Michael E.
Cicero
Member, Management Committee
Mike Cicero has spent his entire career practicing at the local, state and federal levels across all areas of public sector law, including civil and criminal trial and appellate litigation, Section 1983 civil rights defense, and planning and zoning.
Mike has been a municipal law director and/or prosecutor over his 30-plus year career and currently serves as the law director/prosecutor for the Village of Hunting Valley, the assistant law director/prosecutor for the City of University Heights, the assistant law director/assistant prosecutor for the City of South Euclid, assistant solicitor/housing prosecutor for the Village of Newburgh Heights, and the prosecutor for the City of Richmond Heights, the Village of Gates Mills and Mayfield Village. For almost 25 years, Mike has served as legal counsel for the Northern Ohio Risk Management Agency (NORMA), a municipal self-insurance pool composed of 11 municipalities.
Mike also represents businesses, handling commercial trial and appellate litigation as well as corporate real estate transactions and related matters.
Principal practice areas
- Public sector law - civil and prosecutorial
- Business law
- Real estate law
- Planning, zoning and development
- General civil litigation
- Trial and appellate litigation
Representative experience
- Representation of municipalities in both litigation and nonlitigation matters, including preparation of legislation, policy and legal opinions for mayors, councils, department heads and committees
- Counseling for municipalities on day-to-day administrative affairs, including planning and zoning issues, urban redevelopment, telecommunications regulation, negotiation of cable television franchises, public sector labor and other procedural and substantive issues
- Sections 1983 and 1985 civil rights defense, especially law enforcement liability and employment matters
- Public sector tort litigation
- Real property litigation
- Contract disputes
- Commercial and residential property leasing and purchase agreements
- Commercial and residential property use, and development and redevelopment issues, including administrative proceedings and litigation involving zoning matters
- Land appropriation proceedings
- Liquor license issues
Bar admissions
Career and education
- Prosecutor, South Euclid (2016-present); legal counsel (1998-2003)
- Prosecutor, Richmond Heights (2014, 2016-present)
- Prosecutor, Mayfield Village (2013-present); assistant prosecutor (1998-2013)
- Prosecutor, Gates Mills (2014-present); assistant prosecutor (1998-2013)
- Prosecutor, Hunting Valley (2008-present); assistant prosecutor (1998-2007)
- Legal counsel, NORMA
- Assistant legal advisor, SPAN
- Prosecutor, Lyndhurst (2014-2015); assistant prosecutor (2007-2013)
- Assistant prosecutor, Bedford (1992-1997)
- Assistant prosecutor, Highland Hills (1992-1997)
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University (JD, 1991)
- Miami University (BS, mass communications, 1987)
Professional and civic activities
- Member, Ohio State Bar Association
- Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Member, Cuyahoga County Police Chiefs Association
- Member, Northeast Ohio Municipal Prosecutors Association
- Member, Cuyahoga County Mental Health Court Initiative, Suburban Courts Section
- Life member, Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District
- Past president and member, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Board of Education
- Past member, University Heights Memorial Day Parade Committee
Publications and interviews
- Author, 'Drunk-Driving Laws Tightened,' NGC Legal Insights (Spring 2017)
- Author, 'Preventing Credit Card Skimming,' NGC Legal Insights (Spring 2016)
- Source, 'Are Car Insurers Gouging Us over Speeding Tickets?,' dailyfinance.com (April 17, 2014)
- Quoted, 'Getting Busted for These 5 Traffic Violations Will Wreck Your Budget,' gobankingrates.com (December 2013)
- Quoted, 'Is It Worthwhile to Hire a Lawyer to Fight Traffic Tickets?,” autoinsurancecenter.com (August 2013)
- Author, 'Ohio in the Fast Lane,' NGC Legal Insights (Summer 2013)
- Quoted, “Are Distracted Driving Laws Preventing Accidents?,” www.eLocal.com (March 15, 2013)
- Quoted, 'InsuranceQuotes.com Survey: One-Fourth of Adult Drivers Have Gotten Traffic Tickets in Past 5 Years,' www.InsuranceQuotes.com (February 2013)
- Author, 'Ohio Liberalizes Sealing of Convictions,' NGC Legal Insights (Winter 2012-2013)
- Author, 'When Is Weaving Not Weaving?,' NGC Legal Insights (Winter 2012-2013)
- Quoted, 'Texting-While-Driving Ban Goes into Effect Today across Ohio,' The News-Herald (Aug. 31, 2012)
- Quoted, 'Ohio Texting While Driving Ban in Effect,' WKYC-TV Channel 3 (Aug. 31, 2012)
- Author, 'Ohio Cracks Down on Distracted Driving,' NGC Legal Insights (Summer 2012)
Speaking engagements
- Featured lecturer, 'Modern Building and Housing Prosecutions,' Northeast Ohio Municipal Prosecutors' Association (April 2024)
- Featured lecturer, 'OVI Law Update, Concealed Handgun Laws, Traffic, and Search and Seizure Updates,' Suburban Police Anti-Crime Network (February 2017 - April 2017)
- Featured lecturer, 'OVI Law Update, Concealed Handgun Laws, Traffic, and Search and Seizure Updates,' Valley Enforcement Group (February 2017 - April 2017)
- Guest lecturer, 'Current Developments in Drunk Driving Law,' Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association seminar (November 2015)
- Instructor on laws and regulations, classes for Ohioans seeking licenses to carry concealed weapons (2013-2014)
- Featured lecturer, 'OVI Law Update,' CLE, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University (December 2013)
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