Attorney Emily Hete has been practicing in the area of Surrogacy since 2000. Her office litigated the J.F. vs. D.B. case – the only Ohio Supreme Court case dealing with surrogacy. She also litigated the case of S.N. v. M.B. in the 10th district of Ohio (Columbus), further establishing case law that assists both the surrogates and intended parents.
Attorney Hete has also presented the topic of Assisted Reproductive Technology (Surrogacy) for the Ohio State Bar Association. [link to outline]
Attorney Hete was born and raised in Parma, Ohio. She attended St. Columbkille elementary school and is a 1989 graduate of Padua Fransican High School. She went on to attend the University of Akron for her freshman year.
Her sophomore year of college was spent at the University of Wolverhampton in Wolverhampton, England studying business and law. While there, she was able to travel throughout much of Europe and obtained a great appreciation for many cultures.
Attorney Hete completed her undergraduate education at The University of Akron in December of 1993, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science and an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice, both with honors.
While completing her education at the University of Akron, Attorney Hete worked for the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office as a secretary. She spent time in the Criminal, Civil and Juvenile Divisions. She was then hired as a Law Clerk to the Summit County Juvenile Court Judge, and continued that position through two administrations.
Attorney Hete entered the University of Akron School of Law in 1994. While receiving her legal education, she worked as a law clerk for the firm of Blakemore, Meeker, Varian, Looney and Bowler.
She received her Juris Doctor degree in May of 1997 and was admitted to the Ohio Bar in November 1997. She immediately entered private practice. She has been a part of the independent association of Henshaw & Hete since 1998.
In 2002, Attorney Hete received an appointment as Special Counsel to the Ohio Attorney General, working for the University of Akron, while still maintaining her private practice.
Since the year 2000 Attorney Hete has devoted much of her time and attention to developing a practice with surrogacy as a primary area of practice. She has successfully represented numerous individuals and couples in surrogacy matters, and has developed protocol for accomplishing pre-birth and/or post-birth orders in several Ohio counties. She successfully litigated a contested surrogacy case in Franklin County and the 10th District Court of Appeals, establishing new law for the State of Ohio with regard to non-biological/intended parents. She is always willing to approach new counties with the prospect of bringing surrogacy to their dockets and is one of very few Ohio attorneys with successful contested litigation experience in surrogacy.
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Night and weekend hours may be arranged by appointment. Attorney Hete offers a ½ hour consultation free of charge and is happy to answer questions by phone or email.