FOP/OLC Grievance Form (Print and Fill)
FOP/OLC Greivance Form (Fillable Form)
Kurt Bruderly earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo College of Law in 2007, after first receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of Michigan in 2003.
Kurt is a trial attorney and the principle owner of the Law Offices of Kurt W. Bruderly, LLC, a small firm specializing in criminal defense all over Northwest Ohio, which he began in November of 2007. He represents individuals charged with crimes and has successfully defended clients at the municipal, state, and federal levels.
Admitted to practice in the State of Ohio and the United States Federal Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Kurt is currently a member of the Maumee Valley Criminal Defense Association, Ohio Bar Association, and the Toledo Bar Association, where he received the Trustees Award in 2017 and has served multiple terms on the Board of Directors. He was also elected to the 2013 OSBA Leadership Academy. Kurt also served on the Board of Directors for the March of Dimes of Northwest Ohio and other community organizations.
He has two daughters and lives with his wife in Perrysburg, Ohio where in his free time (if it exists) is spent with his family, watching his Wolverines, being in the gym, on the golf course.
Kimberly Kendall Corral has successfully and aggressively defended a wide range of criminal cases from misdemeanors to capital homicide cases. Kim represents clients at all levels of criminal justice advocacy. This includes investigation, indictment, pre-trial motions practice, trial, direct appeals, post-conviction remedies, jurisdictional appeals, habeas corpus, and wrongful conviction litigation.
Being charged and/or convicted of a crime is certainly one of the most stressful times in a client’s life. A successful outcome requires a tailored and nuanced approach for every case. Upholding a client’s constitutional and procedural rights is complex and time-consuming work. Kim believes that productive client relationships are an essential element to a winning strategy. Kim’s noteworthy track record in the criminal defense field is built on her genuine passion and her zealous work ethic. She is not blind to the injustice that plagues our legal system but takes immense personal pride in her steadfast work to restore her clients’ rights.
Josh Engel is a partner at Engel & Martin, LLC. Engel began his career as a prosecutor in 2001 by serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. In 2002, he moved to Ohio and took a position as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Warren County, Ohio. In Warren County, he handled some of the office’s most challenging and high-profile cases and led the office’s appellate division. In 2007, his work as a prosecutor was recognized by a Meritorious Service Award from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. From 2007 to 2010, Engel served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Engel started his legal career at Choate, Hall & Stewart, a large Boston law firm known for more than a century as the home of some the nation’s most accomplished litigators.
Engel is a 1995 graduate, cum laude, of Harvard University Law School. He received his bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992.
Lane is one of the FOP/OLC On-Call attorneys. He grew up in Hilliard, Ohio. Lane received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History magna cum laude from the Ohio State University in 2017. He received his law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 2021. While in law school, Lane worked as a law clerk at Cloppert, Latanick, Sauter & Washburn and has continued at the firm as an Associate following his graduation. He is admitted to practice law in Ohio as well as the federal district courts of Ohio and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
As a member of Diemert and Associates Co., L.P.A., Tom has proudly served as an FOPOLC on-call attorney for over 25 years. He has served as an Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor in the criminal felony division and as Chief Trial Counsel for the Cleveland Police Department. Over the years, he has served as a municipal prosecutor for several cities and villages and currently prosecutes for the Village of Chagrin Falls, the Village of Bratenahl, and the City of Pepper Pike. He also serves as an Auxiliary Police Officer.
As a litigator, Tom has been involved in a wide range of civil and criminal matters and also regularly appears on behalf of police and fire safety force employees and their unions for negotiations, fact-finding, conciliation, grievance arbitration, and disciplinary matters. He was part of the legal team that defended the constitutionality of the Ohio Collective Bargaining Act as well as Ohio’s ban on public employee residency restrictions.
Born and raised in Cleveland, Tom graduated from Cathedral Latin High School. He attended Valparaiso University School of Law after graduating from the University of Notre Dame with honors.
Stew Mathews has been practicing law since 1977. Stew’s law practice has focused on defending clients accused of criminal conduct and pursuing personal injury claims. Over the course of his career Stew has tried over 150 jury trials. Stew has been representing members of the FOP/Ohio Labor Council for over a decade. Stew represented OLC member Ray Tensing, the former University of Cincinnati Police Officer who was charged with murder in Hamilton County after an on-duty shooting resulted in a fatality. The Hamilton County Prosecutor tried Officer Tensing two times, both trials ended in a mistrial with hung juries.
In recent years, the bulk of Stew’s law practice has been in representing law enforcement officers involved in Officer Involved Shootings and other allegations of on-duty/off-duty criminal conduct in many jurisdictions in Ohio and Kentucky. Stew received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and his law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law – Northern Kentucky University.
