Farris, William M.J.

Since joining Jones Day, Randy has practiced in the general real estate area and related litigation, particularly in the areas of land use controls, variance application procedures, rezoning applications, and the challenge of existing zoning provisions, subdivision approvals, state and local building code permit applications, and appeals. He also is involved in the prosecution and defense of eminent domain litigation.

He also has been active in assisting clients with tax increment financing projects and other tax incentive programs, including job creation tax credits, enterprise zone tax abatements, and special assessment projects.

He assisted the Firm in negotiating its own contract for telecommunications services. Included in the agreement were voice and data services to connect Jones Day's domestic and international offices through a wide area network. He also assisted in negotiating contract terms for the lease of telecommunications facilities to be used in the Firm's U.S. offices.

In addition, he has assisted clients in negotiating contracts for the purchase or lease of telephone systems, for private virtual network services, and for the purchase and sale of data processing services for medical facilities.

While with the City of Akron Law Department, Randy had primary responsibility for review of all the city's contracts from 1974 through 1980 and has experience in preparing, enforcing, and litigating municipal bid specifications. He was involved in economic development activities for the city, including the negotiation and drafting of tax increment financing documents and the assembly of land for urban renewal projects, including appropriation litigation. He was an adviser to several quasi-public development entities and served on the board of the Akron Small Business Development Corporation and on the Downtown Akron Foundation. He was involved in all phases of municipal zoning, including drafting zoning provisions; declaratory judgment litigation; judicial review of administrative zoning decisions; and the drafting, interpretation, and enforcement of conditional zoning ordinances. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Akron Bar Association.