JANUARY 27, 2017
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LOCAL LAWYERS SUPER ATTORNEYS A Cleveland Jewish News Special Section
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LOCAL LAWYERS
ZUKERMAN, DAIKER & LEAR CO., L.P.A
We’ll never rest We, the attorneys of Zukerman, Daiker & Lear Co., L.P.A. will never rest in our representation of our clients. Our firm aggressively defends those accused of all federal and state felonies, white collar and computer crimes, grand jury investigations, misdemeanors and OVIs. We take all immediate steps necessary to prevent charges from being instituted and prepare the case for trial, with the goal of dismissal or acquittal. Our legal team also fights for custody matters as well as personal injury cases and civil litigation. Since 1993, ZDL’s clients have known that they have a team of attorneys on their side who will never rest!
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SUPER ATTORNEYS
JANUARY 27, 2017
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 55
Local lawyer speaks on closing ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ ANDREW ZISTLER
A
fter 146 years of traveling performances, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus – which bills itself as “The Greatest Show on Earth” – is rolling up the big top forever. Robert Zimmerman, a partner at Benesch Attorneys at Law in Cleveland, understands why the circus won’t be rolling into Cleveland or any other location because he has served as Feld Entertainment’s Ohio legal and government relations counsel since 2011. Feld Entertainment owns Ringling Bros. Zimmerman and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He said he witnessed firsthand the number of protests over the use of elephants in the shows and legal challenges, such as legislation introduced to ban private ownership of wild animals, that led to the circus’s demise. “Long after the circus left town, we got heavily involved in lobbying efforts protecting the circus from any potential overreach in legislation,” said Zimmerman, a councilman in Shaker Heights. “We were exempted, but it took quite a bit of effort over several months to make sure that we were protected.” On another occasion, Zimmerman said he was contacted late one Thursday afternoon after a complaint of emaciated animals. After working through the night, he met with Capital Area Humane Society in Hilliard, Ohio, which inspected the circus and found no starving animals. According to Zimmerman, the errant report was simply the result of a pony that recently had been shaved. Zimmerman said that as he continued to work with Feld Entertainment, he realized the enormous costs involved to keep the show running and the negative image the circus was facing. “I’m just one guy, in one city, in one state,” he said. “What I can say is I know from firsthand experience how controversial this is, how expensive this is and how difficult it is to deal with these issues on a national basis. While I was very sad – I’m still sad – about the decision to discontinue the circus, I understand it. At the end of the day the Feld family made a business
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decision.” Feld Entertainment of Ellenton, Fla., acquired the circus in 1967. “Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, in a statement. “This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company. “Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey was the original property on which we built Feld Entertainment into a global producer of live entertainment over the
past 50 years. We are grateful to the hundreds of millions of fans who have experienced Ringling Bros. over the years. Between now and May, we will give them one last chance to experience the joy and wonder of Ringling Bros.” Ringling Bros.’ two circus units will conclude their tours with final shows at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., on May 7, and at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 21. Its final performance in Cleveland was at Quicken Loans Arena on Oct. 23, 2016.
Andrew Zistler is a freelance writer from Cleveland.
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The Lazzaro Law Firm
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LOCAL LAWYERS
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“We brought cases against everybody from mortgage servicers to security fraud cases against the folks that you probably read about or watched in the ‘Big Short’ to bringing claims even against bond-rating agencies to try to protect Ohio consumers who were taken advantage of by predatory mortgages that originated prior to the housing collapse in 2008,” he said. Despite his focus on a particular area, Dann said one of the great things about being attorney general is the variety that comes with the job. “We ran the crime lab, so we were able to solve cold cases like the show on TV. (We would) take DNA from cases that were 10 or 20 years old and match it to somebody and solve crimes,” he said. “We did everything from solving crimes to trying to create at least some sort of a barrier to the abuse that was going on of Ohio homeowners by these predatory mortgage lenders.” Dann also helped found the attorney general’s joint task force with other states. He resigned as Ohio Attorney General in 2008 after a scandal. In November 2012, the Ohio Supreme Court suspended his law license for six months for a 2010 “conviction for mishandling campaign financial matters.” Once he got back his license, he began practicing and handled foreclosure cases. “It was obviously a little nervewracking because I didn’t have any clients,” Dann said, “but I’ve always been a little bit entrepreneurial as a lawyer and I wanted to try to do things other people just weren’t doing.” He said there wasn’t an existing firm he could join where he could practice his specialty, so he started The Dann Law Firm Co., LPA. As Ohio Attorney General, Dann had organized volunteer lawyers to represent individual homeowners, so when he left office, he said he thought it made sense for him to take his share of those cases, too. Upon digging into about a dozen cases, he realized there were some
Marc Dann
City: Lakewood Synagogue: Beth IsraelThe West Temple Firm: The Dann Law Firm Co., LPA. Areas of practice: Consumer
serious problems. “The people suing my clients didn’t have the right to sue them, and so we figured out ways to both defend those cases and to bring actions against those folks who were abusing the court system,” he said. Dann considers it “extremely rewarding” to be able to help clients with something as important as their homes. “I have the greatest job in the world,” he said. “Our clients come in kind of at one of the worst times of their lives and usually we’re either able to work out a settlement where they’re able to go back to being regular mortgage-paying citizens or we work out a deal where they can move on with their life, move out of their house in a dignified way.”
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 27, 2017
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 57
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LOCAL LAWYERS
ROBERT ‘KIP’ DANZINGER Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA REAGAN ANTHONY
Ohio Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Attorneys
Howard D. Mishkind, Esq.
David A. Kulwicki, Esq.
hmishkind@mishkindlaw.com Selected to the Top 100 List for Ohio and Top 50 List for Cleveland
dkulwicki@mishkindlaw.com
Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., L.P.A. is proud to announce that Howard Mishkind and David Kulwicki were selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers for 2017 in the practice areas of Plaintiffs Personal Injury and Medical Malpractice. Mr. Mishkind has achieved this recognition for 12 years in a row and Mr. Kulwicki for the past six years.
Mishkind Kulwicki Law has been recognized in U.S. News Best Law Firms in America, 2017 Edition in the area of Plaintiffs Medical Malpractice Law. Mr. Mishkind and Mr. Kulwicki, individually, have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Plaintiffs Medical Malpractice Law, as well as Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation.
Mention you saw us in the Cleveland Jewish News. Call for a free no-obligation consultation. We will get your questions answered! 23240 Chagrin Blvd. | Suite 101 | Commerce Park IV Beachwood, OH 44122 P: 216-595-1900 | F: 216-595-1633 www.mishkindlaw.com
Robert ‘Kip’ Danzinger discussed the way his nickname came about, his involvement with triathlons and gave law school advice. A property tax attorney with Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, he also talks about how he began to practice in his field. Q. How did the nickname “Kip” come about? A. I was born on Yom Kippur. What’s funny is that people whom I have known for years have no idea that my real name is Robert. Q. What made you decide to practice property tax law specifically? A. Fifteen years ago, I was approached by my current partners, Todd Sleggs and Steve Gill, to form a firm that focused on challenging tax assessments on behalf of taxpayers in the community, throughout Ohio and across the country. Prior, I was more of a generalist so the opportunity to form a niche practice with two amazing lawyers and to concentrate my practice in real property taxation was an easy decision. Q. What advice do you have for students thinking about law school? A. My recommendation for college students thinking about law school is simple. Go work for two years, gain practical, real life experiences and then go to law school. I found it extremely difficult at the age of 20 to study the theories behind contract and business law when my focus was trying to find a girlfriend. Q. What is one of the best moments of your law career thus far? A. One of the best moments for me as an attorney was successfully arguing a case before the Ohio Supreme Court. Although I won the appeal, the best part was having my then 16-year-old daughter in attendance acting as my paralegal. Q. How did you become involved with triathlons? A. I had a client that organized the
Robert ‘Kip’ Danzinger
Firm: Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA City: Solon Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmont Temple Areas of practice: Property tax Cleveland triathlon back in 2000 who told me he would fire me unless I signed up. Since then, I have stayed active in the sport for the sole reason to keep up with my wife who is a fitness freak.
Reagan Anthony is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern.
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JANUARY 27, 2017
ELK & ELK CO., LTD.
COMMUNICATION, DILIGENCE AND COLLABORATION The success of a law firm is measured by independent review, peer recognition and client satisfaction. The attorneys of Elk & Elk respects each of these perspectives, and are humbled by the continuous recognition as Super Lawyers by their peers.
their lawyer when questions or needs arise. Elk & Elk ensures all clients’ questions are answered and works to guide them through the legal process with a thorough understanding of the legal remedies available.
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Through more than 35 years of serving clients, they have expanded their efforts into the community. With support from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Elk & Elk created “Get That Weak Stuff Out Of Here” to raise resources and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. In addition, the firm’s “Everything Earned” program awarded six high school athletic departments grants for their outstanding achievements in sports as well as in the classroom and community.
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60 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
JANUARY 27, 2017
Cleveland’s Leading Personal Injury Firm
James A. Lowe
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Pushing For Higher Standards of Accountability and Fairness for Those Who Need it the Most.
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LOCAL LAWYERS
STEVEN DETTELBACH BakerHostetler NAOMI GRANT
As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Steven Dettelbach learned the importance of crime prevention. “Really good prosecutors aren’t just case processers; they’re community problem solvers. You have to be able to bring cases and bring them well, but you also have to work with the community to solve the underlying problems that cause crime,” he said. “It’s way better to spend time building a fence at the top of a cliff than to clean up a car crash after the car drives over the cliff.” Among his accomplishments, Dettelbach counts assembling a task force to combat the heroin and opioid crisis that included law enforcement and health care professionals at Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, The MetroHealth System, treatment professionals and educators who worked on prevention. He assumed office in 2009 and immediately focused on financial fraud when Cuyahoga County was coming out of a recession. Dettelbach and his colleagues were “holding people accountable who had behaved improperly and caused a lot of pain by stealing money from many, many people in Northeast Ohio,” he said. This included people who ran ponzi schemes and some who worked in financial institutions. “Prosecuting the CEO of the Croatian Credit Union, the largest credit union failure in the history of the United States, for bank bribery and fraud and also prosecuting almost two dozen other people who participated in that fraud was something that I thought was very important,” Dettelbach said. “People who were at financial institutions, at banks, who treated the banks like their own personal piggy bank and do not comport with the law needed to be punished.” He resigned in February 2016 and joined BakerHostetler in Cleveland. “I served at the pleasure of the president and we were coming to the end of our administration so my time was up,” he said. “There’s never enough time to address all the things that you want to do, so you can always look at the list of things that you want to accomplish and say you didn’t do this or that particular thing. But to me, that’s not a lack of accomplishment, that’s a challenge for things left to do.” Dettelbach said that throughout his
Steven Dettelbach
City: Solon Synagogue: Park Synagogue Firm: BakerHostetler Areas of practice: White-collar defense and corporate investigations, complex commercial litigation, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act time in office, he’s most grateful for the group of people he got to lead. Carole Rendon was a “wonderful” first assistant and is now a “wonderful” U.S. Attorney, he said. “I am sure that anything that is good that happened, happened because of them, and if you don’t like what happened, you should blame me,” he said. As a litigator and counselor, he still works with the law and recognizes the role that prosecutors and private attorneys alike play in the American legal system, which he calls “the envy of all the world.” “Helping businesses with problems that they’re facing and looking for solutions, practical solutions to issues that face them is very satisfying,” Dettelbach said of his current job. Dettelbach was a member of the CJN’s 2016 Class of 18 Difference Makers. Dettelbach is mulling a run for Ohio Attorney General in 2018.
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 27, 2017
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 61
Life’s too short to wear orange Our strongest endorsements come from clients whose names you will never hear. We vigorously pursue all avenues to avoid prosecution and protect our client’s reputation. At trial, our results are second to none. Our team brings a combined 60+ years of experience protecting individuals and corporations. We have won more than 100 trials in federal and state courts throughout Ohio. We represent individuals charged with financial crimes, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, public corruption and cyber crimes. We have the resources and proven track record to handle simple and complex criminal matters.
Synenberg, Coletta & Moran, LLC 55 Public Square, Suite 1331 Cleveland Ohio 44113 216 622-2727
www.Synenberg.com (L-R) Roger Synenberg, Nadeen Hayden, Clare Moran, Dominic Coletta
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LOCAL LAWYERS
JANUARY 27, 2017
SUSAN L. FRIEDMAN Friedman Law, LLC AMANDA KOEHN | STAFF REPORTER @AmandaKoehnCJN akoehn@cjn.org |
Susan L. Friedman, who recently started her law firm, Friedman Law, LLC, said she always was motivated to help people in her career. Her late father, Harold Friedman, was a real estate lawyer and prominent volunteer in the Cleveland Jewish community and she always looked up to him. Yet for her, law seemed to be a path toward public service. “Going into my senior year of college, I was an intern for Cong. Louis Stokes of Cleveland and William Clay of St. Louis,” she said. “That really solidified my decision to go to law school, because most of their staffers had gone to law school.” To move forward with her plan, she decided to get a joint law and social work master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. However, she eventually realized she wanted to stick to practicing law. “I really always wanted to help individuals, and I think that’s how I ended up back in law because I felt I could do more,” she said. While Friedman said she never enjoyed the “adversarial nature” of trials, she did find a place in estate planning,
elder law, probate, wills and trusts, guardianships and special needs law. For those fields, her social work degree has been useful. “I know resources in the community for my clients, and I also think it can’t hurt to learn social work and listening skills, and not (to be) judgmental with clients and to be able to help them with their situation, no matter what it is,” she said. Friedman said some of the biggest challenges in her work involve family dynamics, which she said sorting out in a way that is productive for her clients is also the most rewarding. She said one of the cases she is most proud of dealt with representing a group of adult siblings who were kept from seeing their 90-yearold mother who had dementia, due to
Susan L. Friedman
City: Solon Synagogue: Park Synagogue Firm: Friedman Law, LLC Practices: Estate planning, elder law, probate, guardianships, wills and trusts, special needs law troublesome family dynamics. “In the end we were able to work it out so we were able to find the mother and enable all the family to have visitation with her, and also secure a neutral assisted living facility for her,” she said. While she said her immediate goal is to grow Friedman Law, LLC, Friedman also said she is seeing a growing need to represent special needs clients as they age – an area of her practice she hopes to cultivate “If someone with special needs has any money or inherits money, even a small amount, even $5,000, they could lose their public benefits. So they need to
put that in a special needs trust, and not everybody knows about that,” she said. “I really like helping people feel secure and with what can happen in the future.”
