Leah Pappas Porner

Practice Areas

Government Relations and Legislation

Public Law

Federal Government Contract and Agency Regulation

Federal Government Relations and Policy

Information Technology Law

Public/Private Partnership Law

State Government Relations and Policy

Career

Partner-in-Charge of Calfee's Columbus and Washington D.C. offices, Leah Pappas Porner also serves as Chair of the firm's Government Relations and Legislation practice group. She works closely with clients to develop effective government relations strategies, and she regularly advises clients on legislative, executive agency and regulatory matters.

Leah has extensive experience leading and defending legislative efforts, including building coalitions and working with stakeholders and trade associations. She has counseled clients regarding issues affecting higher education, Medicaid, utility, charter school, banking, environmental, gaming, technology and housing industries as well as tort reform and civil procedure reform.

Leah has been a well-regarded lobbyist in Ohio since the early 1990s. She has been recognized for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© for Government Relations (2013-2023). In 2023 and in 2014, Leah was named "Lawyer of the Year" in Government Relations (Columbus, Ohio) by Best Lawyers. She also was named one of the “Most Effective Law Firm Lobbyists” by Opinion Strategies Inc.

Currently, she enjoys serving on the COSI Board of Trustees and on the Capital Square Foundation Board. She was selected by Ohio Governor DeWine as a Founding Board Member of the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library.

Leah served as Assistant Deputy Legal Counsel for Ohio’s governor from 1992 to 1995, and she was the Director of Special Counsel for the Ohio Attorney General from 1995 to 1999.

She began her tenure with Calfee in 1999, and was elected Partner in 2002. Leah was elected to the firm’s Executive Committee in 2009 and the Management Committee in 2011. She was named Partner-in-Charge of the Columbus office in 2012.

Professional Memberships

COSI, Board of Trustees

Capitol Square Foundation Board, Trustee

Calfee Women LEAD, Committee Chair

Bipartisan Judicial Advisory Commission, Member

Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library, Board of Trustees

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Ohio

Education