WE ARE Local Lawyers
Who Love Our Community
Our attorneys and entire staff are North Central Ohio natives who are active and ardent supporters of Mansfield and Richland County. You may have seen our “Heck Of A Play” shoutout for local high school athletes, one of the many events and organizations Heck & Stiffler, Ltd. sponsors and supports. Volunteer work and giving back is an important part of who we are. These are just some of the causes we actively support – whether in time, talents or treasure.
33 Forever, Inc. is a Mansfield-based mental health nonprofit created by Jeff and Donna Heck and their family and friends in 2019 after the loss of their oldest daughter to long term depression and other mental health struggles. The organization’s goal is to positively impact the lives of all those affected by depression, anxiety and their related disorders, including suicidal thoughts. The organization provides hope and help and promotes awareness, engages in advocacy, provides educational programming and resources, supports research efforts and establishes and encourages community support. Jeff and Donna presently serve as Board Chair and President respectively, of the organization.
However, the entire Heck & Stiffler team - lawyers, staff and families - have taken on the mission of 33 Forever and volunteer to promote its mission and its events. In addition, because of this work, our team truly understands the mental health challenges that life, and particularly traumatic life events, can bring. We believe this makes us even more effective advocates for you and your loved ones in your case and time of need.
Visit www.33forever.life to learn more or get help and resources.
In the same way, because of his experience with his own family, Jeff Heck has become a tireless advocate for suicide prevention efforts both locally and on a statewide basis. He joined the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Board of Directors in 2021 and currently also serves as the Board Treasurer and Executive Committee member.
OSPF is a nonprofit organization that works to prevent one of our most preventable causes of death: suicide. Its work includes reducing the stigma of suicide, promoting evidence-based prevention strategies, and raising awareness about suicide’s relationship to mental illness and substance use disorders, and other factors that contribute to suicide. OSPF’s community-based programs and best-practice resources are specifically designed to improve mental health across the state.
Visit www.ohiospf.org for more information or to get help and resources.
During each local high school football and basketball season, Heck & Stiffler sponsors a fun and unique way to recognize high school athletes for great performances. During local radio broadcasts of the “Game of the Week” on WMAN Radio, announcers pick a player who has a “Heck of A Play” during the game. That player is recognized for his or her outstanding performance during the broadcast and also receives a coupon for a Gionino’s Pizza, as well as receiving media and social media recognition and “shout outs” on the iHeart Radio and our law office social media. Over the last 10 years, our Firm has been able to recognize hundreds of male and female high school athletes and schools this way and the opportunity to feature some of accomplishments.
Visit our Facebook, Instagram and X pages during these sports seasons to see all of our recipients!
In addition, to local and statewide causes, our lawyers also strongly believe in being a part of improving the legal system and take leadership roles that way, too, both locally and statewide.
Both of our lawyers are long-time members of both local and state bar associations. Jeff Stiffler is the current President and Executive Committee member of the Richland County Bar Association. The RCBA is a professional organization comprised of attorneys who practice in Richland County, Ohio. Its purpose is to provide professional services to our members and provide referral services to the public seeking legal assistance.
Previously Jeff Heck served as the RCBA Secretary and Litigation Chair of its Certified Grievance Committee which fields complaints about local lawyers.
Visit www.richlandcountybarassociation.com for more information.
In the same way, because of his experience with his own family, Jeff Heck has become a tireless advocate for suicide prevention efforts both locally and on a statewide basis. He joined the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Board of Directors in 2021 and currently also serves as the Board Treasurer and Executive Committee member.
OSPF is a nonprofit organization that works to prevent one of our most preventable causes of death: suicide. Its work includes reducing the stigma of suicide, promoting evidence-based prevention strategies, and raising awareness about suicide’s relationship to mental illness and substance use disorders, and other factors that contribute to suicide. OSPF’s community-based programs and best-practice resources are specifically designed to improve mental health across the state.
Visit www.ohiospf.org for more information or to get help and resources.
33 Forever, Inc. is a Mansfield-based mental health nonprofit created by Jeff and Donna Heck and their family and friends in 2019 after the loss of their oldest daughter to long term depression and other mental health struggles. The organization’s goal is to positively impact the lives of all those affected by depression, anxiety and their related disorders, including suicidal thoughts. The organization provides hope and help and promotes awareness, engages in advocacy, provides educational programming and resources, supports research efforts and establishes and encourages community support. Jeff and Donna presently serve as Board Chair and President respectively, of the organization.
However, the entire Heck & Stiffler team - lawyers, staff and families - have taken on the mission of 33 Forever and volunteer to promote its mission and its events. In addition, because of this work, our team truly understands the mental health challenges that life, and particularly traumatic life events, can bring. We believe this makes us even more effective advocates for you and your loved ones in your case and time of need.
Visit www.33forever.life to learn more or get help and resources.
In addition to our lawyers being members of the Ohio State Bar Association, Jeff Heck was elected by his peers as a 22-year member of the Ohio State Bar Association's Council of Delegates. He has also served on numerous OSBA committees and task forces.
In 2017, he was honored as a Fellow of the Ohio State Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the OSBA and has given numerous presentations in high schools through the OSBF about practical legal issues to help educate the next generation. The OSBF promotes philanthropy among Ohio’s lawyers and encourages service to create a more just and equitable legal system for all Ohioans. As the largest Bar Foundation in the country, the OSBF gives grants and supports programs that address specific shortcomings in our legal system, honors the accomplishments of attorneys who give back to their communities, and brings together attorneys across the state who support the OSBF’s mission.
For more information, visit www.osbf.org
Virtually every day in our office, we see the tragic consequences of distracted driving. Unfortunately, many involve young people. Distracted driving now causes more teen crashes than drunk driving and nearly 60% of all teen crashes. Teen drivers are involved in fatal crashes at about three times the rate of any other age group.
Jeff Heck has taken that message out to many of our local schools, speaking to more than 1,000 local students and faculty as an official Volunteer Speaker with EndDD.org (End Distracted Driving), with no-cost classroom and school-wide interactive presentations to raise awareness of the problems.
For more on this program, visit www.enddd.org. To schedule Jeff to come to speak to your group (at no cost), contact our office.
Our team volunteers throughout our community in many other ways. Jeff Heck served 16 years as an elected member of the Lexington Local Schools Board of Education, serving in multiple leadership roles during that time. He has served on the Boards and in leadership roles of the Richland County Foundation, the Renaissance Theatre, the Rehab Center (now Catalyst Life Services), the Mansfield Symphony, and the Mansfield University Club and its Foundation. Our team members also serve and have served other important local causes like veterans groups, Junior Achievement, United Way, their local churches, and the Kiwanis Club, among others.
Our lawyers also represent and have represented numerous local nonprofit organizations, providing free or discounted legal services to those groups.
WE ALSO SUPPORT MANY OTHER CAUSES IMPORTANT TO US INCLUDING:
The Alex Switzer Memorial Bacon Run
ALS United Ohio
American Heart Association, Go Red for Rachel Memorial Walk
American Legion
ASPCA
ASFP, North Central Ohio Out of the Darkness Walk
Catalyst Life Services
Colonel Crawford Swim & Dive Team
The Domestic Violence Shelter
Lexington Local Schools
Malabar Farm Ceely Rose Survival Race
NAMI Ohio
North End Community Improvement Collaborative
Richland Pregnancy Services
St. Jude’s Hospital
Tunnels to Towers
VFW
While this website provides general information, it does not constitute legal advice. The best way to get guidance on your specific legal issue is to contact us and talk to our lawyers. To schedule a meeting with one of our attorneys, please call 419-524-2700 or complete the intake form below.