EXPERIENCED. AGGRESSIVE. DETERMINED Co ., L. P. A.
DUBERLAW.COM • 888.229.1316 • 216.861.1234 — 55 Public Square, Ste 1200, Cleveland, OH 44113 —
For the third consecutive year, the attorneys at Bentoff & Duber have been proudly recognized for their incredible dedication and commitment to law in Northeast Ohio. Congratulations to Michael J. Duber and Glen S. Richardson for receiving the 2017 Super Lawyers Award, and Brandon T. Duber for receiving the 2017 Super Lawyers Rising Star Award.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
•
BRANDON T. DUBER 2017 SUPER LAWYER
PERSONAL INJURY
MICHAEL J. DUBER 2017 SUPER LAWYER
•
SOCIAL SECURITY
GLEN S. RICHARDSON 2017 SUPER LAWYER
•
CRIMINAL LAW
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 63
JANUARY 27, 2017
Sarah J. Gabinet Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP
Sarah J. Gabinet
REAGAN ANTHONY
Sarah J. Gabinet became a lawyer after teaching English as a foreign language. Gabinet is a family law and domestic relations attorney with Kohrman Jackson & Krantz in Cleveland. She discussed the reason she switched careers, the way she determines how to proceed with clients, and a client who made a profound impact on her life. Q. Often your services are required for deeply traumatic transitions in the lives of children. How do you find information about the children? A. The lawyers are actually not to meet with or interact with the children of the divorcing couple. I try to learn as much as I can about the children, though, from my client, teachers, pediatricians and any mental health professional who might be evaluating or treating the children. Sometimes a guardian ad litem is also appointed to determine what is in the children’s best interest and that person can also provide good insight. Q. Tell me about your majors in Judaic studies and English lead to law school? Did you ever have a separate plan? A. My undergraduate majors didn’t lead me to law school. They led me to get
a master’s in linguistics and to teaching English as a foreign language. While I was working, a friend asked me to be a witness in a mock trial he was doing for a law school class. I saw what the law students were doing and decided I wanted to go to law school. I taught English to foreign students at the English Language Service on the CWRU campus – some students were Iranian and other Middle Easterners, some were South American and others were Asian. I taught and then became an administrator at the program until I went to law school. Believe it or not, I am actually now representing one of my former students who decided to stay in the United States and make their life here. Q. At what point do you know that litigation is the best route to go with a client? How do you attempt to avoid
City: Shaker Heights Synagogue: The TempleTifereth-Israel Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLC Areas of practice: Family law and domestic relations going in that direction? A. Sometimes it is clear from the outset that litigation is the better route – when there has already been financial misconduct or domestic violence; when my client describes a complete lack of communication or trust between the client and his or her spouse. Sometimes, these qualities only become obstacles in the middle of a non-litigation process and we have to move to litigation. It is a matter of judgment, but I almost always discuss nonlitigation options with clients. That includes divorce mediation and collaborative and cooperative processes. Some of these processes have “built-in” mechanisms for overcoming obstacles to resolution without going to court. I spend a great deal of time with my clients to explore options and to be a creative in coming up with possible scenarios for resolution before resorting to litigation. Q. Has there been a specific client or case that has stuck with you over the years? A. Over 34 years, there has been quite a
few. A few years ago I represented a woman who had been married about 30 years with two children. She was college-educated, but hadn’t worked in 20 years or more. She was devastated when her husband wanted to end the marriage. She decided to become a physician’s assistant and moved out of state for two years to go to a really outstanding program. She came back to Cleveland, got a great job and tells me how satisfied she and her children are now. I am impressed by the transition she made from grief to happiness. We stay in touch and have dinner together once a year.
Reagan Anthony is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern.
Rumizen Weisman Co., Ltd. CLeveLanD PerSOnaL Injury FIrM When We say We have experience, We mean it. OUr Firm has hanDLeD mOre than 150 JUry triaLs. Our attorneys have been routinely recognized by their peers as some of the best personal injury and wrongful death lawyers in Ohio. Their accolades range from being included in the list of Ohio Super Lawyers, Top 100 lawyers in Ohio and the Top 50 lawyers in Cleveland. They have been included in Best Lawyers and admitted to the highly regarded International Trial Lawyers Association and the Inn of Court.
rumizen Weisman co., Ltd. 101 prospect ave. West, suite 610 cleveland, Oh 44115 ph: 216-658-5500 www.ohio-injury.com
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Mr. GoLdwasser is aLso a partner of Ciano & GoLdwasser, L.L.p.
64 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
JANUARY 27, 2017
“At Rubin Guttman & Associates,we’ve been representing people who’ve been injured or disabled, or whose loved ones have been the victims of wrongful death as a result Rubin Guttman of serious car and truck accidents, medical malpractice or nursing home neglect and abuse since 1977. We’re proud that Rubin Guttman has been recognized by his peers as an Ohio Super Lawyer for the eleventh time.”
Rubin Guttman & Associates, L.P.A. 55 Public Square, Suite 1860 Cleveland, OH 44113 Phone: 216-696-4006 • Toll Free: 888-206-9682 • Fax: 216-696-2778 www.guttlaw.com
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR DISPUTES Jerry Weiss, founder of MediationInc, is nationally recognized as a go-to neutral for in Cleveland to have devoted his practice exclusively to mediation and alternative dispute resolution. For over 30 years he has received Martindale’s highest rating, AV preeminent. Rated First Tier in Mediation by US News and World Report and a perennial selectee of Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America (2013 Mediation Lawyer of the Year), he is the only person in Northeast Ohio to have been inducted as a Distinguished Fellow in the International Academy of Mediators (IAM), a peer selected organization of the world’s premier commercial mediators. Jerry is a regular presenter to Bar Associations in this country and abroad on topics related to
MediationInc MediationInc 101 Prospect Ave. Ave. W W 101 Prospect Cleveland, OH 44114 Cleveland, OH 44114 (216) 589-9995 589-9995 (216) www.mediate.com/mediationinc www.mediate.com/mediationinc mediator@mediationresolve.com mediator@mediationresolve.com
LOCAL LAWYERS
IRA GOFFMAN Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLP NAOMI GRANT
Ira Goffman has never worked in Florida, but he’s a board certified health law specialist in the state and licensed to practice there by the Florida Bar. “We’re kind of a boutique firm in a niche where we don’t have many competitors,” Goffman said of the health care specialty. Goffman’s firm, Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLP, focuses mainly on business deals, such as representing hospitals that buy other hospitals and nursing homes that buy other nursing homes. “These documents are thousands of pages of agreements,” said Goffman, a member of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike. “That is … part of what law is, is the drafting and negotiation of the documents.” The Orange resident also considers having an accounting degree to be an advantage in this field, noting the prevalence of matters that involve money or business. Because of his accounting degree, he wanted to do business work. “The health care field was kind of happenstance, and so I do a lot of health care business work,” Goffman said. “I like doing it because you’re able to develop an expertise and help many physicians, hospitals, nursing homes and complicated regulations.” Goffman joined the firm in 1984, and at the time, the employees already had started doing nursing home.. Over the last 30-plus years, he said, they have been able to expand the client base, “mostly through word-of-mouth from clients who were happy with our services.” They now represent more than 500 nursing homes in Ohio, more than 10 hospitals and several physician groups as well as ancillary providers,
or services like home health agencies, hospice and ambulance companies. “We have a specialization in that area that most folks do not have,” Goffman said. “I’m proud of being a health care specialist, which there are very few of.” He’s also been named a “Super Lawyer” 14 times – from 2004 to 2017. Goffman has the opportunity to travel frequently to Columbus and Lansing, Mich., to represent nursing home associations in assisting state legislature draft health care laws, which he said is “neat and fun.”
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
Ira Goffman
City: Orange Synagogue: Park Synagogue Areas of practice: Health Firm: Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLP Specialty: Health care
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SUPER ATTORNEYS
GERALD GOLDBERG Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis NAOMI GRANT
Reducing Real Property Tax Assessments Throughout Ohio And Across The United States Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA
The way Gerald Goldberg, of counsel with Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis in Woodmere, tells it, “I was a single guy and I had a Corvette,” when he got his first job out of college as an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Ohio. For his first three years out of law school, he tried cases in all 88 counties, Ohio Court of Appeals and Ohio Supreme Court, and enjoyed the opportunity to travel and meet people and considered the job a good stepping-stone. “I was able to appeal cases and get up to the Supreme Court of Ohio,” Goldberg said. “I was sweating a lot, but that was one of the things I thought was really worthwhile.” After getting married, Goldberg and his wife moved to Cleveland, and he was still Attorney General. He said he was among those responsible for the land appropriation to buy the land to build Interstate 271. Goldberg started a law firm and built it to 15 people before deciding to accept his brothers’ offer to work at Ohio Savings Bank, which his family owned. He ran the law department at the bank and was in charge of mortgage lending and credit cards and stayed there for about 20 years. Next, Goldberg began working for Meyers Roman. The Goldberg family, which owns real estate across the United States, runs “all of the real estate out of the office, myself, my two brothers, a couple other people and then I practice law, of counsel,” Goldberg said. He was also foreman of the Cuyahoga County Grand Jury for six months, which he called “great fun,” though he didn’t get paid for it. Now, Goldberg said he refers cases to the firm and that helps a little. “I’m in my waning years now and put
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Gerald Goldberg
City: Pepper Pike Synagogue: The TempleTifereth Israel Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Areas of practice: Banking, estate planning, wealth management, real estate investments and management in some time, but not a lot of time,” he said. Goldberg still is involved in most of the cases that he brings in and still goes to court, but says he’s less active than he was as Assistant Attorney General, working 50 to 60 hours a week. Goldberg said he and his two brothers and two sisters give together to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. A year ago, his family built and donated a playground at an Ethiopian elementary school in the Negev and the plaque says it is from Goldberg’s seven grandchildren. “So when they take their children there years to come, they will see their names,” he said.
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
When you hire Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, you work directly with Sleggs, Danzinger and Gill. Each client is directly represented at all levels by a principal of the firm with a combined 75 years of experience. No pyramid, no associates, no onthe-job training. Our clients deserve the very best representation, so we structured our firm to allow each client, throughout the entire process, to work directly with Messrs. SLEGGS, DANZINGER and/or GILL. Our philosophy is to work cooperatively with school district and County officials to ensure that our clients pay the lowest possible real property tax obligations. If a fair resolution requires litigation, SLEGGS, DANZINGER & GILL have the depth of trial and appellate experience to handle the most complex valuation issues. Whether the valuation relates to large industrial plants, apartments, shopping centers, warehouses, office buildings, vacant land or any other type of commercial property, the faces above will ensure that you receive the best counsel, legal advice and litigation expertise. Todd W. Sleggs, Esq. tsleggs@sdglegal.net Member Firm
Robert K. Danzinger, Esq. rdanzinger@sdglegal.net
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Steven R. Gill, Esq. sgill@sdglegal.net Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill 820 West Superior Ave. Seventh Floor, Cleveland, OH 44113
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PROVIDING PEACE OF MIND The ESTATE PLAN that Kabb Law co-creates with you determines who will be the recipient of your assets. It minimizes taxes, ensures that you are able to receive the desired care, and make the decisions you would want if you were able to speak on your own behalf.
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The difference is care.
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LOCAL LAWYERS
JANUARY 27, 2017
2017 Ohio Super Lawyer
Franklin Malemud 2017 Ohio Super Lawyer
MICHAEL HAAS
Jones Day
AMANDA KOEHN | STAFF REPORTER @AmandaKoehnCJN akoehn@cjn.org |
Michael Haas, a partner and global head of real estate at Jones Day who spends part of his week in the Cleveland office and the other part in New York, represents some of the largest real estate and private equity businesses in the world. Calling himself a “deal lawyer,” Haas said he enjoys the energy he gets from transactions. “I love doing transactions, they are challenging, they interest me, oftentimes it’s a win-win for both parties,” he said. Haas said he knew when he was 8 years old that he wanted to be a lawyer and quickly became intrigued by real estate law. “I’ve always had an interest in real estate, I had the opportunity to intern at a fairly young age for a prominent developer in Cleveland and that really piqued my interest in being involved in real estate,” said Haas, who is a graduate of Syracuse University in New York and received his law degree from ClevelandMarshall College of Law in Cleveland. Now, Haas represents both buyers and sellers of real estate at one of the biggest law firms in the world. Some of the companies he represents are Northeast Ohio-based, such as DDR Corp in Beachwood and The NRP Group in Garfield Heights. His day-to-day work entails negotiating joint venture agreements, large portfolio transactions and counseling clients. Haas said some of the more challenging aspects of his career are his busy deal flows and managing all his transactions and client expectations – challenges he said he enjoys. Despite a busy business and travel schedule, Haas also is active in his Cleveland Jewish community. He was
Michael Haas
City: Pepper Pike Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation Firm: Jones Day Practices: Real estate, real estate finance, private equity and real estate fund formation selected as one of the Cleveland Jewish News’s 2016 Difference Makers for his involvement with The Basser Center for BRCA, a Philadelphia-based center that specializes in treating and researching BRCA-gene related cancers, and as a former member of the United Jewish Community’s National Young Leadership Cabinet. He is also the immediate past president of the Joseph & Florence Mandel Jewish Day School in Beachwood. While he was president of the school, it received just over a $17-million gift from the Joseph and Florence Mandel Family Foundation, when its name transitioned from Agnon School to Mandel JDS. Haas’s advice for someone looking to get into real estate law? “Get a mentor,” he said.
