Critchfield, Critchfield and Johnston, Ltd.

What Critchfield, Critchfield and Johnston, Ltd. does

Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd. is a privately held, full-service regional law firm founded in 1865 and headquartered in Wooster, Ohio. With more than 100 attorneys and staff across five offices in Wooster, Millersburg, Medina, Mount Vernon, and Ashland, the firm serves individuals, families, and small-to-mid-sized businesses throughout Northeast and North Central Ohio. The firm holds a diversified practice spanning at least 14 areas, including banking and finance, construction, corporate and business, education, elder law, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), employment and labor, ERISA, estate planning/probate/trust administration, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, non-profits, and real estate.

The firm monetizes through traditional hourly professional services billing, with initial estate planning consultations charged at the attorney's standard hourly rate. Distribution is direct-to-client through its physical office network, a toll-free number, website intake forms, and a content-marketing program that includes legal updates, client alerts, and employer training events. There are no technology products or SaaS components; the underlying "technology" is professional legal expertise, including Ohio State Bar Association certified specialists and Certified Elder Law Attorneys. The firm also operates Heartland Title Agency, a wholly owned affiliated title insurance and escrow business that supports real estate transactions for its clients.

The client base is broad and horizontally segmented across SMBs, individuals/families, higher education institutions (Ashland University, College of Wooster, Mount Vernon Nazarene University), and banks/financial institutions (Apple Creek Banking Co.). The firm supplements client legal services with a Workplace Foundations Training Program for employer compliance education and has been continuously recognized in U.S. News & World Report's Best Law Firms rankings from 2023 through 2026. No external institutional investors, venture capital, or private equity ownership is disclosed; the firm is governed by its Members under Managing Member Amy L. Demlow.

Name

Critchfield, Critchfield and Johnston, Ltd.

Legal name

Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd.

Website

https://ccj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd. is a privately held Ohio regional law firm founded in 1865, with 100+ attorneys and staff across five offices serving individuals, families, small-to-mid-sized businesses, and institutions in Northeast and North Central Ohio through 14+ practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wooster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Hourly Billing: The firm provides comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas including banking, construction, corporate, elder law, employment, estate planning, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, non-profits, and real estate. Billing is based on attorney time, with initial estate planning consultations at standard hourly rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd. is a full-service Ohio law firm providing legal counsel across 14 practice areas — including banking and finance, construction, corporate and business, education, elder law, employment and labor, ERISA, estate planning/probate/trust administration, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, non-profits, and real estate — to individual clients, family-owned businesses, mid-sized companies, banks, and colleges/universities across Northeast and North Central Ohio. Services are billed on an hourly basis through five regional offices, and the firm also operates an affiliated title insurance agency and a Workplace Foundations training program.

