ARTZ - Key Persons
Brian S. Artz first entered the private practice of law in 1980 and in 1988 co-founded the present day law firm of six attorneys in which he is a partner. Mr. Artz began his practice in a small law firm in Urbana, Ohio, working primarily in the areas of residential and commercial real estate, mortgage loan lending, estate planning and business representation. Upon moving to Columbus, he became affiliated with John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company and the Columbus City Attorney's Office, Prosecutor Division, and subsequently established the law firm which has become known as Artz, Dewhirst & Wheeler, LLP. He currently serves on the legal advisory committee of The Columbus Foundation and has served on the Board of Trustees of the German Village Society. Mr. Artz works with a network of other professionals in the establishment of new businesses and legal issues involving the management and operation of existing businesses for profit, as well as non-profit corporations and entities. Further Mr. Artz, works extensively in the area of estate planning, addressing personal and financial needs that arise during life and at death, and has developed an interest in trusts and trust administration, as well as elder law. Additionally, Mr. Artz has an extensive background in real estate matters, involving the purchase and sale of residential and commercial real property, zoning and development of real property, and the leasing and rental of real estate for individuals and businesses. Mr. Artz has worked extensively in the conversion of multi-family properties into condominiums, and he has been involved in the establishment of a number of different projects in the central Ohio area.
Practice Areas
Real Estate - Commercial and Residential
Carol Ann Fey is a family law attorney, certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as an Ohio Family Relations Law Specialist since such certification was offered in 2000. Carol joined the firm as Of Counsel effective August 2018.
Carol began her legal career in 1985 as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio; she then served as a judicial clerk for Justice Clifford F. Brown, Supreme Court of Ohio. She then moved into the private practice of law and established a primary focus in family law. Carol's practice includes divorce, dissolution, collaborative divorce, and custody matters for both LGBTQ and traditional clients, along with non-traditional family law matters such as formation and dissolution of LGBTQ and other unmarried relationships, parenting and custody matters unique to LGBTQ relationships, and family legal planning document preparation (wills, health care powers of attorney, and related planning).
Now that LGBTQ marriages are recognized throughout the country, Carol happily facilitates same-sex couple adoptions, stepparent adoptions, and parentage actions to confirm parentage of children born to married same gender couples (for whom a biologically based "presumption" of spouse's parentage may not be recognized). Carol pioneered the establishment of shared custody for LGBTQ and other unmarried parents beginning in 1997, which laid the groundwork for the Ohio Supreme Court's affirmation of that practice. In honor of that work, Carol was awarded the Stoney Award by Stonewall Union. Carol also represented the first non-biological mother to obtain shared custody over the objection of the biological-mother, despite the lack of any formal written agreement.
Carol was the first Chair of the Columbus Bar Association's LGBT Committee, is a member of Temple Beth Shalom where she also plays piano, and formerly served as an elected member and President of the Bexley School Board. She is a frequent speaker on LGBTQ legal issues.
Practice Areas
Domestic- Divorce and Dissolution, Pre-Nuptial and Property Agreements
Chad M. Draheim began his legal career by earning his Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies from Columbus State Community College in 2010. He began working as a paralegal for Artz, Dewhirst & Wheeler, LLP in September of 2010 and is now an attorney with the firm after earning his Juris Doctor degree and passing the Ohio bar exam in 2017. As a paralegal, Chad gained extensive knowledge working in the areas of Probate Administration, Estate Planning, and Real Estate. He now practices primarily in the areas of Probate Administration, Estate Planning and Landlord/Tenant. Chad enjoys working directly with clients to help them achieve their goals.
Practice Areas
Probate - Estate Administration/ Guardianships
Job Titles:
- Founding Member and Article Editor of the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution
Scot Dewhirst was a founding partner of the law firm in 1988. He was also an Adjunct Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Dispute Resolution at Capital University Law School. He received the highest AV ratings for ethical standards and legal ability awarded by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings.