NOW AVAILABLE TO READ ONLINE Leon Weiss
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101 W. Prospect Avenue, Suite 1400 Cleveland, OH 44115 216.687.1311 www.Reminger.com Akron Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Sandusky Toledo Youngstown Ft. Mitchell Lexington Louisville Ft. Wayne Indianapolis NW Indiana
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BARBARA BELLIN JANOVITZ
Reminger Attorneys at Law
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Rick D. Sonkin
Sonkin & kobeRna, LLc 3401 Enterprise Parkway Suite 400 Cleveland, OH 44122 Tel: 216-514-8300 Fax: 216-514-4467 RSonkin@sonkinkoberna.com www.sonkinkoberna.com
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Barbara Bellin Janovitz knew she wanted to be a lawyer from a young age. “My father was actually a career development guidance counselor,” she said. “He used to tell us from a very young age what we would be good at. He told me I was very logical and would make a good lawyer. At some point it was sort of in my mind that was something I felt I wanted to do.” Rather than waiting until college to study law, Janovitz began immersing herself in the field in high school. While in her junior year at Beachwood High School, she began spending the first half of the day at school and the second half working at a local law firm at LaPlace in Beachwood. Janovitz attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C., in 1976 but transferred two years later to The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia after realizing she wanted to study labor relations. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1980, she attended the New York University School of Law, earning her degree in 1983. Janovitz started her career as a labor lawyer at Hahn Loeser in Cleveland. However, she quickly learned that labor law wasn’t a good fit for her. “When I got to the practice, I realized practicing labor law involved a lot of sitting in the library and researching and writing briefs and it didn’t really have the people interaction that I was looking for,” she said. Fortunately, Janovitz was approached by Sidney Nudelman, who at that time was chair of the firm’s estate planning group. He told her he thought she would make a great estate lawyer. “The part I enjoyed was watching him counseling clients and dealing with the personal side of estate planning, which to me has always been the most interesting and important part, so I sort of fell into doing estate planning law,” Janovitz said. A few years later, Janovitz moved to Kohrman Jackson and Krantz. After working there for almost 10 years, she joined Reminger in 1991. The most rewarding part of her career, Janovitz said, is being able to form close personal relationships with her clients.
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ReaL eSTaTe
bUSineSS/coRPoRaTe GeneRaL LiTiGaTion
Barbara Bellin Janovitz
City: Beachwood Synagogue: Park Synagogue Firm: Reminger Attorneys at Law Areas of practice: Estate and gift planning, estate tax law and planning, probate and estate administration, trusts and trust administration, and asset protection planning “The ability to have this multigeneration relationship and really get to know people on a personal basis is really the best part of law,” she said. In addition to her legal career, Janovitz also was the first woman elected to serve on Beachwood City Council in 15 years. Janovitz said she was motivated to run due to the lack of diversity on council. “It came to my attention that Beachwood is a much more diverse community than when I grew up there,” she said. “When I grew up, my class was 99 percent white and 99 percent Jewish. In the 40 years since I’ve graduated, Beachwood has really become a very diverse community. It bothered me that there was no diversity in the leadership of the council and it really kind of motivated me to say there’s something wrong with that.” Janovitz said serving on city council has been a great experience, and she now finds herself encouraging other women and minorities to run for political office. “It’s so rewarding. I feel like I’m making a difference, which I love to do,” she said.
Rick began his practice at Baker & Hostetler in the areas of corporate law, real estate and litigation, and is now the managing partner at Sonkin & Koberna. Rick represents a wide variety of closely held organizations and national corporations in all aspects of business and real estate law. Rick has extensive experience in real estate acquisitions, dispositions and leasing, including extensive experience in leasing to big box retailers. Rick’s experience also includes providing owners of businesses with succession planning advice and general counsel services. He currently represents numerous automobile dealerships in Northeastern Ohio. Rick also represents individuals and companies in litigation involving construction disputes, business disputes and personal injury.
We are honored to be named 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers®
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LOCAL LAWYERS
JANUARY 27, 2017
ANTHONY LAZZARO The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC NAOMI GRANT
Anthony Lazzaro of Moreland Hills hit the ground running, starting his law firm two years out of law school. “When I started out, I just had two years of experience and I was just one lawyer and I didn’t know how successful I would be,” he said. Ten years later, The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC in Cleveland has five lawyers and with a combined 60 years of experience in employment law. He has been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2011 to 2014 and a Super Lawyer from 2015 to 2017, “To have started something and to have grown it to where it is, we’re definitely at the forefront of handling wage theft claims in Ohio,” Lazzaro said. To date his firm which primarily handles wage theft cases has recovered over $30-million in settlement payments for employees. “It’s cool to see where we started and where we are now. I think the next 10 years will be even more successful than the last.” The biggest case Lazzaro has handled in terms of publicity (“It seemed like
we were on the front page of The Plain Dealer every other day,” he said) was against a retailer that abruptly closed and didn’t pay employees for the last few weeks of work, leaving the employees without health care. After the retailer filed for bankruptcy, the retailer’s board of directors personally funded a settlement of $660,000. “It was a pretty rewarding case for a group of employees who were really upset about how they were treated, so we were glad we were able to get a recovery for them,” he said. Lazzaro said people thank his law firm “all the time” because not only do they recover wages for all of the employees that weren’t paid properly, but in most cases, the employers change their pay practices so that going forward people are being paid properly. “That’s one of the more rewarding aspects because it’s one thing to collect back wages for employees and that
Anthony Lazzaro
City: Moreland Hills Synagogue: Park Synagogue Firm: The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC Areas of practice: Employment law (wage and hour)
makes a big difference,” he said. “But if you can affect how an employer pays their employees, then you can make a huge impact.” Among the most common charges Lazzaro represents clients for are being misclassified as exempt in overtime laws or misclassifying them as independent contractors. After that, he said, would probably be off-the-clock work and preshift and post-shift work. “Across many industries and types of jobs, a lot of employees have to come in early to start their day or they have to stay late,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe how many employers don’t pay their employees for that work when the law says they’re entitled to be paid for it.”
Though Lazzaro doesn’t have a specific goal for his law firm, he said he believes the firm will file more than 30 class actions this year as it did last year, up significantly from the 10 to 12 it would file for the first several years.
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
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JONATHAN D. MESTER Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER @KristenMottCJN kmott@cjn.org |
AT KLEIN & CARNEY: PRACTICE AREAS • WRONGFUL DEATH
Jonathan D. Mester pursued a career in law for two reasons. He enjoys the intellectual challenge of being a lawyer and finding solutions to problems. Perhaps more importantly, he likes helping people. “In the kind of work I do, all I do is represent individuals and families with lost loved ones. That’s what gets me out of bed in the morning, representing people and families who have had losses in their lives,” Mester said. Mester earned his bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University in New York in 1992 and his law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in Columbus in 1998. He joined Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy in Cleveland in 1998 as an associate. He’s now a partner with the firm. Mester specializes in medical malpractice with a focus on brain-injured babies and babies with Erb’s Palsy, a nerve injury that affects the arm. He said he decided to focus his career on those types of cases because he has a soft spot for children. “A lot of the kids I’ve helped, especially the ones who have Erb’s palsy, I look at them and I see situations where they have disabilities and difficulties that I know are going to cause them to get teased and probably to have difficulties throughout their teenage years and adulthood that will affect them the rest of their lives. To me, that’s who I want to help,” he said. Two cases involving children stick out in Mester’s mind. The first involved a young girl who had Erb’s palsy. Mester said he felt strongly that a medical error had caused her injury, but the insurance company involved wouldn’t make any offer to settle the case. The case went to trial and resulted in a verdict of about $1.4 million. “That case was very meaningful to me,” Mester said. “This was a poorer family that really needed this. This will really help this little girl in her childhood and throughout the rest of her life. The second case also involved a young girl who was rendered a paraple-
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• SERIOUS INJURIES • MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS • MEDICAL MALPRACTICE • NURSING HOME NEGLECT
Larry S. Klein
• WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
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Jonathan D. Mester
City: Solon Synagogue: Park Synagogue Firm: Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy Areas of practice: Auto accident, birth injury, construction and workplace accident, defective product, employer intentional tort, medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, personal injury, truck accident, and wrongful death gic after riding into a barely visible wire barricade in a cemetery and flipping off her bicycle. While recuperating from her injuries, she was molested in a children’s hospital. “We were able to resolve this matter for this little girl so that her family could purchase a new home that was fully equipped for her disabilities and so she could live her life in a more comfortable fashion,” Mester said. “It had a very substantial effect on her life and the life of her foster parents. I still talk to them today and get updates on how she’s doing.” In addition to helping children, Mester said he also enjoys the trial process. “It’s a tremendous amount of work and stress getting ready for trial, but once I settle in and all the work is done and you’re actually doing the trial, that’s very enjoyable to me,” he said.
2016
55 Public Square • Suite 1200 • Cleveland, OH 44113
216-861-0111 kleincarneylaw@gmail.com
www.kleinandcarney.com
CONGRATULATIONS to Our 2017 SUPER LAWYERS 855-468-4878
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Strategic Counsel. Effective Advocacy.
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Miller Goler Faeges Lapine llp Steven Miller Michael Goler Jay Faeges Kenneth Lapine Deborah Michelson David Kunselman
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CONGRATULATIONS 2017 Super Lawyers Brad Bennett, George Crisci, Jon Dileno, Deanna DiPetta, Jonathan Downes, Michele Jakubs, Jeffrey Wedel, Andrew Zashin, Stephen Zashin 2017 Rising Stars Amy Keating, Ami Patel, Christopher Reynolds, David Vance, Patrick Watts
workplace & family law | cleveland 216.696.4441 | columbus 614.224.4411 | zrlaw.com
LOCAL LAWYERS
ANDREW NOVEMBER Balin Law KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER @KristenMottCJN kmott@cjn.org |
After switching his major several times while pursuing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Cincinnati, Andrew November finally settled on criminal justice, inspiring him to seek a career in law. “That was probably the first area of interest that clicked with me. I felt so natural doing it,” November said. Graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2006, November attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, earning his degree in 2009. But job prospects were bleak in Cleveland at that time during the recession. Instead of giving up, November remained persistent. “I knew I wanted to be a court attorney, that’s all I wanted to do. I probably contacted every attorney I could think of in Cleveland. I sent my current boss (Paulette Balin) email after email,” November said. “She finally responded and gave me an opportunity. She said, ‘If you want to be in court, you can work for me.’ I was in court nine days later after being sworn in as an attorney.” November joined Balin Law in Mentor in 2009. He exclusively practices disability litigation with a focus on representation before the U.S. Social Security Administration. He also represents veterans who have illnesses or injuries sustained in service. Recently, November has shifted his focus to disability discrimination for deaf individuals. He credits his wife, Keri, who was born profoundly deaf, for expanding his horizons. She’s also the one who taught him American Sign Language. “She’s opened my eyes to this world of advocacy that’s needed for the deaf population, especially here in Cleveland. I had zero familiarity with it before. … As far as I know there are no other attorneys in this area who know sign language,” he said.
Andrew November
City: Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood Firm: Balin Law Areas of practice: Disability litigation November takes his passion for disability rights into the community, too. He serves on the deafness advocacy committee for the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center and is a trustee and chair of the disability section for the Ohio Association for Justice. He’s also an executive member of the MetroHealth N.E.T Council of Emerging Young Professionals. For November, the most rewarding aspect of his career is the advocacy work and being able to help people who can’t help themselves. “I have clients who come in just ready to give up and who are so firmly convinced that the system is set up that way. They expect it. They’re beat down and they’ve been told no so many times,” he said. “You see the same pattern of discrimination and for people with disabilities, it makes their lives contentious. It makes their lives a fight. It’s nice when I can do that fight with them.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
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ELIZABETH L. PERLA The Perla Law Firm KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER @KristenMottCJN kmott@cjn.org |
Helping other people has always been important to Elizabeth L. Perla. It’s something her parents taught her at a young age, she said. “The value of being kind and helping other people that maybe don’t have as much as you have, I would say that was definitely ingrained in me as a child,” Perla said. It comes as no surprise that Perla decided to combine her passion for helping others with her analytical skills and pursue a career in law. Perla earned her bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus in 2004 and graduated from the school’s Moritz College of Law in 2007. She focuses her practice on the areas of elder law, probate law and domestic relations. “I really enjoy the elder law area because I like the demographic,” she said. “I like assisting people who are in that stage of their lives. I feel like it’s very much a helping profession. People come in with their problems and you’re assist-
ing them and finding solutions.” Perla is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has served on the young/new attorneys section steering committee. She’s also a member of the estate planning, probate and trust law sections of the Ohio State Bar Association and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Perla said the most rewarding domestic relations cases she’s worked on are the ones in which she’s helped families find solutions and ways to improve both their lives and the lives of their children. As for elder law, she said she enjoys assisting others with finding solutions to financial worries. “My most rewarding elder law cases are the ones where I’ve helped give them peace of mind if they have a long-term care issue, like if they don’t know how they’re going to pay for nursing home
Elizabeth L. Perla
City: Beachwood Synagogue: Heights Jewish Center Synagogue Firm: The Perla Law Firm Areas of practice: Elder law, probate law and domestic relations care. I’m helping them have peace of mind and putting them in a better financial position as a result of the representation,” she said. Perla also enjoys the fact that she gets to work alongside her father, Randall M. Perla, a family law lawyer and former magistrate for the domestic relations court of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Working at a small firm gives her greater flexibility, too. “I love going into work and seeing my dad all the time,” she said. “It’s a unique and really wonderful opportunity to have that kind of mentorship and pro-
fessional relationship. “I also like the flexibility and opportunities that you have at a small practice. You can take on the cases that you want to take.”
Strategy.