Product overview

Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston, Ltd. is a full-service Ohio law firm offering a unified portfolio of legal services across multiple practice areas rather than a technology product platform. The firm provides legal counsel through distinct practice area specializations including Banking and Finance, Construction, Corporate and Business, Education, Elder Law, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, Employment and Labor, ERISA and Employee Welfare Plans, Estate Planning/Probate/Trust Administration, Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Non-Profits, and Real Estate. The firm also offers a Workplace Foundations Training Program for employer compliance education and partners with Heartland Title Agency for title insurance services. With over 100 attorneys and staff across five Ohio offices, the firm serves clients from individuals to major international corporations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Banking and Finance Legal Services Legal counsel and representation for banks and financial institutions covering consumer and commercial lending, regulatory compliance with the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC, and transactional matters including acquisitions and mergers.
• Construction Law Services Multidisciplinary legal representation for construction industry clients including general contractors, construction managers, design-build firms, subcontractors, and developers covering contract drafting, mechanics' liens, financing, and litigation.
• Corporate and Business Legal Services Comprehensive business legal services including company formation, business planning, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, taxation, executive compensation, trademark and copyright matters, and contract drafting.
• Education Law Services Legal representation for colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts covering bond financing, board governance, employment matters, Title IX compliance, FERPA, and federal education law compliance.
• Elder Law Services Specialized legal services for seniors including Medicaid planning, long-term care asset protection, veterans' benefits (Aid and Attendance), guardianships, conservatorships, and estate planning; delivered by Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) specialists.
• Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) Legal Services Legal guidance for businesses establishing and managing ESOPs, including plan design, structuring, implementation, IRS compliance, and ESOP loan documentation.
• Employment and Labor Legal Services Employment law counseling and litigation for employers covering wrongful termination, discrimination charges, wage and hour matters, FMLA, OSHA representation, workers' compensation, and workplace policy/training programs.
• ERISA and Employee Welfare Plans Legal Services Legal counsel on employee benefits including fiduciary duties, plan formation, compliance with IRS and DOL, retirement plans, executive compensation programs, and collectively bargained benefit plans.
• Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Administration Estate planning, trust administration, and probate services including wills, trusts, business succession planning, charitable planning, guardianships, and fiduciary representation; delivered by Ohio State Bar Association certified specialists in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Initial one-hour consultations are scheduled at the attorney's standard hourly rate.
• Litigation Services Full-service litigation representation in state and federal courts, arbitration, and mediation covering commercial disputes, personal injury, construction claims, employment matters, and class actions.
• Mergers and Acquisitions Legal Services Legal counsel for M&A transactions including due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, and closing for businesses of various sizes.
• Non-Profits Legal Services Legal services for nonprofit organizations including formation, governance, compliance, and operational matters.
• Real Estate Legal Services Comprehensive real estate legal services including purchase, sale and leasing, development, finance, oil and gas mineral rights, title insurance, escrow, closing services, tax planning, zoning, and litigation.
• Workplace Foundations Training Program Customized workplace training programs covering employment law compliance, anti-discrimination, harassment prevention, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, and leadership development for managers and HR professionals.
• Heartland Title Agency (Affiliated) Title insurance and settlement services offered through the firm's affiliated company Heartland Title Agency for real estate transactions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Firm has served thousands of successful businesses and individuals over its 160+ year history

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Heartland Title AgencyminorOthersHeartland Title Agency is a separate but affiliated company that provides title insurance and escrow services. The firm links to Heartland Title Agency on its website, suggesting a referral relationship for real estate closing and title insurance services needed by the firm's clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP: Larger Cleveland-based full-service law firm with overlapping practice areas (corporate, banking, education, real estate, litigation). Comparable in service breadth but significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach than Critchfield.
• Thompson Hine LLP: Cleveland-headquartered full-service firm with deep Ohio roots and overlapping practices in business, real estate, employment, and litigation. Comparable as a multi-practice Ohio firm but at materially larger scale than Critchfield.
• Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP: Large Ohio-based full-service firm with offices throughout the state and nationwide. Overlaps Critchfield in banking, employment, M&A, estate planning, and real estate practice areas, but operates at substantially greater scale and scope.

Emerging players

• Jackson Lewis P.C. National law firm focused exclusively on employment and labor law, directly comparable to Critchfield's employment and labor practice. Specialty focus offers a point of differentiation but also signals the type of focused competitor a regional firm faces in its strongest practice area.

Direct peers

• Bricker & Eckler LLP: Ohio-based law firm with broad practice coverage across business, education law (a specialty Critchfield also serves universities), real estate, and litigation. Comparable as an Ohio-rooted multi-practice firm serving similar institutional and SMB clients.
• Roetzel & Andress LPA: Ohio-based full-service law firm with multiple offices and broad practice-area coverage including banking, corporate, employment, litigation, real estate, and estate planning. Directly comparable to Critchfield as a multi-practice Ohio regional firm serving businesses and individuals outside the largest metros.
• Kegler Brown Hill + Ritter: Columbus-headquartered Ohio full-service law firm with comparable practice breadth including business, real estate, employment, litigation, and estate planning. Similar mid-sized profile with strong regional Ohio presence and similar SMB/institutional client mix.

Regional players

• Wegman Hessler Valore LLP: Mid-sized Ohio-based full-service firm serving businesses and individuals with comparable practice area breadth (corporate, real estate, employment, litigation, estate). Comparable in scale and Ohio-centric regional orientation to Critchfield.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ccjlawfirm
• Facebookfacebook.com/critchfield-critchfield-johnston-ltd-168180099902045
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/critchfield-critchfield-and-johnston-ltd.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Critchfield, Critchfield and Johnston, Ltd.