John "Jack" Beatty: In Memoriam
Dinsmore lost an influential and enduring leader when John W. “Jack” Beatty passed away on January 20, 2023, at the age of 86. Beatty was known as a talented and detail-oriented litigator, beginning his career as a nuclear engineer before attending the University of Notre Dame Law School, where he graduated in 1965.
Dinsmore Managing Partner and Chairman, Josh Lorentz, called Beatty “a key architect of the firm. [He] helped create an enduring philosophy and structure of management that is transparent, democratic and client-focused.”
A former chair of the firm’s Litigation Department, Beatty’s tenure at the firm began in 1965 and lasted nearly 40 years, including a critical junction in the firm’s history when he was instrumental in developing a new, durable form of firm management - and shift in mindset - that continues to serve today as the cornerstone of a significantly larger Dinsmore.
“This [management] structure has worked for Dinsmore for over 40 years,” Former Managing Partner and Retired Of Counsel Cliff Roe reflected, “and has been a tool for growth by attracting many lateral partners and firms to become a part of what Dinsmore is today.”
Beatty’s influence within the firm was a result of his character and great commitment.
Former Dinsmore Managing Partner and Chairman, George Vincent, said of Beatty, “Jack had an excellent dry sense of humor. He loved being a lawyer, he loved Dinsmore and he took great pride in the Firm’s success, both when he was actively engaged in the practice and after he retired.”
Frank Woodside, Retired Of Counsel, also remembered Beatty as a mentor, guide, and friend. “Upon starting with the firm, I was mentored by Jack and worked on several cases with him. He was very instrumental in my early development as an attorney.”
Jack Beatty, (second from right) served as best man to Frank Woodside at the Hamilton County Courthouse on Friday, November 15, 1974, as Frank and Julie Woodside (nee Moses) were married before the Honorable Thomas Heekin (far right). (Photo courtesy of Frank Woodside.)
That mentorship would quickly expand into a genuine friendship, with Beatty even serving as the best man at Woodside’s wedding in 1974.
Beyond Dinsmore, Beatty left an extensive legacy of work on behalf of some of Cincinnati’s most vibrant and vital arts and nonprofit organizations, including the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Art Academy, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts. He served on numerous boards, often in leadership roles, including time as Board Chair for the Art Museum, the Art Academy, Greater Cincinnati United Way and for Catholic Archdiocesan Social Services.