Sean P. Byrne
Practice Areas
Education
- University of Michigan Law School, J.D., 1996
- University of Richmond, B.A., 1994
Bar & Court Admissions
Sean is of counsel in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the probate and tax group. He counsels clients on utilizing tax credits, economic development incentives, abatements, economic development financing mechanisms, public-private partnerships and special economic development entities to assist in the development and redevelopment of property and the creation of jobs and economic growth.
Prior to joining Vorys, Sean worked as the legal counsel and ethics officer at the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA). In this role, he helped oversee the department’s $1 billion economic and community development funds. Sean also routinely counseled ODSA leadership on business and legal issues related to loans, grants, tax credits and ethics. Before joining ODSA, Sean spent five years serving as president and general counsel of a private equity firm/family office. In this role, he provided legal counsel throughout the United States on real estate and development projects including hotels, data centers and multiple residential projects. Sean also spent nine years working at large national law firms and assisting clients on real estate and corporate matters.
Outside of his legal practice, Sean has spent more than five years as a director of Professional Bank in Coral Gables, FL.
Sean received his J.D. from University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from the University of Richmond.
Professional and Community Activities
- North Star Reach, Board of Directors, 2013-2015, Board Chair, 2014
- Professional Bank, Board of Directors, 2008-2013
- Flying Horse Farms, Board of Directors, 2006-2011, Secretary, 2006-2010
News
- 9/4/2019Sean Byrne – the former chief legal counsel and ethics officer at the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA) – has joined Vorys’ economic development incentives practice.
Events
- 4/16/2020The fifth installment of Vorys' multi-disciplinary webinar series on the various business and legal implications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) took place on Thursday, April 16, 2020.
- 2/21/2020Vorys hosted its fifth annual Economic Development Incentives Conference on February 21, 2020.
Insights
- 5/5/2020JobsOhio, the private nonprofit economic development organization in Ohio, is developing a new initiative named the Ohio Site Inventory Program (OSIP).
- 4/8/2020The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted both our health and our economy. JobsOhio and ODSA are helping businesses cope.
- 3/30/2020On Friday, March 27th, Governor DeWine signed House Bill 197 (H.B. 197), which enacts several provisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the provisions, the new law permits the use of electronic communications in lieu of in-person meetings during the emergency declared by the Governor’s Executive Order 2020-01D (but not beyond December 1, 2020).
- 3/23/2020In this time of broad government actions due to a declared pandemic emergency, it is important to examine your incentive agreements to understand the potential risks your company faces if your company is unable to perform key obligations.
- Winter 2020This is the final installment of a two-part series covering the top 10 key points for professionals to understand about Opportunity Zones (OZs).
- Winter 2020We welcomed in February more than 300 guests at Vorys’ fifth annual Economic Development Incentives Conference – again making it the nation’s largest conference focused solely on economic development incentives.
- Fall 2019In this two-part series, we’ll cover the top 10 key points for tax professionals to understand about Opportunity Zones (OZs).