Stephen Holmes

Background

Steve received his B.A. from Transylvania University in 1979, where he majored in Business Administration and Economics. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky in 1982.

From 2011-2022, Ohio Super Lawyer Magazine named Steve as an Ohio Super lawyer in the area of business law. In addition, Cincy Business Magazine identified Steve as one of Cincinnati’s leading lawyers in the area of general business law from 2007-2023 and Ohio Business Magazine as an Ohio Leading Lawyer for 2024.

Steve’s practice is focused on the representation of family-owned businesses and the families that own them. As a part of this, he serves as a trusted business advisor to his clients and provides counsel and services in all major areas of law related to the operation of a business, as well as in the areas of transportation law and estate planning.  He also has extensive experience working with family businesses in the areas of ownership transition and succession planning, as well as conflict resolution.

During the period of 1987 through 1991, Steve served as Vice President-Associate General Counsel for the O.K. Trucking Company, a regional common/contract carrier formerly based in Cincinnati, Ohio. While with the O.K. Trucking Co., Steve served as a member of the national negotiation team for Regional Carriers, Inc., in connection with the negotiation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters National Master Freight Agreement.

The following are some examples of areas where he has provided representation:

• Outside general counsel services for numerous businesses.
• Represented multiple companies and individual shareholders in resolving internal shareholder disputes including assisting shareholders in exiting companies or purchasing the interests of other shareholders.
• Served as co-counsel for a large SAAS based company in connection with the company obtaining over $100,000,000 in private equity investment.
• Assisted several clients in obtaining interim alternative financing as a part of reorganizing the business, and then ultimately assisting with the replacement of such financing with conventional financing.
• Negotiated numerous office, retail, commercial and industrial leases for landlords and tenants.
• Successfully represented transportation management firm in the sale of the company to multi-faceted international public transportation services provider.
• Represented retail shopping center developers in the operation and lease up of shopping centers in Ohio, Texas, Florida, Indiana and California.
• Represented various companies in providing retail leasing needs in connection with their regional and nationwide rollout of stores.
• Represented multi-unit restaurant operation in all aspects of the operation of its business including the sale and disposition of its business and real estate assets.
• Represented several logistics and transportation service providers in connection with FMCSA compliance matters, transportation contracts, warehouse operations, freight claims management, insurance matters, finance issues and general corporate matters.
• Assisting clients in the acquisition, financing, and disposition of real estate assets used in the operation of their business.
• Assisted companies in the resolution of shareholder disputes and conflicts, including serving as an arbitrator and mediator in the resolution of such disputes.
• Assisting families in the development of plans for how to transfer business assets and other forms of wealth to the next generation and how to help the next generation manage the assets which they receive.

In addition to his law practice, Steve volunteers his time as Counsel for the Terrace Park Ohio Historical Society, and as a member of the Terrace Park Ohio Board of Zoning Appeals. He is also a former member of the Village Council for the Village of Terrace Park, the Board of Trustees for the World Piano Competition, the Board of Trustees for the Cincinnati Fire Museum, and the Board of Trustees for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.  He also works with the Goering Center for Family and Private Business where he has served as a member of its advisory board as well as a moderator and speaker for center events and programs and as a family advisor in connection with the center’s Next Generation Institute Program.

From 1998 through 2023 Steve served as the Assistant Managing Partner and then later as President and Managing Partner of Cors & Bassett.  He continues to serve as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Publications

Steve has contributed articles to various business and trade publications in the areas of general corporate law, entity selection, transportation law, workers compensation, and real estate law. Some of the publications in which his articles have appeared are Broker and Agent Real Estate Professionals Magazine, the Kentucky Motor Transport Association Trucker Magazine, the Ohio Trucking Association monthly newsletter, the Cincinnati Business Courier, the Goering Center for Family and Private Business publications, The Transportation Lawyer Journal and as a part of papers delivered at the annual meeting of the Transportation Lawyers Association.

He is also co-author of the article entitled “Jimmy Hoffa’s Vision: The Rise and Fall of the Teamsters National Master Freight Agreement, A history of the primary labor agreement between the Teamsters Union and the motor carrier industry.”