Play to win. www.taftlaw.com Bankruptcy / Business & Finance / Environmental / Health & Life Sciences / Intellectual Property / Labor & Employment / Litigation / Private Client / Real Estate / Tax
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LOCAL LAWYERS
JULIE E. RABIN Rabin & Rabin REAGAN ANTHONY
Julie E. Rabin of Pepper Pike is a bankruptcy lawyer and partner at Rabin & Rabin. She answers questions regarding practicing law with her mother and some of the challenges in her field. Q. What made you choose to come to Cleveland? A. My parents moved to Cleveland when I was in law school at New York University. I took a job with a large Cleveland law firm following graduation to follow them. I loved Cleveland, met my husband here and stayed. Now I forget that I didn’t grow up here. Q. How does working with your mother in such a close, professional setting influence the relationship the two of you have outside of work? A. I had the privilege of practicing law with my mother as my partner for 26 years. She was a trailblazer among women attorneys and I certainly
learned a lot from working with her. Outside work, though, we tried not to talk shop and our relationship revolved around normal family matters. Q. As a bankruptcy lawyer, it must be difficult to charge clients for your services. How do you go about forming a payment plan with your clients? A. I do not charge for the initial consultation because I need to determine the best course of action for the client. Of course, many people retain me because they have financial challenges. They realize that they are receiving real value for what they are paying in obtaining a financial fresh start.
Julie E. Rabin
City: Pepper Pike Synagogue: The TempleTifereth Israel Firm: Rabin & Rabin Areas of practice: Bankruptcy for individuals and small businesses Q. What do you find most challenging about your practice? A. There are many challenges. I wish I could wave a magic wand to relieve people’s financial distress. Q. For recent or future law school graduates entering the workforce, what do you recommend as the best course of action in finding a job? A. Don’t limit yourself. A law degree is useful in many environments. And network, network, network.
Calfee is about responsiveness, relationships and results. We are proud of these attorneys as they carry forward our tradition of legal excellence and outstanding client service.
2017
Donald Lampert
Workers’ Compensation 216.622.8467 dlampert@calfee.com
RISING STARS 2017
David Kaufman
Labor and Employment Litigation 216.622.8399 dkaufman@calfee.com
1405 East Sixth Street | Cleveland, Ohio 44114 216.622.8200 | calfee.com
2017
Marcia J. Wexberg
Estate & Succession Planning 216.622.8858 mwexberg@calfee.com
Reagan Anthony is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
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SCOTT A. RUMIZEN Rumizen Weisman Attorneys DANIEL SHERRIFF
Scott Rumizen originally didn’t go to college to become a lawyer. His interests were in political science or economics. However, after growing up around the legal profession, he could not resist the call to become a lawyer, like his father and grandfather. “As I got older, I became more and more interested. I decided I would go for it,” he said. Rumizen, who grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., went to college at The Ohio State University in Columbus. As a senior, he decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and represent those affected by tragedy and circumstance. One of his most memorable cases was representing the family of a 19-yearold woman who was killed in a vehicle crash. She was a sophomore in college and was driving home late one night to visit a friend when her vehicle was hit by an unlicensed driver. The driver was sentenced to juvenile detention until he was 21. “I always wanted to help people that needed my assistance. The way the system’s set up, you can’t put the person back on the earth, but you can compensate for their losses,” Rumizen said. He credits his father, Arthur Rumizen, who taught him much about law and what it meant to be an advocate for those affected by personal loss or neglect. His father made sure to always keep a close personal relationship with the families he represented, even after the cases were over, Rumizen said. Rumizen said that loyalty is a trait he has worked hard to establish and he prides himself on being able to maintain close relationships with clients to this day. He has been invited to funerals, wakes and even family gatherings. Rumizen’s first job was as a law clerk at a personal injury firm that did highend personal injury. “I knew I wanted to do injury work and I actually wanted to work as a lawyer,” he said. “I wanted to learn the business, I didn’t care what they paid me, and I made like $6.50 and hour just to learn the business.” For law school students and recent graduates, Rumizen advises them to follow their interests and be confident. “You’ve got to like what you do or you’re not going to want to walk into the office every day,” he said. “You’re never done, every day is different, there’s always something different that happens. It’s always a challenge and you’ve got
Congratulations to Paul J. Singerman Gary S. Desberg Ronald J. Teplitzky Scott A. Rumizen
City: Solon Synagogue: The TempleTifereth Israel Firm: Rumizen Weisman Attorneys Areas of Practice: Personal injury, wrongful death, nursing home neglect, automobile collisions, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, dog bite injuries, slip and falls to like what you’re doing and believe in what you’re doing. If you stand in front of a jury and don’t really believe about your client’s injuries and try to get them money, you’re not going to be successful.” Rumizen earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1987. After graduation, he studied law at The University of Toledo College of Law, where he graduated in 1991. Upon graduation, he moved to Cleveland to pursue a legal career in personal injury litigation. Rumizen is admitted to practice law in Ohio, New York, New Jersey and the Federal Court for the Northern District of Ohio.
Daniel Sherriff is a freelance writer from Beachwood.
who were selected for inclusion in 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers.® SINGERMAN, MILLS, DESBERG & KAUNTZ PRIDES
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RONI SOKOL The Sokol Law Firm, LLC
Roni Sokol
REAGAN ANTHONY
Roni Sokol explained how her experiences have fueled her career, making a choice to pursue law school and a career before starting a family. Sokol is a personal injury lawyer at The Sokol Law Firm in Beachwood. Q. Do you find that your experiences continue to motivate you in your work? A. One of the reasons I wanted to become a lawyer was to be able to give a voice to people who are unable to fight for themselves, or those who have been victimized. I was also intrigued by the notion of solving problems and winning battles based solely upon the use of brainpower rather than physical strength or other forms of intimidation. After 21 years in practice, these desires continue to motivate me daily. It is deeply gratifying to help people who have been wronged or mistreated by others. In our world, this usually involves financial compensation to the party who has been wronged. However, sometimes it can involve nothing more than eliciting an apology or an agreement to cooperate. These types of results are equally gratifying. Q. In an Attorney at Law article from 2016, you allude to feeling pressure to conform to societal norms
LOCAL LAWYERS
JANUARY 27, 2017
to start a family and abandon your career. What advice would you offer to the young people who are struggling with this choice? A. I would not say that I was under immense pressure to abandon my goals. It has more to do with the pressure that society has traditionally placed on women to do it all. We are constantly reminded that whatever we choose to do with our lives, we should or could be doing more. If we choose a career path, we are seen as lacking in one facet of our lives. If we choose a stay-at-home mom path, we are seen as lacking in another facet. Thankfully, we live in an ever-evolving world. I have seen so many changes in the way women are perceived just in the past 20 years. I think there is less of a stigma attached to how a woman chooses to live her life than there used to be. What I would tell young women today is to do what you enjoy. Whether it is working full time or staying home with your kids. There is no
City: Beachwood Synagogue: Park Synagogue Firm: The Sokol Law Firm, LLC Area of practice: Personal injury longer a right or wrong answer. Whatever gives you personal satisfaction is what is right. It’s that simple. Q. Would you recommend going straight to law school after completing an undergraduate education? What would be the best course of action? A. Personally, I did not go straight to law school after college. I wanted to make sure that I was ready to take on the commitment associated with law school. Instead, I worked for a few years, in law firms and other offices. I learned what the everyday life of a lawyer looks like. I learned what it was like to earn a paycheck and pay bills. Essentially, I learned what it was like to be an adult and I learned that it was not easy. After three years of working, I was anxious to go back to school and I had a new appreciation for the opportunity I had been given. I had a base understanding of what it was like to practice law, and I was able to use what I had learned at work to my benefit in school.
In fact, I believe I excelled in my legal research and writing class because I had been reading and editing legal briefs at work for so many years. I don’t know that the previous work experience is necessarily something that law firms look for, but it certainly could not hurt an applicant to a law firm. In terms of seeking employment, my personal belief has always been that networking is the key. Nearly every job I have had in this profession has come through personal contacts I made either in school, in practice, or just socially. You can never know too many people.
Reagan Anthony is the Yoda Newton Editorial Intern.
A LAW FIRM BUILT FOR BUSINESS CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2017 OHIO SUPER LAWYERS & RISING STARS*
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Ari H. Jaffe Of Counsel
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ROGER SYNENBERG
Meyers Roman Proudly Salutes Our
2017 Super Lawyers
Synenberg, Coletta & Moran LLC AMANDA KOEHN | STAFF REPORTER akoehn@cjn.org | @AmandaKoehnCJN
Roger Synenberg is first to tell you he is “a lucky guy,” with “a lot of interesting things going on.” It isn’t until he starts describing some of those things that one realizes what he sees on a daily basis as a criminal defense attorney. “A lot of people who I represent are people like your dad or your mom or you, or people who never got in trouble before and all of a sudden they wake up one day and their life is turned upside down,” Synenberg said. “People who have never been in the system cannot believe it works the way it does, and it’s not always to that person’s advantage.” In his 39 years as a defense attorney, Synenberg said he has defended people who were sentenced during former President Bill Clinton’s administration for “a little bit of cocaine,” who are still in prison. Defending clients against either the state or U.S. government, Synenberg said each day he sees himself and his clients as the underdog. “It’s the government versus your client and all he or she has in their corner is you,” he said. Unlike his wife, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg, who knew she wanted to be a defense attorney since childhood, Synenberg never set out to work in the field. In fact, early in Synenberg’s career he reported to a new job in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the civil division – at least he thought. “They said that job is filled, the only job we have is in the criminal division,” Synenberg said. “But I got into it and I really began to see you are in a fabulous position to make a difference. “I was always very interested in making sure people weren’t being taken advantage of, I didn’t like people being bullied,” he said. Synenberg points to government abuse as one of the biggest challenges in his work. He also said that today, when people need a defense attorney, they often look to the quality of a lawyer’s website, rather than word of mouth and personal recommendations, as was done in the past. He said this leaves some clients hiring lawyers who are not a good fit for the help they need. Synenberg has also been special
Seth P. Briskin
Alan N. Hirth
Peter D. Brosse
Debra J. Horn
Bryan J. Dardis
Anne C. Fantelli
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Scott M. Lewis
Mario J. Fazio
Aaron M. Minc
R. Russell O’Rourke
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Roger Synenberg
City of residence: Cleveland Firm: Synenberg, Coletta & Moran LLC Area of practice: Litigation and criminal defense counsel to the Ohio Attorney General for almost 20 years. Last year he also received two new distinct honors: he was appointed to the Ohio Public Defender Commission by Gov. John Kasich and was asked by Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor to be part of a task force studying improvements to the Ohio grand jury system. For the task force, Synenberg said the group looked into police shooting cases, which recommended that all fatal police shootings should be investigated exclusively by the Ohio Attorney General’s office. For the Public Defender Commission, Synenberg works to assess whether adequate public defense representation is available for those needing it. “It’s a very important agency because it ensures defendant’s rights,” he said.
Jenifere R. Singleton
Rachel L. Steinlage
Rising Star
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January 27, 2017
LOCAL LAwyers
Plan now for smooth business succession plan ED CARROLL
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lot of business succession planning is basically interpreting tax law, which means there’s a lot of details and nuance and all of it is important. Having a lawyer available to help navigate the proper language and procedures can be beneficial. Thomas I. Hausman of The Law Office of Thomas I. Hausman in Pepper Pike said one of the biggest problems he sees are people in business who don’t think about succession planning. He said a succession plan could be written into the operating agreement or a partnership, especially if it’s a family business. “Even if people aren’t looking for tax breaks, the right kind of language has to be in there for tax purposes,” Hausman said. “Most important thing to make sure is that there is a plan, and a lot of people don’t think about it at all.” Ken Liffman, managing principal of McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co. in Cleveland, said succession is a way to monetize your business and there’s no
one right way to do that. It depends on what the client wants. “You’ve got your money in (your business) and want to get it out,” Liffman said. “If what the individual wants doesn’t make a lot of sense, the professional’s job is to GPS it to where what they want to do does make sense.” Liffman said particularly in family owned companies, there can be a lot of conflicting emotions, where the business is in many ways the family’s “baby,” and a lawyer can help sort out issues. “As a parent, the business is sort of your baby too,” he said. “You want that to continue and show support for the business. You might have children who are interested in the business and others who aren’t, how do you cut up the baby between them?” Family businesses can present their own problems, said Gary Zwick of Walter and Haverfield in Cleveland. He said he saw a few common mistakes when clients come to him for advice. “First, they try to treat family members equally within the business,” Zwick said. “When they don’t
Hausman
Liffman
understand what the successors want, or attempt to keep lineal descendants together in the business when they don’t like each other or don’t have the same goals or don’t have the same skill sets.” Hausman said after seeing some of the cases he’s worked on and whether or not the business was family owned, partners should think about giving the ability to other members to force a partner to withdraw from the agreement if there’s a breach of contract or illegal act. “We would see all kinds of horrible things other people would do to their partners, such as disappear or refuse to give the others financial information,”
Hausman said. “I always thought the most important thing was to have a way to kick someone out of these partnerships without trouble or without a payout, so they either don’t get anything or so Zwick they get book value and not market value. I just hate to see someone make money off cheating or breaking the rules.” Zwick said he hopes people don’t need a lawyer often, but there are times when a lawyer can help, even if they don’t own a business. “Aside from common disputes, you could need a lawyer to do simple wills, trusts, powers of attorney issues, help with elderly parents, assist in the purchase of real estate and deal with taxing authorities,” he said.
Ed Carroll is a freelance writer from Westlake.