Scott A. Rubenstein has practiced criminal law in Southwest Ohio for 25 years. Mr. Rubenstein started his career as an assistant prosecutor with Hamilton County. There, he worked in the Appellate Division, handling criminal appeals in the First Appellate District, and the Ohio Supreme Court. He would later serve in the intake division, where he participated in running the Hamilton County Grand Jury–presenting hundreds of cases for consideration. Finally, Mr. Rubenstein was promoted to the felony trial division, where he litigated a multitude of cases including murder, violent crimes, sex crimes, narcotic crimes, white-collar crimes, and theft crimes.
Mr. Rubenstein left the prosecutor’s office and joined his father, Jack C. Rubenstein, in Jack’s criminal defense practice. Scott worked with Jack until Jack retired at the end of 2017–after fifty years of serving the community. Scott’s practice has focused exclusively on criminal defense ever since he made the transition into private practice. Scott has extensive experience defending cases in the state courts of Southwest Ohio, and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Scott received his BA degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1995. He received his JD law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1999. Scott was admitted to the State Bar of Ohio in 1999 and to the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio in 2000. He was admitted to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2003, and to the Supreme Court of the United States in the same year.
Scott is honored to be selected to serve the Ohio Labor Counsel–Protecting the Protectors. He cherishes every opportunity to assist those in need.
John Sauter is an attorney at Doll, Jansen & Ford in Dayton, Ohio. His legal practice is primarily focused on representing labor unions and their members, including law enforcement officers, in litigation, arbitration, negotiation, and appellate advocacy.
He is a graduate of Capital University Law School. His prior work experience includes the union-side labor law firm of Cloppert, Latanick, Sauter & Washburn in Columbus, Ohio and Eufinger Law Office in Marysville, Ohio. John has prior legal-related employment experience with the Office of the Ohio Attorney General and the Office of the Ohio Secretary of State.
John is a member of the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance and the Ohio Public Employees Lawyers Association. He is licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio, the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
He gives frequent presentations on a variety of legal topics, including labor and employment law, legal ethics and regulatory compliance.
John is a graduate of Miami University and currently resides with his wife and daughter in Troy, Ohio.
Bob Sauter is a founding partner of Cloppert, Latanick, Sauter & Washburn, and practices primarily in the area of public sector labor. Bob has represented clients as counsel in several cases before the Ohio Supreme Court involving the Ohio Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (issues involving strikes, appropriate topics of bargaining, constitutionality of interest arbitration for strike-prohibited employees, and unfair labor practice charges) and public records issues.
Bob has extensive experience representing law enforcement officers involved in critical incidents and officer-involved shootings. Bob is familiar in navigating the complexities of such cases. He is adept at handling the intense scrutiny and legal challenges that arise, providing essential legal counsel and defense. He understands the unique pressures faced by officers in these situations and works diligently to ensure the officers’ rights are protected throughout the investigative and legal processes.
Paul was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. He received his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law in 2020. During his time in law school, Paul volunteered with Akron Law’s expungement clinic, helping previously convicted community members clear their records for a fresh start. He also volunteered regularly at the Peter Maurin Center Food Pantry, serving food and coffee and distributing clothing and toiletries to Akron’s unhoused population. His legal practice focuses primarily on criminal defense representation.
Paul’s educational background includes an Associate degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, both from the University of Akron. Paul has devoted his life to serving both his local community and the country at large. While serving six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, Paul was activated for Operation Desert Storm.
Before earning his Juris Doctor, Paul spent twenty-seven years with the Akron Police Department, with a large portion of this time being assigned to the Detective Bureau, U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, and Uniform Patrol Division. During his time with the police department, Paul was a proud supporter of labor unions as a member of the Fraternal Order of Police.
In 1999, The Akron Police Department awarded Paul the Russ Long Officer of the Year Award. Each year, this award is presented to an officer who displays the characteristics that made Russ Long an outstanding officer.
In 2006, Paul was awarded the United States Marshal’s Service Task Force Officer of the Year award. This prominent/esteemed award is given to an individual from a law enforcement agency that works closely with the United States Marshal’s Service in investigating cases and apprehending suspects. The award criteria include, but are not limited to, the officer’s dedication, outstanding duty, professionalism, number of open and closed cases, and willingness to assist younger task force members. Several hundred names were submitted to the District Office, and of these names, Akron Police Officer Paul Siegferth, Jr. was chosen as the first recipient. Akron Police Department, 2006 Annual Report (2007).
A few of Paul’s recreational and personal achievements include finishing numerous marathons, ultramarathons, and triathlons.
Paul is a member of the Portage County, and State of Ohio Bar Associations.