow: Ohio State Bar Foundation, 2014

Notable Presentations or Publications

  • “Child and Spousal Support”
  • “Getting the Best Financial Settlement for your Divorce Client in Ohio”
  • “Time Management for Lawyers”
  • “Hot Topics in Liability”
  • “Intentional Tort”
  • “Intentional Tort Reform”
  • “Right to Cure Laws”
  • “Protest in the Workplace – The Kaepernick Effect”

ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY DAVID E. BUTZ

Articles Published by David E. Butz

Ohio Supreme Court accepts Wendt v. Dickerson, A Case Concerning Ohio’s Dormant Mineral Act

The Ohio Supreme Court has accepted an appeal in an additional case concerning Ohio’s Dormant Mineral Act, O.R.C. § 5301.56: Wendt v. Dickerson, 2014-2051.  Wendt concerns whether the 1989 version or 2006 version of the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act should be applied in an action concerning a 1952 reservation. The issues accepted […]

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Fifth District Court of Appeals’ Opinion Upholds Automatic Operation of 1989 Dormant Mineral Act

Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty oil and gas attorneys, David E. Butz and Matthew W. Onest, successfully represented a family seeking to affirm their ownership of valuable mineral rights, in a significant case in the Fifth District Court of Appeals, Wendt v. Dickerson, et al., 2014–Ohio–4615. The decision impacts landowners and oil and gas producers […]

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Ohio Trial Court Rules 1989 Version of Dormant Mineral Act

On February 21, 2013, the Court of Common Pleas of Tuscarawas County issued an Order Granting Partial Summary Judgment in favor of the surface owner.  The surface owner claimed that the mineral interests had previously been abandoned and vested in the surface owner under the Ohio Dormant Mineral Act in […]

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1989 Court Decision Ruling of Dormant Mineral Act

Wendt, et al v. Dickerson, et al Ohio Dormant Mineral Act.

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Home Construction Service Suppliers Act

The Ohio General Assembly recently enacted the Home Construction Service Suppliers Act (“Act”), which took effect on August 31, 2012.  Perhaps the biggest benefit from the Act, enacted by HB 383, is the exemption of all “Home Construction Service Contracts” from the Consumer Sales Practices Act.  This exemption allows home […]

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