Hey graduate, now what? Here are tips to get hired NAOMI GRANT
T
he number of students graduating law school this year is estimated to be fewer than 34,000, which is the lowest since the 1970s, according to The Faculty Lounge, a website on law, culture and academia. However, U.S. News and World Report found that the class of 2015 scored fewer private practice jobs than any other graduating class in almost 20 years. Law school graduates should keep in mind that hiring attorneys is a holistic process for law firms – no one attribute guarantees job seekers employment. For Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland, the process begins when students are still in law school. “We have an extensive summer associate program,” COO Art Bernstein said. “We bring in students from law schools around the country who work for us during the summer and they get to experience us, and we get to experience them.” He said students should have good grades, be involved in extracurricular
activities such as moot court, be involved in community service and show passion for their future career. Buckley King LPA in Cleveland has similar criteria when hiring attorneys. It also takes a holistic approach but, “I suppose we have some priorities,” managing partner Brent Buckley said. He said that while pedigree, or gradepoint average and having attended a top 10 law school is important, it is by no means the “end game.” Traits his firm considers are “whether someone has a niche specialty, their civic values, their professional reputation and their motives for being an attorney,” Buckley said. “And with those things in mind on the laterals, we also look for people that have something unique about them, they’re optimistic, they have initiative, and probably the last one would be enthusiasm and passion.” He said that why a graduate is seeking a new job is also a consideration. Tucker Ellis doesn’t necessarily expect its new attorneys to already have a niche. That’s why they have a special
Bernstein
Buckley
group called the junior attorney corps. “When they come to Tucker Ellis, they don’t immediately become a real estate lawyer or a corporate lawyer,” Bernstein said. “The senior lawyers who have projects come to the JAC and say, ‘I need help on this,’ and so those young lawyers, those new lawyers, get a chance to try different practice areas before they are placed into a different practice group.” And when Bernstein’s firm hires senior attorneys, the basic characteristics they look for don’t differ greatly from hiring attorneys fresh out of law school, besides that established lawyers need a good professional reputation.
“At this particular firm, there’s a strong emphasis on collaboration and culture, so we want to make certain that the person who comes here is going to fit in to that environment,” he said. Bernstein said initiative also remains an important quality. “We want people who are going to jump into our firm and not wait around for things to happen to them,” he said. “Being involved in their legal education sends important signals to us.” Buckley said his firm gets “flooded with resumes” daily, but gives priority to local applicants when recruiting. “We believe in the Northeast Ohio community,” he said. “There’s no shortage of resumes coming in, but we do try to emphasize Northeast Ohio first.” Buckley offered some final advice for recent law school graduates. “Don’t be discouraged,” he said. “The current situation is not forever.”
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
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JANUARY 27, 2017
Finding divorce attorney first part of process KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER @KristenMottCJN kmott@cjn.org |
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oing through the process of divorce can be an emotional and stressful time in one’s life. As such, it’s often best to work with an attorney who can guide one through each step. But with so many divorce lawyers in the Greater Cleveland area, how does a person determine who is right for him or her? Jill Friedman Helfman, a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, suggests first determining which type of process one is interested in pursuing. “If you believe that the termination proceeding will be amicable, look for attorneys who are focused on assisting with an out-of-court resolution,” she said. “Such a resolution might include mediation, a collaborative divorce or a principled negotiation. “If you know that litigation will be your only option, seek attorneys who are seasoned divorce litigators and familiar with the county court where the divorce will be filed.” The personality of the lawyer also plays a key role. “I explain it as a doctor with bedside manner,” said Robert E. Somogyi, a partner at Kuenzi/Somogyi in Cleveland. “There are really good doctors out there, and some have good bedside manner that you’re comfortable with and some others don’t. Even if both attorneys know the law the same, some are more personable and you’re more comfortable with them. That bedside manner is really important for people who are going through a divorce.” Once a divorce attorney has been selected, the next step is to schedule an appointment for a consultation, accord-
ing to Laurie A. Koerner, an associate at Dworken & Bernstein Co., LPA in Painesville. During the consultation, the attorney and client can discuss what type of paperwork and financial documents will be required as well as the pros and cons of pursing dissolution or divorce, she said. One of the biggest differences between dissolution and divorce is the timing element, Somogyi said. “If you reach an agreement in advance of filing anything, then you can petition the court to dissolve the marriage,” he said. “You can reach an agreement by using a mediator with parties directly or with counsel. If the parties want to keep things discreet and work things out peacefully, you can each have an attorney and sit down, go over the full disclosure of assets and liability, and talk and work out terms.” Developing short- and long-term goals also is important, Friedman Helfman said, such as whether one wishes to remain in his or her current home or downsize to a smaller residence. Determining what’s important to each party can also help to prevent the process from turning into a long legal battle, she said. “Once you’ve identified these goals, discuss the goals with your attorney to determine whether they are realistic. Then, as you work through the termination of marriage proceeding, listen carefully to the demands of your spouse to determine whether a compromise can be reached that will allow you to meet your goals. Be prepared to negotiate.” The divorce process can become increasingly complicated if children are involved. One way to minimize the impact of the divorce on children, Somogyi said, is to reach an agreement. “If they really want what’s best for their child, they’ll sit down and work it out to keep their kids out of it. …
Friedman Helfman
Koerner
Somogyi
Show a unified front and then sit down together and address these issues,” he said. Koerner noted that the court typically requires parents to attend a parenting seminar, which provides them with information about the effect of divorce on children and how to avoid involving them unnecessarily in the process. “That seminar is important for parents to attend. We’ve gotten lots of positive feedback from clients about how useful that information is. Clients generally find it very helpful and it does give them some insight,” she said. While emotions often run high during a divorce, Friedman Helfman encourages people to not let their feelings get the best of them. “The process of terminating a marriage is often one of the most painful experiences an adult will experience,” she said. “But think clearly before you put your emotions ahead of your common sense. Try to stay focused on the financial and child-related goals you are trying to accomplish following the divorce, and stay away from focusing on how to ‘get back’ or punish your spouse for his/her behaviors during the marriage or that lead to the divorce.”
Patents protect intellectual property NAOMI GRANT
O
n the popular television show “Shark Tank,” a common question asked by at least one shark is, “Do you have a patent?” Todd Behrens of Medley, Behrens & Lewis, LLC in Independence; Steve Solomon of Pearne & Gordon, LLP in Cleveland; and Warren Sklar of Renner, Otto in Cleveland – all specialists in intellectual property law – shared the value of a patent. CJN: What’s the purpose of a patent? Behrens: You could think of it as a contract between a patent owner and the government to provide a limited monopoly to the patent holder in exchange for providing information out into the public domain. CJN: What is the job of a patent attorney? Sklar: A patent attorney assists clients with respect to their inventions to help them try to determine whether they’re sub-
jects for patenting. We can have a search made to see what prior inventions may exist relating to their technology and we assist with licensing, the invention and the patent to other interested parties who may want to gain rights to make and use the invention. We will deal with defending a client who is accused of infringement and/or assisting the client in connection with taking a license to somebody else’s patented technology. CJN: In what situation should you get a patent? Sklar: If you have an idea for an invention, a new product or a new method. Sometimes the subject matter is really not patentable. For example, I want to open a new pizza store and I want to use green tables because I want to be a green restaurant. Probably that’s not patentable. If you come up with a new formula for washing dishes for [food] to come off instantly and nobody’s made a product like that before, you may be able to protect that.
CJN: Can you break down the cost of getting a patent? Solomon: To prepare and file a patent application for a typical garden-variety invention, perhaps you’re looking at between $6,000 and $12,000. The next step of the process would be for the patent office to spend usually two to three years examining the application and assuming the end of that process is an issued patent that again would happen properly perhaps within two to three years, and the total cost of that process is probably somewhere in the range of $2,000 to $5,000. The all-in cost in many cases for average invention (can be) anywhere from $8,000 to $17,000. If it’s software related, you can double or triple that. CJN: How long does it typically take to get a patent? Behrens: It’s oftentimes that you’re not hearing anything back from the patent office once you file the application for another one to two years. It’s fairly typical that maybe three years, somewhere in that neighborhood, before you
reach a final decision on the patent application CJN: What are the most common mistakes you’ve seen people make? Solomon: They don’t consult a patent attorney early enough in their development process. If you’re developing something that is going to be sufficiently important to your business and to the future of your company, it’s a very good idea to contact a patent attorney before you begin just to have a conversation about the status of your development and what steps to and more importantly not to take to ensure you’re not going to run into problems later. There are things clients will do that sometimes can make it impossible to get a patent. CJN: What’s the most interesting case you’ve been involved with? Solomon: One relates to a device for clearing obstructive material from medical drain tubes – the types of tubes that are installed in a patient follow-
ing a thoracic surgery or a heart surgery to drain accumulated material to prevent some fairly serious consequences. Because blood clots, those tubes tend to get clogged fairly easily, so one of the patents I worked on relates to a device to clear those tubes and to keep them cleared. Sklar: James Fergason’s liquid crystal display. I wrote the patent application for that and then they actually licensed the technology to a billion-dollar company in California, but the patent had not been issued. The patent examiner initially rejected the patent application because he said there’s prior art that shows the same thing, so Jim Fergason and I went down to the patent office and had a personal interview with the examiner. We gave some explanation as to the distinctions between Jim’s invention and what the prior art showed and ultimately got the patent issued.
Naomi Grant is the Violet Spevack Editorial Intern.
78 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
JANUARY 27, 2017
LOCAL LAWYERS
Be prepared to sell your business, even if it’s years off MIKE KLEIN
I
f thoughts of retirement or selling your business are years off, the benefits of a periodic self-assessment keeps you prepared for that offer that’s too good to pass up or life’s other unexpected circumstances. It’s never too early to start planning to sell. Preparing to sell is as simple as performing a self-assessment of your business’s strengths and weaknesses. This practice identifies the most promising aspects of your business and reveals any issues hindering profitability.
Klein
FOCUS ON THREE KEY AREAS You can perform your own assessment or ask your accountant or financial adviser to perform it for you. Either way, you should perform these three steps: Analyze the current business operations. Look at earnings, profitability, market share and productivity over time to confirm these numbers are on an
upward trajectory. Although short-term slips are to be expected, particularly when the broader economy or your market sector is weak, your company’s financials should generally show positive trends over time. If instead you spot signs of deterioration – anything from falling profit margins to declining client numbers – plan to address these issues as soon as possible. Create a solid list of strengths. Tally your assets – physical, financial, intellectual and cultural. Determine, for example, the strongest items on your company’s balance sheet, your company’s most valuable assets and what your management team does particularly well. You should be able to assemble a robust list of “selling points,” even if your prospective buyer is only imaginary at this point. Conduct an honest accounting of weaknesses. Ask if any of your company’s weaknesses are serious enough to make a buyer have second thoughts about acquiring it. If so, those same issues are probably holding your business back right now. Every company has challenges – some challenges that may seem formidable. You may have trouble raising new capital to expand, or be unable to contain rising raw materi-
als costs. Perhaps a new competitor has entered your market. REPAIR AND RENOVATE EVEN IF YOU HAVE NO DESIRE TO SELL Once you’ve completed your assessment, plan to bolster and expand your strengths and fix or minimize your weaknesses. Sounds like a lot of work, right? Your accountant and/or financial advisor can help you prioritize so you are addressing the most important tasks first and making best use of your resources and time. SHORT- AND LONG-TERM REWARDS Even if you have no plans to sell, preparing for the possibility means that you probably won’t be in a desperate situation should a sale become necessary. Take the time now to conduct a self-assessment, and then act on your findings.
Mike Klein is a CPA and a partner with Ciuni & Panichi CPAs and Business Advisors in Beachwood.
Dealing with disabilities? It’s time for an attorney ED CARROLL
M
ost people don’t expect to file for disability benefits, but if one ever does, it can be a great help to have a lawyer to assist with the complex application process. Michael Liner of Liner Legal, LLC in Cleveland said the bulk of his clients are those who seek help to appeal denial of a claim, but many can benefit from an attorney at any point in the claims process. “I don’t think that every single person necessarily needs a lawyer,” Liner said. “But there are so many Glazer common mistakes made, it just makes more sense (to have one). A lawyer such as myself is familiar with the law, has experience in winning these cases, can get medical records and highlight why someone can’t work with the data within (the records).” Liner said that most people, including his clients, would have difficulty obtaining records. He Liner said he tells his clients to have any agency call him directly. “If Social Security calls one of my clients, I tell them to say, ‘Call Michael,’” he said. Michael Glazer of The Law Office of Michael A. Glazer in Solon said disability is a complicated program
that most people don’t ever anticipate they would need. “There’s lot of things a lawyer can do for you,” Glazer said. “From grabbing medical evidence, to recognizing weaknesses in a client’s case and fixing those weaknesses. Most cases go in front of a hearing judge and a lawyer can be very beneficial there. It can be very daunting to go up against the Social Security Administration and it can help having a lawyer there to guide the process.” Glazer said the most common problem he deals with is a disparity between reality and what’s in medical records. “If Social Security isn’t (seeing a condition) in the medical records, it doesn’t exist,” he said. “If what’s going on isn’t shown in the medical records, it’s not taken into consideration.” Liner said he sees common mistakes such as rushing through paperwork or not accurately describing a condition to both Social Security and doctors. “People don’t think through responses to their job history,” Liner said. “People don’t think of their heaviest things to pick up while working, or things such as attending conferences or meeting clients and having to be standing all day. People miss that, they only think, ‘Well, most of the time I was sitting’ or ‘I didn’t have to do too much lifting.’” Liner said a good lawyer would monitor all communication with Social Security to make sure you’re putting the best foot forward. “My clients don’t send anything to Social Security, it all goes through my office,” he said. Both Glazer and Liner disputed the idea that disabil-
ity benefits were simply handouts or haphazardly given out to people who don’t need them. “It’s very daunting to go up against the Social Security Administration,” Glazer said. “Better to have an attorney that’s devoting a large portion of their practice for disability, a lawyer that’s practicing a lot in that area will be more familiar with the ins and outs of the law. Social Security’s budget has been cut by 10 percent since 2010 and they haven’t been able to process this policy in a timely manner and that’s another problem, we have people who are out of work, unable to work and have this tremendous wait time.” Liner said the clients he represented were the opposite of frauds to the system. “My clients that badly need help and can’t work,” he said. “They are struggling and waiting two, three years to get it. It’s not a handout. It might have seemed like a handout in 2008 or 2009, but that’s not the case anymore. Judges are approving maybe half of the cases they approved before. It’s been a change in the way they interpret the law.” Liner said fraud accounts for about a fraction of a percent of Social Security cases, but it’s the rest of the people who deserve the benefits, or at least believe they deserve benefits, and are finding it harder to get them as a result. “Fraud is not the reality of this program,” he said. “The reality is the people who need this assistance aren’t getting it.”
