Bruce H. Burkholder

A renowned expert in property and business legal issues with a loyal following and shelves brimming with awards, there are no half-measures in Bruce Burkholder’s approach. He’s an all-in, passionate kind of guy with a rare combination of diplomacy and honesty.

Bruce focuses intensely on relationships and problem solving. To make deals happen, he turns his joyful intensity toward the removal of roadblocks and complications. Bruce has a gift for seeing the simplest path to a solution - even in the most complicated of situations. His long career has yielded two sub-specialties: real estate land development and homebuilding, and restaurant & hospitality. Characteristically, Bruce has developed deep ties in the trade associations and key local players that permeate those industries. He has a unique depth of experience in land development, entitlements, governmental approvals, development agreements with municipalities, townships and counties, and acquisition, construction and development financing, operating and development entities, development standards, HOA’s, permanent loans and take out financing, in addition to DUS, FNMA and FHLMC financings, tax credits, sale agreements, and real estate tax valuation contests and strategies for avoidances of tax valuation increases.

Bruce has also spent considerable time assisting the restaurant and hospitality community particularly with respect to developing brands, dealing with expansion issues, including protecting trademark and trade dress, franchising, licensing, leasing including minimizing percentage rent, maximizing tenant improvement allowances and capping cam expenses, employment issues and wage and hour matters, buy sell agreements with key employees, equity raises including PPM’s and credit facilities, and sale of businesses including private equity, family office and strategic buyers.

Articles & Presentations

Articles
•Plat Modifications - Building Insider Magazine, March 18, 2016
•Author of numerous articles for Builder Update detailing Ohio law on land development and home building.
Presentations
•Lecturer, Real Estate Law, Fisher College of Business-The Ohio State University
•Frequent speaker, Building Industry Association, Ohio and Columbus Bar Associations, International Conference of Shopping Centers, Ohio Land Surveying Association, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accounts, Professional Education Systems Institute, National Business Institute, Lorman Education Services, CLE, Inc. and various other private seminar providers
•“Building a Brand for Sale,” Mid-America Restaurant Expo, Innovation Stage, January 28, 2018

Honors

•Columbus CEO Top Lawyers, 2023-2025
•The Best Lawyers in America, “Lawyer of the Year”, 2025
•The Best Lawyers in America, 2001-2026
•The Best Lawyers in America Columbus, Ohio “Lawyer of the Year”, 2013, 2016
•Building Industry Association, Induction Into Hall of Fame, 2012; Presidential Award, 1998, 2003; Associate of the Year Award, 2000
•Ohio Home Builders, Associate of the Year Award, 2005
•Ohio State Bar Association, Certified Specialist in Business, Commercial, and Industrial Real Property; Certified Specialist in Residential Real Property
•Ohio Super Lawyers, 2004-2019, “Top 50 Columbus Super Lawyers”, 2011, 2014; Super Lawyers Business Edition-Real Estate, 2012
•“Top Lawyer in Columbus Real Estate”, Columbus Monthly, 2004
•“Top Lawyer in Columbus Real Estate” and “Who’s Who In Law”, Business First, 2004 and 1995 respectively
•Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
•AVVO “Superb” - Top Rated Real Estate Lawyer
•Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Ohio, Outstanding Community Supporter, 2016