AttorneyAl Gerhardstein
Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA
441 Vine Street, Suite 3400, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202
Cincinnati's Civil Rights Champion
Al Gerhardstein is one of Ohio's most prominent civil rights attorneys, with over four decades of experience litigating cases against law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, and government entities. Based in Cincinnati, he has built a national reputation for holding police departments and public officials accountable for unconstitutional conduct, excessive force, and systemic civil rights violations. His work has shaped civil rights law not only in Ohio but across the country through landmark federal court decisions.
Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA has been at the forefront of some of the most significant civil rights battles in the greater Cincinnati region, including cases arising from the Cincinnati police shootings of Black men in the late 1990s and early 2000s that sparked widespread civil unrest. He served as lead counsel in the groundbreaking 2002 class-action lawsuit against the City of Cincinnati, resulting in a $4.5 million settlement and the creation of the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement — a nationally cited model for police reform. In 2016, he led the legal effort on behalf of the Estate of Sam DuBose against University of Cincinnati officer Ray Tensing, securing a $4.85 million settlement that included an apology, a university tuition and fee waiver for 12 of DuBose's children, a campus memorial, and a commitment to ongoing police reform.
Beyond police misconduct, Gerhardstein has litigated extensively on behalf of prisoners subjected to inhumane conditions, individuals with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals in landmark marriage equality cases. His record includes a $3.75 million settlement in Culberson v. Doan — which produced sweeping regional reforms for the protection of battered women — and an $8 million class-action recovery in Chesher v. Neyer against the Hamilton County Coroner's office. He has represented clients in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and has argued cases that have produced enduring precedents in civil rights law.
Recognized by peers and civil rights organizations alike, Gerhardstein has received numerous honors for his decades of advocacy. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been consistently listed among Ohio's top attorneys. His firm continues to accept cases involving police brutality, wrongful death, false arrest, and other civil rights violations throughout Ohio and the Sixth Circuit.
Notable Results
- $4.85 million settlement in Estate of Sam DuBose v. Tensing (2016) against officer and University of Cincinnati for excessive force, plus apology, tuition/fee waiver for 12 children, campus memorial, and police reform participation
- $4.5 million payment and landmark Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement reforms from 2002 class-action lawsuit on Cincinnati policing (In re Cincinnati Policing, 209 F.R.D. 395 (S.D. OH. 2002)), cited as a national model for police reform
- $3 million settlement (2015) for David Nall, permanently injured by a Painesville, Ohio officer abusing his taser (with attorney David Malik)
- $2.25 million settlement (2017) for the family of Tanisha Anderson of Cleveland (with attorney David Malik)
- $2.25 million (1995) for a taser victim who suffered permanent brain injury (In Re: Northeast Ohio Correctional Center, N.D. OH, Case No. 4:97-CV-1995)
- $3.75 million settlement (1999) for the family of Carrie Culberson based on police failure to recover her remains following her murder (Culberson v. Doan), with extensive regional reforms protecting battered women
- $8 million class-action settlement (2002) in Chesher v. Neyer against the Hamilton County Coroner for permitting a commercial photographer to manipulate and pose bodies of deceased individuals
- Successfully litigated federal civil rights claims resulting in substantial recoveries for families of individuals killed by law enforcement in the Sixth Circuit
- Obtained significant verdicts and settlements in prisoner rights cases involving unconstitutional conditions of confinement in Ohio correctional facilities
- Negotiated a landmark Collaborative Agreement with the City of Cincinnati following a series of fatal police shootings, resulting in systemic reforms to Cincinnati Police Department policies and practices
- Secured a $3.75 million settlement in a police failure case that also produced sweeping regional reforms for the protection of battered women
Key Characteristics
- Litigated civil rights cases against law enforcement and government entities for over four decades, establishing him as one of Ohio's most experienced and respected civil rights attorneys.
- He played a pivotal role in negotiating the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement, a nationally recognized police reform model developed in response to a pattern of fatal police shootings of Black men by Cincinnati officers.
- He has secured landmark precedents in prisoner rights litigation, representing incarcerated individuals subjected to inhumane conditions and violations of their constitutional rights by state correctional authorities.
- Gerhardstein is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, reflecting peer recognition of his exceptional trial skills and long-standing contributions to civil rights law.
- His firm, Gerhardstein & Branch Co. LPA, continues to represent clients in police misconduct, wrongful death, false arrest, and excessive force cases throughout Ohio and the broader Sixth Circuit region.
- Served as lead counsel on the Cincinnati Collaborative Agreement class-action lawsuit, producing a nationally cited model for police reform
- Consistently pursues systemic institutional reforms alongside financial recoveries, resulting in lasting changes to policing and government practices
- Demonstrates a track record of holding law enforcement and government entities accountable across Ohio through both individual and class-action civil rights litigation