Ed Carroll is a freelance writer from Westlake.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 27, 2017
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 79
Legal briefs On the move
BROUSE MCDOWELL ADDS EIGHT: Eight attorneys from Nadler Nadler and Burdman Co. LPA in Canfield have joined Brouse McDowell. They are Peter G. Grinstein, Michael A. Gallo, Jay M. Skolnick, Marc S. Stein, Timothy M. Reardon, Edward F. Smith, Kevin L. Bradford and Matthew G. Vansuch. Brouse McDowell has offices in Akron, Cleveland and Lorain County. CVETKOVIC JOINS BUCKLEY KING: Adrienne N. Cvetkovic has joined Buckley King as an associate in its litigation practice. Cvetkovic represents clients in commercial and business disputes and has considerable construction law experience. GRAUBARD PROMOTED TO CFO: Lincoln Graubard has been promoted to chief financial officer at Ulmer & Berne. Graubard has served as the firm’s director of finance since 2012. MCCARTHY LEBIT ADDS EIGHT: Eight lawyers recently joined McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman. They are Hugh D. Berkson, Charles I. Kampinski, Christopher J. Klasa, Nicholas R. Oleski, Colin R. Ray, Jay H. Salamon, Brian C. Sallee and Jonathan C. Wolnik. GROEDEL APPOINTED CHAIR: Howard Groedel has been appointed chair of the business and law department at Ulmer & Berne. GRAY LEGAL ADDS PAIR: Adam Rosen and Anthony Trzaska have joined Gray Legal in Cleveland as counsel. Rosen assists clients in the structuring, negotiation and documentation of transactions, including the acquisition, leasing, financing, sale and disposition of commercial real estate developments. Trzaska advises individuals and small businesses on matters ranging from entity formation to day-to-day business counseling to real estate acquisition and management.
Honors
30 ATTORNEYS AT HAHN LOESER RECOGNIZED: Thirty attorneys from Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP have been selected to the Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars lists in the 2017 edition of “Super Lawyers.” Super Lawyers in Cleveland are: Jeffrey A. Brauer, Erica L. Calderas, M. Patricia Culler, Rocco I. Debitetto, Daniel A. DeMarco, Derek E. Diaz, Christina D’Eramo Evans, Robert J. Fogarty, Stephen H. Gariepy, Arthur E. Gibbs III, Steven A. Goldfarb, Joan M. Gross, Lawrence E. Oscar, Rob Remington, Dennis R. Rose, Mark F. Swary and Christopher B. Wick. Super Lawyers in Columbus include: Marc J. Kessler, John F. Marsh, Christopher T. O’Shaughnessy, O. Judson Scheaf III and Douglas J. Suter. Rising Stars are Jon Paul Anthony, Josephine S. Floyd, Kelly A. Kosek, Casey McElfresh, E. Sean Medina, Charles W. Pugh, Christopher St. Marie and A.J. Hensel. MCCARTHY LEBIT ATTORNEYS NAMED SUPER LAWYERS: Twelve attorneys from McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman were named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list in the 2017 edition of Super Lawyers. They are Ann-Marie Ahern, Hugh D. Berkson, Robert T. Glickman, Tobias J. Hirshman, Charles I. Kampinski, Kimon P. Karas, Robert R. Kracht, Kenneth B. Liffman, Christian R. Patno, Richard A. Rabb, David A. Schaefer and John S. Seich. Ahern made the Cleveland top 25 women and Ohio top 50 women lists; Patno made the Cleveland top 5, Ohio top 10, Cleveland top 50 and Ohio top 100 lists; and Schaefer made the Cleveland top 50 and Ohio top 100 lists. 18 ATTORNEYS FROM FRANTZ WARD HONORED: Eighteen attorneys from Frantz Ward LLP have been selected to the Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars lists in the 2017 edition of Super Lawyers. Super Lawyers
are: Keith A. Ashmus, Brett K. Bacon, T. Merritt Bumpass Jr., Michael N. Chesney, Gregory R. Farkas, Michael J. Frantz, Patrick F. Haggerty, Joel R. Hlavaty, Brian J. Kelly, Andrew J. Natale, James B. Niehaus, Mark L. Rodio, Marc A. Sanchez and Daniel A. Ward. Thomas E. Cardone, Bradley D. Reed, Adam J. Russ and Andrew M. Szilagyi were named Rising Stars. MCCARTHY LEBIT LAWYERS NAMED RISING STARS: Three attorneys from McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman were selected to the Ohio Rising Stars list in the 2017 edition of Super Lawyers. They are Nicholas J. Celebrezze, Christopher J. Klasa and Jack E. Moran. BUCKLEY KING NAMED BEST LAW FIRM: Buckley King has been included in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. The firm was recognized for its practice strength in the fields of litigation – banking and finance; litigation – bankruptcy; banking and finance law; bankruptcy and creditor debtor rights/insolvency and reorganization law; corporate law; and commercial litigation. MCCARTHY LEBIT ATTORNEYS NAMED BEST LAWYERS: Ten attorneys from McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman were named to the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. They are Ann-Marie Ahern, Larry Crystal, Robert T. Glickman, Charles I. Kampinski, Kimon P. Karas, Robert R. Kracht, Kenneth B. Liffman, Christian R. Patno, Charles P. Royer and David A. Schaefer. Schaefer also was named Lawyer of the Year for best company litigation in Cleveland. KADISH, HINKEL & WEIBEL LAWYERS RECOGNIZED: Six attorneys from Kadish, Hinkel & Weibel were included in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. They are Kevin M. Hinkel, Matthew F. Kadish, Stephen L. Kadish, Karl E. May, Dean M. Rooney and David G. Weibel. BUCKLEY KING ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED: Eleven lawyers from Buckley King were recognized as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in the 2017 edition of Super Lawyers. Those designated as Super Lawyers are: Brent M. Buckley, Richard M. Bain, Jeffrey Baddeley, Kenneth R. Callahan, Elizabeth A. Crosby, Theodore M. Dunn Jr., Harry W. Greenfield, Lisa Arlyn Lowe, Rosemary Sweeney and Jeffrey C. Toole. Heather E. Heberlein was named a Rising Star. KADISH NAMED SUPER LAWYER: Matthew F. Kadish of Kadish, Hinkel & Weibel has been included in the 2017 edition of Super Lawyers. Kadish was recognized in the tax category and included in the top 100 Ohio and top 50 Cleveland lists. ULMER & BERNE ATTORNEYS HONORED: Thirty-eight attorneys at Ulmer & Berne were selected to the 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers list and 16 were chosen for the 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. The Super Lawyers in the Cleveland office are: Inajo D. Chappell, Robert E. Chudakoff, Timothy J. Downing, Jeff S. Dunlap, William D. Edwards, Bill J. Gagliano, Frances Floriano Goins, James A. Goldsmith, Howard M. Groedel, Lori A. Pittman Haas, Richard G. Hardy, Stephen H. Jett, Mark D. Katz, Joshua A. Klarfeld, James N. Kline, David L. Lester, Mary Forbes Lovett, Bruce P. Mandel, Kip Reader, Peter A. Rome, Patricia A. Shlonsky, Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau, Michael S. Tucker, Michael N. Ungar, and Frederick N. Widen. Rising Stars in the Cleveland office are: Stephanie M. Glavinos, Daniel A. Gottesman, Paul R. Harris, Candice L. Musiek Capoziello, Daniela Paez, Stanley D. Prybe, Gregory P. Stein, Matthew T. Wholey and Nicholas B. Wille.
Misc.
OSBA CERTIFIES 27 LAWYERS: The Ohio State Bar Association has newly certified 27 lawyers as specialists in seven legal practice areas. They are: Angela M. Sullivan, Levi J. Tkach, Jennifer L. Brogan, John P. Johnson, Corinne H. Six, Elizabeth J. Zuercher, Joshua L. Goode, Matthew R. Hochstetler, Andrew W. Kirkpatrick, James Bart Leonardi, Jennifer L. Lile, Neil H. Spike, Julia E. Tarvin, Patrick J. Tulley, Elizabeth A. Durnell, Ann-Marie Ahern, Nathan J. Pangrace, Stacy V. Pollock, Christine M. Snyder, Anthony A. Baucco, John A. Coleman, Katherine E. Ivan, Matthew A. Lallo, Lucas M. Blower, Matthew S. Brown, M. Terence Cawley, and Robert P. Rutter.
JLI has 6-week course on ‘The Dilemma’
Rabbi Shmuli Friedman of Cleveland Chabad will offer a new, six-session course from the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, “The Dilemma: Modern Conundrums. Talmudic Debates. Your Solutions.” Courses meet from 7:30-9 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning Jan. 31 and from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays, starting Feb. 1. Classes will be held at The Jewish Learning Insitute, 25400 Fairmount Blvd. in Beachwood. Courses are presented in in conjunction with the Fund for the Jewish Future of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. “‘The Dilemma’ is a mental expedition in which participants will mind-wrestle with situations that force them to choose between two reasonable truths. Participants analyze, discuss and debate original Talmudic texts to solve dilemmas and get an authentic taste of dynamic Talmud study,” Friedman said. “I find people in Cleveland love having the opportunity to engage in social discourse, particularly when it involves fascinating intellectual challenges and hot topics, such as Pokémon Go and Tesla’s self-driving cars. This is by far the most captivating course we’ve ever offered.” Rabbi Zalman Abraham of JLI’s Brooklyn, N.Y., headquarters, said, “In ‘The Dilemma,’ we encounter fascinating, real-life conundrums, situations in which your gut instinctively responds one way, but your brain tells you quite the opposite,” said “To solve these dilemmas, participants are asked to break into study groups and explore hair-splitting Talmudic arguments that participants then debate and apply to solve the cases using new, interactive polling technology.” ‘The Dilemma’ is accredited for continuing legal education credits for attorneys and others in the legal professions. The course is designed for all levels of knowledge, including those without any prior experience or background in Jewish learning. All courses are open to the public and attendees need not be affiliated with a particular synagogue, temple or other house of worship. Fee is $79 per person or $140 if bringing a friend. Those wanting to attend the first night can do so for free before committing to the enritre series. Scholarships are available. To register, call 216-282-0112, email jli@enrichingjudaism.com or visit myJLI.com. JLI is the adult education branch of Chabad-Lubavitch.
80 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
JANUARY 27, 2017
LOCAL LAWYERS
Repurposing social media posts comes with dangers
Privacy issues when posting publicly should be a concern
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AMANDA KOEHN | STAFF REPORTER akoehn@cjn.org | @AmandaKoehnCJN
AMANDA KOEHN | STAFF REPORTER akoehn@cjn.org | @AmandaKoehnCJN
uring the 2010 Haiti earthquake, a Haitian photographer, Daniel Morel, took photos at the scene and quickly posted them to Twitpic, a website that was used to post pictures on Twitter. Soon after, the images were taken by stock photo agencies Getty Images and Agence France-Presse, where news outlets like The Washington Post and ABC obtained them to publish. In 2013, Morel won a long legal fight for the photos and the stock photo agencies were ordered to pay him $1.2 million in damages for willfully violating copyright law. “They were liable – they tried to argue that he licensed them by posting them on Twitter, or that he made them public, but (the court) said no,” said Rob Chudakoff, a partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cleveland. With social media websites that largely depend upon people reposting content from one another, the line between what one is allowed to take and repurpose is blurry. However, local attorneys say it’s not much different than taking content posted on a website or even in a newspaper – it’s simply the scale of how quickly content can go viral. “Just because something’s available on the internet and you can copy it, doesn’t mean you can legally copy it,” Chudakoff said. Generally, material falls into one of a few categories: copyrightable, not copyrightable or trademarked. Most content that has a “minimal level of creativity,” whether posted on social media, a personal website or anywhere else, legally belongs to the creator and is thus copyrightable, Chudakoff said. Content that is not considered creative – for example, writing that is short in length, like a tweet – is not copyrightable. However, it may be trademarked. Suzann Moskowitz, lawyer and founder of the Moskowitz Firm LLC in Cleveland Heights, said that while copyrights protect content of works of authorship, trademark protects words or designs used as brands. She relayed the example, that the phrase “make America great again,” is too short to be copyrighted, it can be trademarked when used to sell something, like hats – which President Donald Trump did just five days after former President Barack Obama won re-election in 2012. While there is no ban on using a company’s trademarks either online or elsewhere, Moskowitz explained that issues can arise. “If you are just speaking factually- like ‘We use brand X of motor oil’, or ‘This accessory fits an iPhone 7’ and if you don’t give anyone the impression that you have a partnership with or endorsement from (the company) that might be OK,” she said, but pointed out that there is no way to eliminate the risk that an overzealous third party could object. Regarding copyrightable material, to make things more complicated, some content falls into a category of fair use and can be taken without permission, but only under certain circumstances, like for education or commentary. However, unless you completely understand principles of fair use, it’s best to be on the safe side. “It’s really about how you are communicating with people. If you are misleading people into thinking you own something that you don’t, it’s probably not fair use,” Moskowitz said.
