Hamilton County abruptly fires lawyer who has negotiated with Bengals for 28 years

Yes, the negotiations between Hamilton County and the Bengals are going swimmingly.

May 16, 2025 - 21:08

Hamilton County abruptly fires lawyer who has negotiated with Bengals for 28 years

Yes, the negotiations between Hamilton County and the Bengals are going swimmingly.

They're going so well that Hamilton County has abruptly fired the lawyer who has handled talks with the local NFL and MLB teams (and other matters) for 28 years.

Via Erin Glynn of the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Hamilton County Commissioner voted unanimously on Thursday to terminate Tom Gabelman and his firm, Frost Brown Todd (yes, that sounds like a very British dessert).

From the termination letter: "The board and the prosecuting attorney agree that services provided by another law firm would be beneficial to the board in representation of the board in matters dealing with the lease agreement with the Cincinnati Bengals, Inc."

Gabelman said the firing of him and his firm was "completely unexpected."

It's a major financial blown for Frost Brown Todd. In 2019, Gabelman estimated that his firms had received $21 million in fees from its work for Hamilton County over the prior two decades.

Actually, the change could help push things forward. Something has kept Hamilton County and the Bengals from reaching agreement on a new long-term lease. And while the two sides recently struck a deal for short-term renovations to Paycor Stadium, June 30 continues to hover over the relationship.

That's the team's deadline for exercising an option to extend the current lease. If the Bengals don't extend the lease, it expires after the 2025 season.