Prior to entering private practice, he was the Executive Assistant to the Columbus City Attorney acting as the Claims Manager for the city of Columbus and attorney for the Columbus Development Department. When he first began his legal career, he was Assistant City Attorney in the Prosecutor's Office and served as Director of the Columbus Night Prosecutor Mediation Program for seven years.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION: Mr. Dewhirst was actively involved in the field of dispute resolution since 1977 as a private mediator, arbitrator, public speaker, trainer, and program director. He developed mediation projects in both Jamaica and Nicaragua, was approved and trained as a mediator and arbitrator in the Dalkon Shield Arbitration Program, and was also an independent contract mediator for United States Arbitration and Mediation. Mr. Dewhirst coordinated and participated in the development of new negotiation and mediation training programs and 16 negotiation and mediation videos. He conducted numerous training programs in both insurance negotiation and mediation. He was a co-founder and board member of Community Mediation Services of Central Ohio.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ZONING: Mr. Dewhirst regularly consulted with cities around Ohio in the area of historic preservation. He was appointed by the Columbus mayor to the German Village Historic Preservation Commission in 1988 - serving 4 terms until 2000 when he was appointed to the Board of Commission Appeals for the city of Columbus, serving as the Chair of the Commission until 2003. Mr. Dewhirst conducted historic preservation training programs in the legal issues of architectural and zoning review and consulted on the writing of historic preservation ordinances. He was a co-author of REINVEST-REUSE-RENEW: A Blueprint for the Development of a Historic Preservation Program. In 1994 he was appointed by Mayor Gregory Lashutka to serve as the Co-Chair of the Steering Committee for the rewrite of the Columbus Zoning Code. In 1993, 1996 and 2000 he was lead presenter at the Ohio Historic Preservation Office state conference on the subject of the legal basis of historic preservation. The presentations included a history of historic preservation law, characteristics and administration of local ordinances, constitutional issues, current trends, and new /emerging issues faced by cities, Historic Preservation Commissions and Design Review Boards.
Personal
A Celebration of Life https://www.hoskinsfh.com/obituary/scot-dewhirst
Remembering Scot Dewhirst https://www.thelegacyfund.org/scot
Education
Ohio State University (1974)- B.A. degree in International Relations
Capital University Law School (1978)- Juris Doctorate degree
Terry Wheeler is a partner of the law firm and has been licensed to practice law since November 4, 1985. Terry began his career as a staff attorney for the Franklin County Municipal Court, then joined the Ohio Commission on Dispute Resolution & Conflict Management as associate director, and then became a director for the Center for Dispute Resolution at Capital University Law School. Terry joined ADW in June 2001 and became a partner on January 1, 2009. Since joining ADW, Terry practices law primarily in the areas of employment, criminal, and civil litigation. He also serves as a mediator.
Terry continues his involvement with dispute resolution at Capital University Law School by serving as a director for the Center for Dispute Resolution and adjunct professor of law teaching negotiation, mediation and mediation clinic. He serves as an adjunct professor for the Mortiz College of Law at The Ohio State University.
Terry is a former president of the board for the Association for Conflict Resolution. He has been mediating since 1983 and has been actively involved in the development of the Uniform Mediation Act and the Model Standards of Conduct for Mediators, as well as many other state and national initiatives. In addition, to teaching and training, Terry serves as a private mediator.
Practice Areas
Civil Litigation
Job Titles:
- Attorney at Law
- Adjunct Professor at Capital University Law School
Thomas J. Addesa began his legal career in 1985 as an Assistant Prosecutor for the City of Columbus, Ohio. In that that role he conducted nearly 100 jury trials. In 1990 he was appointed Assistant City Attorney in the Civil Litigation Section for the Columbus City Attorney's Office.
Mr. Addesa joined the present law firm of Artz, Dewhirst & Wheeler, LLP in 1998 with a primary focus in litigating Family Law including co-parenting. Tom also assists individuals seeking to have children through the surrogacy process, and provides representation for Carriers who have agreed to be part of that process. In 2005, Tom obtained a specialty certification in family law and has maintained his credentials as an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Family Relations Law Specialist.
Due to his extensive criminal and traffic experience, he continues to provide representation for clients charged with criminal and traffic offenses. He also provides mediation services to individuals with a variety of legal issues, including divorce and family law issues, who seek to resolve disputes outside of the court system. Tom's 34 years of litigation experience allow him to zealously advocate and protect his clients' rights, and his lengthy experience as a mediator allows him to assist parties in resolving their disputes without resorting to the litigation process.
Tom is an Adjunct Professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio. Tom was a trainer for the Ohio Governor's Commission on Dispute Resolution 1988, and he has an active practice mediating divorce and child custody matters for parents seeking to avoid contracted litigation. He also provides representation to parents/spouses who choose the Collaborative Divorce process.
Practice Areas
Family Law