Biography

Jim McGraw is a Senior Corporate Partner at Keating Muething & Klekamp. His background is centered in business development, public utilities, insurance and healthcare organizations. His clients include national and international companies in real estate, finance, health care, manufacturing and technology. He has been actively involved in business transaction and related client consulting for 45 years.

Jim focuses on business formation and transactions, acquisitions and divestitures, along with a variety of related strategic work for clients which include corporate growth strategies, organizational design, leadership development, capital formation, public/private partnerships, infrastructure development, strategic planning and implementation of programs to attract, retain and develop businesses.

As part of Jim's responsibilities he is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of KMK Consulting Company LLC, a national Economic Development firm assisting companies in structuring their growth strategies with primary focus on negotiating State and local government incentives, grants, tax credits, and related public finance programs generating significant financial benefits to their client projects across the United States.

Jim has been a nationally recognized economic development consultant for over 40 years during which time he has negotiated numerous creative government incentive packages for Fortune 100 companies to small private companies and entrepreneurs.  He has also developed business growth strategies for numerous cities and regions across the US to position them to be competitive and successful. Although Ohio represents much of Jim’s work, he has led client deals across 34 states and 120 cities. Some of Ohio’s most aggressive incentive packages carry the KMK Consulting name. Jim recently completed a significant public company project encompassing a $640 Million investment, 2.1 million square feet, and 1,000 new jobs in the Charlotte region. Most recently, Jim and his team announced two major corporate office projects in the Cincinnati market representing 3,000 jobs and $240 Million in payroll.

Previously, Jim was Regulatory Trial Counsel for the Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. (Duke Energy), and served four years on active duty as Chief of Civil Law with the U.S. Air Force J.A.G. at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. 

Professional and Community Involvement

CURRENT

Cincinnati Bar Association

Kentucky Bar Association

Ohio State Bar Association

Bon Secours Mercy Health, Cincinnati Region, Board of Trustees

Mayfield Education and Research Foundation (MERF), Board of Trustees

Brandon C. Gromada Head & Neck Cancer Foundation, Board Member

NCH Healthcare System Philanthropy Committee, Naples, FL

NCH Healthcare System, The Campaign to Transform NCH, Campaign Cabinet

Catholic Community Foundation of Central and Southwest Ohio, Board of Trustees

Queen City Angels

PAST

International Economic Development Council

Urban Land Institute

Irish Angels

American Bar Association

Agenda 360, Co-Chair, Economic Competitiveness

BIO/START, Board of Directors

Cincinnati Regional Tourism Network, Board of Directors

Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Chair, Board of Directors, Nominating Committee, Executive Committee

Cincinnati USA Partnership, Governing Board, 2004-2008

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Aviation Committee

Athenaeum of Ohio, Advisory Board; Co-Chair, Estates & Trusts Committee

Cincinnati Reds Community Fund, Founding Trustee, Advisory Council

Greater Cincinnati United Way, Tocqueville Cabinet

Mercy Health Partners Foundation, Inc., Trustee, Chair, Nominating and Governance Committee, 2003-2009

Multiple Sclerosis Society, Ohio Valley Chapter, Trustee, 1994-2006; Major Gifts Committee; Dinner of Champions Co-Chair

National Advisory Board for Executive Education at the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza School of Business

GIGOT Center, Notre Dame, National Business Plan Competition, Judge and Mentor

Notre Dame Law Association, Member

Ursuline Academy of Cincinnati, Trustee, 1991-2004

Regional Business Alliance of Southwest Florida, Inc.

St. Vincent DePaul Society, Steering Committee

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Advisory Council

DePaul Cristo Rey High School, Development Committee Chair

Downtown Cincinnati, Inc., Board of Directors

City of Cincinnati, Job Creation Committee

Awards & Recognition

AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated for 25 Years, Martindale-Hubbell

Named to the Cincinnati Power 100, Cincy Magazine, 2020-2024

Economic Development Services Expert of the Year in the USA – Leaders in Law, 2022 and 2023 Global Awards

Named Top 100 Attorneys of Influence in the U.S., Business Journals, 2018

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law and Economic Development, 2017-2025

Named to Ohio Leading Lawyers, 2024

Named Ohio Super Lawyer, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013

Voices of Giving Award, Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council, 2014

Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Notre Dame, 2003

  • Best Lawyers (Don't Delete)
  • Peer Review (Don't Delete)

News & Resources

Speaking Engagements

  • ACA "Best of the Midwest Regional Meeting,
  • KMK Law - 14th Floor DPK Conference Center,
  • Corporate Welfare or Corporate Leadership? How Companies Grow Their Communities While Earning Millions in Cost Savings
    ALFA International - Scottsdale Conference,
  • Urban Redevelopment Leadership and Solutions Keynote Speech
    Springfield Ohio Community Foundation Annual Dinner,
  • The Competitive World of Economic Development Incentives
    KMK Legal Update,
  • The Competitive World of Economic Development Incentives: Growing Jobs, Attracting Talent, and Winning Your Business
    KMK Law Legal Update Seminar,
  • Organizing Leaders to Compete for Job Growth in Southeast Indiana
    Dearborn County Leadership Forum, Ivy Tech,
  • The METS Center Conference,
  • Making Leadership Your Community’s Number One Competitive Advantage
    North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Leadership Retreat,
  • 2014 Tulsa Future’s Annual Meeting, CEO Leadership Influence In Driving Major Business Recruitment Projects And Their Creative Incentive Packages
  • 2014 American Chamber of Commerce Executives Annual Conference, Community Economic Development Professionals Uniting As Best Of Class Sales Teams To Win More Deals

Admissions

  • Ohio
  • Kentucky
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Military Appeals

Education

J.D., University of Akron School of Law, 1974, Editor, Law Review

B.B.A., University of Notre Dame, 1971

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