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Moreover, even if you attribute credit to the owner, you are not legally protected to reuse it unless they give you permission. Scott Lewis, a partner at Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis in Woodmere, said in an email, “The two easiest ways to avoid copyright infringement on social media are one, create original content and then, if possible, copyright it, or two, if you’re posting someone else’s material, get their permission.” What happens if you write a blog and someone copies it without your permission? You can file for a copyright even after the infringement occurs and sue them to take it down. However, don’t overlook just asking them to take it down first. “Even before the take-down notices, you may try the old-fashioned approach: a telephone call, perhaps accompanied or followed by an invoice, if there is a standard rate or fee associated with the content use,” Lewis said. However, Chudakoff said that while most content can be copyrighted, it’s up to the creator to decide what he or she will allow in terms of reuse. “When would I register? I would probably register any content that I thought I would be willing to sue somebody for infringing,” he said. Not sure if you are liable with your LinkedIn or Facebook posts? A good rule of thumb is to not post anything without permission, and then attribute it – just as you would if you were writing a paper for school. “I don’t really distinguish between whether people are using it on their own website, or in a presentation or on LinkedIn. To me, social media is just a different pad of paper,” Moskowitz said.
ith the omnipresence of social media, it’s easier than ever to impact a person or business’s reputation online. A small group of lawyers around the country, like Aaron Minc, of counsel, for Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis in Woodmere, specialize in defending people and business’ reputations online. Minc said he sees, “anything and everything, from your basic businesses not liking employee criticisms or consumer complaints, to people extorting and harassing each other online, to publishing Minc very private, personal information or trade secrets online – or just smearing someone outright.” Soon after graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Minc saw a need for lawyers who could defend people against defamation online, and started blogging about it. Now, Minc said he has dealt with nearly every social media website in his work. A situation he often sees is people using Yelp, or other review or doctor ratings websites, to write false reviews of a business or individual online, in order to get back money or for revenge. Minc, a member of The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood, said copyright law also can be useful in defamation cases, as sometimes someone unlawfully repurposes another’s content while also defaming them. “Generally in my practice, lots of times people might use copyrighted materials simultaneously while defaming them, or while harassing them or when invading their privacy,” Minc said. “(It) is a very good method to get things removed from the internet if they are private images, pictures or videos people don’t want published online.” Publisher’s Note: Aaron Minc is a member of the Cleveland Jewish News Board of Directors.
Settlement reached for teacher fired after Facebook post ASSOCIATED PRESS SYLVANIA, Ohio – The Sylvania School District has reached a settlement after a substitute teacher said he was fired after making a political statement on Facebook. The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio says the district near Toledo has agreed to pay $8,400 in damages and legal fees for teacher Derek Ide. Ide said he was fired following his comments criti-
cizing a South Carolina deputy seen on video pulling a teenager from her school desk and tossing her across the floor. The school first said Ide was fired for his performance, but the school in the settlement agreed to say that the firing didn’t reflect on his teaching performance. The Blade reported Ide has agreed not to apply for a position within the Sylvania district during the next two school years.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 27, 2017
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 81
LOCAL LAWYERS / SUPER ATTORNEYS Meet some noteworthy Jewish attorneys* Name: Fred. J. Arnoff Name of firm: Weston Hurd LLP Field of specialty: Business law, commercial law, real etstate, bankruptcy, employment law, estate planning Years as attorney: 41 Years as U.S. Best Lawyer: 8 (2010-17) Other: “Who’s Who in American Law,” 17 years ed Why I became an attorney: A career as a lawyer is a special calling. As lawyers, we are in an extraordinary position to assist individuals, business organizations and promote the public good. More than 41 years of practice, my clients have constantly challenged me with problems that are almost always different, intellectually stimulating and never boring. Name: Richard Bain Name of firm: Buckley King LPA Field of specialty: Business litigation / corporate counseling Years as attorney: 37 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 1 (2017) Years Inside Business Leading Lawyer: 1 (2010) Other: Mayor of Pepper Pike Why I became an attorney: Assisting people, businesses and community has always been motivation for me to be involved. Being an attorney affords that opportunity to be of value to others. It is stimulating to creatively address challenges and find solutions to problems. Name: Todd Behrens Name of firm: Medley, Behrens & Lewis, LLC Field of specialty: Intellectual property Years as attorney: 12 Years as Rising Star: 1 (2010) Why I became an attorney: As a patent attorney, I am in a position to work with extremely creative and talented people, which provides me the opportunity to learn about new technologies every day. I greatly enjoy helping out clients secure rights in new advances across various technology fields.
Name: Virginia “GiGi” D. Benjamin Name of Firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Public finance law Years as attorney: 41 Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 13
Name: Howard Bobrow Name of firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP Field of specialty: Private equity and venture capital, business and finance, mergers and
Name: Hugh D. Berkson Name of firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Field of specialty: Securities litigation and arbitration Years as attorney: 22 Years as Super
acquisitions Years as attorney: 21 Years as U.S. Best Lawyer: 5 (2013-17) Years as Rising Star: 3 (2005-06, 2009) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 11 (2007-17) Other: Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year for venture capital law– Cleveland, 2017; Why I became an attorney: I became a lawyer because I am a builder. I enjoy helping people accomplish their business objectives, whatever they may be. That adversarial stuff was never for me.
(2005-17)
Lawyer: 5 (2013-17) Other: Martindale-Hubbel AV rating; Avvo 10.0 superb rating Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney because the intellectual challenge was appealing. While I have certainly enjoyed that aspect of the work, the opportunity to help people get back on their feet has been more rewarding than I ever thought it could be. Name: Matthew D. Besser Name of firm: Bolek Besser Glesius LLC Field of specialty: Employment discrimination, civil rights and appellate Years as attorney: 12 Years as Super Lawyer: 4 (2014-17) Years as Rising Star: 2 (2005-6) U.S. News Best Lawyer: 6 (2012-17) Other: Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating, AV preeminent since 2005 Avvo’s highest rating, superb; In June 2017, will be sworn in as president of the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys; adjunct law professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Why I became an attorney: People come to me because they are facing a challenging time and need justice. The change to help them repair their lives, and to make a positive, lasting impact – not only of their lives – but in the community as a whole, is fulfilling beyond words.
Name: Cathleen Bolek Name of firm: Bolek Besser Glesius LLC Field of specialty: Employment litigation Years as Attorney: 24 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2009-11, 2015-17) Why I Became an Attorney: I’ve always wanted to help the less fortunate. I was drawn to employment law because some employers abuse the power they have and non-union employees have very little protection and often don’t know how to enforce their rights. Name: Seth P. Briskin Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Labor and employment law Years as attorney: 21 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Years as Rising Star: 4 (2005-07, 2009) Other: Cleveland Jewish News 18 Difference Makers, 2016 Why I became an attorney: In labor and employment law, it is all about a company or organization’s most costly and interesting asset, its people. People continue to fascinate and surprise me.
Name: Alvin Brouman Name of firm: Brouman Law Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 62 Why I became an attorney: To interact with people as a legal professional is an honor relatively few can enjoy. To experience and share the client’s pleasure with a successful outcome of a complex matter can be especially rewarding. Name: Sandra J. Buzney Name of firm: Sandra J. Buzney Co., LPA Field of specialty: Elder law, Medicaid planning and applications, estate planning, probate administration Years as attorney: 16 Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 9 (2009-17) Why I became an attorney: Even though clients are often facing difficult situations when they need my services, I have the opportunity to meet very special individuals and develop long-term professional relationships with them. Name: Robert E. Chudakoff Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Intellectual property Years as attorney: 29 Years as Super Lawyer: 5 (2013-17) Why I became an attorney: Being a lawyer is both challenging and gratifying. My practice area, IP litigation, presents interesting problems in a variety of technologies and businesses. I enjoy the challenge of solving complex legal issues while at the same time helping clients achieve their goals. Name: David R. Cohen Name of firm: David R. Cohen Co., LPA Field of specialty: Special master Years as attorney: 23 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2016-17) What I like about being an attorney: As a federal special master and mediator, I help judges and parties resolve their most complicated cases. This is very gratifying and endlessly interesting.
82 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Gary Cowan Name of firm: Elk & Elk Co. Ltd. Field of specialty: Personal injury and products liability Years as attorney: 28 Years as Super Lawyer: 7 (2011-17) Other: Top 100 trial lawyers Ohio, 2012-16; Multi-Million Dollar Advocates; Million Dollar Advicates Why I Became an Attorney: I enjoy representing clients from all walks of life, learning about their struggles and giving them guidance. Representing injured parties is akin to playing the underdog role. Fighting powerful insurance companies is a responsibility I take seriously. I always fight vigorously for my clients to level the playing field. Name: Marc E. Dann Name of firm: The Dann Law Firm Co., LPA Field of specialty: Consumer Years as attorney: 29 Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney to help the powerless take on the powerful. I have been fortunate to be able to bring that passion to my life in my current practice representing mortgage borrowers and other consumers against banks and predatory lenders, debt buyers and debt collectors. Name: Gary S. Desberg Name of firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Field of specialty: Real estate Years as attorney: 31 Years as Super Lawyer: 11 (2006-16) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 10 (2007-16) Other: Best Lawyers Cleveland real estate Lawyer of the Year, 2015; Chambers USA Leading Lawyers, 2011-16 Name: Michael Diamant Name of firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP Field of specialty: Litigation Years as attorney: 46 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2005-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Other: Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, College of Commercial Arbitrators CPR International Institute for conflict prevention and resolution;
January 27, 2017
Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center College of Commercial Arbitrator International Centre for Dispute Resolution Why I became an attorney: Being an attorney for 46 years provided me with the opportunity to solve problems and learn new things every day. Now as an arbitrator and mediator, I get to apply my legal and engineering problem solving skills to helping companies and communities resolve their disputes. Name: Steve Dlott Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Workers’ compensation Years as attorney: 25 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2013-14) Why I became an attorney: To eliminate frauds and abuse, and to protect employers against unscrupulous and dishonest employees. Name: Brandon Duber Name of firm: Bentoff & Duber Co., LPA Field of specialty: Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Years as attorney: 11 Years as Rising Star: 5 (2013-17) Why I Became an Attorney: As an attorney, I take great pride in helping those who are unable to help themselves. Whether a person is injured, disabled, or faces criminal allegations, I enjoy taking on the challenge of helping people through their most difficult times and restoring a sense of normalcy to their lives. Name: Michael Duber Name of firm: Bentoff & Duber Co., LPA Field of specialty: Workers’ compensation Years as Attorney: 44 years Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Why I Became an Attorney: I desired to become an attorney after reading “Gideon’s Trumpet.” I was also inspired by the late Honorable Bernard Ostrovsky, a judge in Cleveland Heights who demonstrated so much compassion for those before him. In the area of workers’ compensation, I represent injured workers with fairness and compassion.
Name: Rob Dubyak Name of firm: Dubyak Nelson LLC Field of specialty: Business litigation, real estate Years as attorney: 25 years Years as Super Lawyer: 8 (2009-10, 2012-17) Years as Rising Star: 3 (2005-07) Why I Became an Attorney: The most rewarding part of being a lawyer is helping clients approach and resolve challenging legal issues. Whether it is a partnership dispute, business litigation or employment matter, the key is to partner with the client to understand the core of the problem and determine an effective and efficient solution. Name: Mark S. Edelman Name of firm: McGlinchy Stafford Field of specialty: Consumer financial services compliance Years as attorney: 31 Years as Super Lawyer: 10 (2007-16) Other: Listed in The Best Lawyers in America Why I became an attorney: I enjoy working with corporate clients to reach creative legal solutions to their problems. Oftentimes in the compliance area, answers aren’t black and white. It’s my job to navigate the various laws to get the clients the results they seek, even if it’s not the most obvious course of action. Name: Leonard Ehrenreich Name of firm: Ehrenreich and Associates Field of specialty: Negligent injury and wrongful death claims Years as attorney: 43 Other: Top Attorneys of North America, 2016 Why I became an attorney: People scoff at neck and back injuries until it happens to them and they realize the devastating snowball effect such injuries have on one’s life. I enjoy helping people who have sustained injuries rebuild their lives while exacting the greatest contribution from those who were the cause.
LOCAL LAwyers Name: Brian N. Eisen Name of firm: The Eisen Law Firm Field of specialty: Medical malpractice Years as attorney: 25 Years as Super Lawyer: 11 (2006-17) Number of Years Years as Rising Star: 1 (2005-06) Other: Million Dollar Advocates Why I became an attorney: I love being able to combine my love of learning about the medicine involved in medical malpractice cases with the law and ultimately being able to help those seriously injured obtain justice. Name: Michael Eisner Name of firm: Elk & Elk Co. Ltd. Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 22 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Other: Top 100 trial lawyers in Ohio (2014-17); AV rating 4.8/5.0 BV preeminent; Million Dollar Advocate; 10/10 Avvo rating Why I became an attorney: Growing up, I was the smallest kid in my class and was frequently bullied. As I got older, I learned I could use words and intelligence to resolve disputes rather than violence. It is rewarding to use these skills to represent and protect my injured clients. Name: Arthur M. Elk Name of firm: Elk & Elk Co. Ltd. Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 45 Other: Million Dollar Advocate; Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Why I Became an Attorney: Elk & Elk was a pioneer in marketing a law firm after purchasing the first outer back covers of phone books, as well as being the first to secure intellectual property rights for professional and collegiate sports organizations. We take pride in providing a multitude of resources to our clients.
SUPER ATTORNEYS Name: David J. Elk Name of firm: Elk & Elk Co. Ltd. Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 52 Other: Million Dollar Advocate; Multi-Million Dollar Advocate; AV rating 4.9/5.0 BV preeminent Why I Became an Attorney: I devoted my career of 52 years to helping injured people receive the compensation they deserve. I knew early on that I wanted to help people. The best way to help my clients is to provide quality legal representation, regardless of whether they can afford it. Name: Aaron S. Evenchik Name of firm: Frantz Ward LLP Field of specialty: Construction, real estate, and zoning Years as attorney: 15 years Years as Rising Star: 4 (2013-16) Why I became an attorney: The litigation portion of my practice permits me to utilize my storytelling, competitive nature and creative strengths. I argue in front of judges, arbitrators, mediators and zoning
January 27, 2017 boards, and have to use the law and facts as the chess pieces to win the battle or advance my client’s interests. Name: Charles Walter Fonda Name of Firm: SelfPhoto not employed Field of specialty: available Bankruptcy Years as Attorney: 36 Why I Became an Attorney: I get a feeling of satisfaction when I can help people keep their homes or save them from financial ruin. Name: Alexandra Forkosh Name of Firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Business, corporate and commercial litigation Years as attorney: 1 Why I became an attorney: As a first year litigation associate, I am constantly learning. I really enjoy the challenges and skill development opportunities that come with being an attorney, and I also am grateful for the mentorship I receive from experienced attorneys at Calfee.
