“I have tried from the very beginning to build long-term relationships with my clients and the people I work with, based on trustworthiness, honesty and transparency,” he says. “I’m kind of an old-fashioned guy when it comes to relationships. They’re the most important, most fulfilling aspect of what I do. I try to put myself in my clients’ shoes and constantly think about what they would want if they were hiring me. I have been fortunate enough to develop a good base of clients, many of whom I consider friends. And I always try to provide the best possible legal services and results.”
His emphasis on establishing long-term relationships based on transparency, trustworthiness and honesty carries through to his connections outside his legal practice.
Hornbach, a Cincinnati native and graduate of LaSalle High School, also possesses a lifelong passion for education – both of his parents were teachers – and a keen competitive edge sharpened by years playing high school and collegiate sports. “I was an athlete growing up, and I played baseball in college,” he recalls. “My love of competitive sports is one of the reasons why I became a litigator. I always knew I wanted to go to law school, and the things that got me there were the traditional values that go with competitive sports.” Hard work. Determination. Competitiveness amid dealing with adversity. “Those are the things that drive me as a litigator. I try to compete, win and get the best outcomes that I possibly can for my clients.”
Finding Balance Outside of the Law
Hornbach constantly strives to hit the best work-home life balance possible. Outside of his successful law career, he enjoys spending time with his family and giving back to his community. His penchant for education and his laser focus on relationships shines through in all his endeavors.
His involvement in sports these days may extend only as far as teaching his four children – triplets (two daughters and a son) who turn 4 years old in October, and his oldest son, 5 – beginning baseball basics, but as one might imagine, his plate at home is full. Nevertheless, he also makes time for serving as a member of the governing board of the Hamilton County River City Correctional Center, one of 18 Community Based Correctional Facilities (CBCF) currently operating in Ohio. The center’s mission is to rehabilitate non-violent first-time felony offenders, offering a variety of services such as chemical dependency treatment, remedial education and employment assistance to help residents become contributing members of society.
“Their emphasis is to educate them and get them working, providing structure, so that when they get out, they have something they can rely on, and they’re not just recycled through the justice system,” says Hornbach. “The big draw for me to become involved with the center was the education piece, and it’s what separates the facility from other similar facilities. River City does difficult, but good work.”
Hornbach also serves on the LaSalle High School Board of Limited Jurisdiction, which is responsible for governing and overseeing LaSalle in conjunction with the Archdiocese. “I had a great experience at LaSalle, and I attribute a large part of where I am today to the education I received there. It’s a way to keep improving and moving LaSalle forward, to give back, and I think that’s important.”
Hornbach, a 2004 graduate of Butler University, summered at Thompson Hine after his second year at Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis (now Robert H. McKinney School of Law) where he graduated summa cum laude in 2007. “You hear a lot about big law firms, but I learned really quick, regardless if it’s a big law firm or not, it’s about the people who work there,” he says. “It has been an excellent fit for me at Thompson Hine from the beginning. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the finest litigators in their respective fields, and it has made me a better attorney.”
Thompson Hine is located at 312 Walnut St, 14th Floor, Cincinnati, OH 45202. For more information, visit www.thompsonhine.com.