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 83 Name: Mark S. Frank Name of firm: Mark S. Frank, Attorney at Law, LLC Field of specialty: Injury, probate and landlord tenant law Years as attorney: 35 Why I became an attorney: I initially wanted to enter into politics, but once I was exposed, I realized that politics did not really help those who needed the help the most. As an attorney, I have been able to assist many through difficult times when others would not come to their assistance. Name: Dov Y. Frankel Name of firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Field of specialty: Business restructuring, bankruptcy and creditor rights Years as attorney: 23 Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 1 (2016) Other: Contributing author to Norton’s Annual Survey of Bankruptcy Law Why I became an attorney: Each day brings new challenges. As an attorney specializing in assisting businesses facing financial challenges, no two days are the same. I enjoy the opportunity to learn about what makes a particular
business tick, why people went into a particular business and why some businesses are successful, while others fail. Name: Adam M. Fried Name of firm: Reminger Co., LPA Field of specialty: Estate and trust litigation Years as attorney: 21 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2012-17) Years as Rising Star: 2 (2005, 2009) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyers: 8 (since 2009) Otrher: Rated AV preeminent: very highly rated in legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale-Hubbel; selected as Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year - Cleveland, litigation and trusts, 2015; Ohio State Bar Association - estate planning, trust and probate law section council; Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association - probate and trust section; American Bar Association probate and trust section; William K. Thomas Inn of Court, president, master of the bench and executive board; Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation; American Bar Foundation; American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, fellow; adjunct professor: Cleveland Marshall College of Law, wills, trusts and estates.
84 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Ian N. Friedman Name of firm: Friedman & Nemecek LLC Field of specialty: Criminal, cyber and white collar defense Years as attorney: 19 Years as Super Lawyer: 8 (2010-17) Years as Rising Star: 1 (2009) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Other: Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni Association, Annual Recognition Luncheon, Alumni of the Year Honoree, 2017; Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Community Trust Task Force, chairperson, 2016-17; American Board of Criminal Lawyers, incoming president, president, 2018. Why I Became an attorney: I remember as a young kid always feeling the need to have fairness in every situation. I was, and still am today, terribly troubled by
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JANUARY 27, 2017 unjust results. This naturally drove me to law where I could help those in need obtain justice. My role is very fulfilling. Name: Joshua A. Friedman Name of firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Intellectual Property Years as attorney: 4
Name: Susan L. Friedman Name of firm: Axner, Friedman & Jones, LLP Field of specialty: Estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, probate, guardianships Years as attorney: 20 Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney because I wanted to help people resolve issues and plan for their future by utilizing the legal system. I currently work to help individuals and family plan for various life transitions – either for the future or during a crisis. Name: Joshua B. Fuchs Name of firm: Cohen Rosenthal & Kramer, LLP Field of specialty: Commercial litigation, consumer class actions, employment litigation Years as attorney: 6 Years as Rising Star: 2 (2016-17) Why I became an attorney: Bubbe said I could be a doctor or a lawyer, and I didn’t get into medical school. Name: Robert A. Fuerst Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Real estate Years as attorney: 36 Years as Super Lawyer: 9 (2004-12) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Other: Martindale-Hubbell AV preeminent rating for more than 15 straight years Why I became an attorney: I like being part of a team to get a transaction done and coming up with creative solutions which work for both sides to make that happen. Name: Sarah J. Gabinet Name of firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz Field of specialty: Family law / domestic relations Years as attorney: 34 Years Super Lawyer: 13 (2005-17) Other: Super Lawyers top 50 women Ohio, 2009, 2016-17; Super Lawyers top 25 women Cleveland, 2009, 2012, 2016-17 What I like about being an attorney: I enjoy helping individuals move through life-changing challenges and working to achieve the best possible outcome for them and their family.
LOCAL LAWYERS Name: Mitchell Evan Gecht Name of firm: Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, LLP Field of specialty: Mergers and acquisitions, private equity Years as attorney: 3
Name: Marc P. Gertz Name of firm: Goldman & Rosen, Ltd. Field of specialty: Bankruptcy Years as attorney: 38 Years as Super Lawyer: 5 (2012-17) Years U.S. News Best Lawyer: 7 (2010-16)
Name: Robert S. Gilmore Name of firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz Field of specialty: Labor and employment law Years as attorney: 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 12 (2005, 2006, 2008-17) Why I became an attorney: I’m able to work hand in hand with my clients to solve complicated business issues. As both a litigator and counselor, I am able to find the best solution for my clients. Name: Michael A. Glazer Name of firm: Law Office of Michael A. Glazer, LLC Field of specialty: Social security and disability Years as attorney: 9 What I like about being an attorney: I enjoy being an attorney because practicing in the area of social security disability law, I have the opportunity to work directly with clients and do substantive legal work that will directly impact their lives. I also enjoy doing administrative hearings and legal writing. Name: Ira S. Goffman Name of firm: Rolf Goffman Martin Lang, LLP Field of specialty: Health care Years as attorney: 35 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Other: Board certified as a health law specialist by The Florida Bar since 1996; Firm ranked as tier 1 2017 Best Law Firms in Ohio and Michigan; Best Lawyers in America, since 1998. What I like about being an attorney: Being an attorney with more than 30 years of health care law experience as well as being an accountant has enabled me to develop the reputation for providing valuable business insight, counsel and advice to health care providers and maintain clients for many years.
SUPER ATTORNEYS Name: Warren Goldenberg Name of firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Field of specialty: Intellectual property and business law Years as attorney: 35 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2004-5, 2007) Other: The Best Lawyers in America, venture capital law, 2008-16. The Best Lawyers in America, Cleveland Lawyer of the Year: venture capital law, 2015. The Best Lawyers in America, corporate law: 2014-16. AVA preeminent rated, Martindale-Hubbell. Why I became an attorney: I like helping entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams. Name: Steven A. Goldfarb Name of firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Field of specialty: Commercial and business litigation Years as attorney: 31 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Other: Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,
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January 27, 2017 commercial litigation, 2008-15. The Best Lawyers in America, commercial litigation, banking and financeliitigation, 2007-16. Martindale-Hubbell AVA preeminent rated. Why I became an attorney: As a trial lawyer, I have the privilege of using years of education and experience to help figure out the best strategy and arguments to help clients, adversaries and decision-makers look at a case in a way that best helps individuals and businesses solve their problems in a civil manner. Name: Alan Goldman Name of firm: Goldman Legal Services, LLC Field of specialty: Nonprofit organizations Years as attorney: 17 Why I became an attorney: The law impacts most aspects of our lives as Americans. Being able to understand it, and apply it knowledgeably, is essential to effecting change – be it on a small level (for my client) or on a macro level. This capability remains an inspiration to me.
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86 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: James A. Goldsmith Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Trusts and estates Years as attorney: 26 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 16 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy working with clients to solve both personal and tax planning issues for their benefit and the benefit of multiple generations of their families. Also, helping clients with difficult intra-family situations to minimize and resolve conflict is very satisfying and rewarding. Name: Alan Goodman Name of firm: Alan I. Goodman and Associates Field of specialty: Employment and labor Years as attorney: 35 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy my work because of the people I meet. Their issues and problems and the ability to solve them make me more aware of the good fortune I have enjoyed with my family and friends. Name: Daniel A. Gottesman Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Real estate Years as attorney: 9 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Why I became an attorney: I enjoy the thrill of negotiating and closing transactions for clients as well as the satisfaction of fostering genuine relationships built on trust with clients and fellow attorneys. Name: David I. Grant Name of firm: Grant & O’Malley Co., LPA Field of specialty: Criminal defense Years as attorney: 35 Years as Super Lawyer: 4 (2014-17) Other: John T. Butler Excellence in Criminal Defense Award Cuyahoga County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, 2010; past president of the Cuyahoga County Criminal Defense Association; past chairman of criminal law section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association; past board member of Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Why I became an attorney: I enjoy the challenge of assisting people and
helping them to work through difficult legal issues. I also enjoy competing with the vast resources of the government in the process of defending people’s constitutional rights. Name: Bradley L. Greene Name of firm: The Life Care Planning Law Offices of Bradley L. Greene Field of specialty: Elder law Years as attorney: 27 Why I became an attorney: I have always wanted to be an attorney. What better way to truly help those in need? I started my career doing criminal defense but transitioned to elder law. I can’t imagine a job more rewarding than helping a family through the process of a loved one’s aging and death. Name: Harry W. Greenfield Name of firm: Buckley King LPA Field of specialty: Corporate, corporate restructuring, corporate bankruptcy Years as attorney: 46 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) U.S. News Best Lawyer: 9 (2009-17) Other: Top 100 attorneys in Ohio, 2015-present; top 50 attorneys in Cleveland, 2015-present; Chambers USA, American College of Bankruptcy, 2012 to present; Cleveland Chapter of the Turnaround Managers Association – Life Time Achievement Award, 2013; Commercial Law League of America’s President’s Cup, 2001. Why I became an attorney: My father and many of his friends were attorneys. At night at the dinner table, I would hear them recount their stories of practicing law. I wanted to become a lawyer as early as I could remember. Helping to solve others’ problems provides me with a reward I could not achieve from any other profession. Name: Marc W. Groedel Name of firm: Reminger Co., LPA Field of specialty: PI medical malpractice defense Years as attorney: 37 Years as Super Lawyer: 8 (2010-17) Other: Super Lawyers top 50 Cleveland lawyer; Super Lawyer top 100 Ohio Lawyer. Why I Became an attorney: I enjoy being a lawyer because of the daily intellectual challenges as well as the opportunity it has afforded me as the problem solver
January 27, 2017 and decision maker. I also appreciate being given the opportunity to consult those involved in litigation and be their zealous advocate when necessary. Name: Joan M. Gross Name of firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Field of specialty: Estate planning, probate and trust law Years as attorney: 40 Years as Super Lawyer: 10 (2008-17) Other: Society of Benchers, Case Western Reserve University School of Law: member The Best Lawyers in America, trust and estates, 2005-16. AVA preeminent rated, Martindale-Hubbell. Why I became an attorney: When I went to law school in 1973, I went for the intellectual challenge. My job is intellectually stimulating, but what I really love about it is my relationship with my clients and how I can make a difference in their lives. Name: Thomas I. Hausman Name of firm: The Law Office of Thomas I. Hausman Field of specialty: Taxation (tax advice and tax controversy), business (preparing partnership and operating agreements, and other documents) and estate planning Years as attorney: 43 Years as Super Lawyer: 5 (2007-11) Why I became an attorney: Because I wanted to help people and I really enjoy doing this. Name: Jill Friedman Helfman Name of firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP Field of specialty: Family law Years as attorney: 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 19 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 5 (2013-17) Other: Best Lawyer of the Year – Cleveland – Family Law, 2017; Ohio Super Lawyers top 50 women, 2017; Ohio Super Lawyers top 25 women – Cleveland, 2017; fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; CJN 18 Difference Makers 2015 Why I became an attorney: My family law practice enables me to assist people who are at a low point in their lives, while supporting and counseling them to reach a brighter future. I enjoy helping people to navigate and resolve difficult financial and emotional issues. It is an incredibly rewarding job.
LOCAL LAwyers Name: Michael C. Hennenberg Name of firm: Of Counsel, Dinn, Hochman & Potter LLC Field of specialty: Criminal defense Years as attorney: 42 Years Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Why I became an attorney: Lawyers play an important role in helping people with dispute resolution and those being confronted by government. World War II mass murders resulted from an amoral and corrupt German government’s conduct that was not stopped by free press, vigorous lawyer advocacy, and an independent judiciary. Name: Alan N. Hirth Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Business litigation Years as attorney: 43 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2010, 2016-17) Why I became an attorney: The challenge of trying to persuade a judge and jury to accept the facts as I see them. And, every once in awhile the opportunity to do good and help people. Name: Alan C. Hochheiser Name of firm: Maurice Wutscher LLP Field of specialty: Bankruptcy Years as attorney: 28 Other: Cleveland’s top-rated lawyers, 2015; Martindale-Hubbell AV preeminent rated, 2008 Why I became an attorney: I was fascinated at an early age with contracts. The Paper Chase influenced me greatly. In my practice area of bankruptcy, I deal with contractual issues on a regular basis. This affords me the opportunity to help our clients achieve success in the day-to-day events surrounding their business.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 27, 2017
Name: Ron Isroff Name of firm: Isroff Mediation Services, LLC Field of specialty: Mediation and arbitration Years as attorney: 49 Years as Super Lawyer: 17 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 1 (2017) Other: Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, mediation, Greater Cleveland, 2016 Why I became an attorney: As a neutral mediator is fulfilling and challenging, to use my 45 years of litigation experience to assist litigants in evaluating and analyzing the financial and emotional costs of settling disputes on their terms, rather than proceeding with the risk and expense of further litigation. Name: William S. Jacobson Name of firm: Nurenberg Paris Field of specialty: Medical malpractice, focusing on obstetrical and pediatric cases Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Other: U.S. News Best Lawyers, for medical malpractice law – plaintiffs in Cleveland, 2015-16; U.S. News Best Lawyers top 13 Cleveland lawyers in the medical malpractice – plaintiffs, 2015 Why I Became an attorney: I’m drawn to medical malpractice as I enjoy solving the puzzle these cases present. When the documents arrive, answers are not apparent, I wait until evening when the phone stops ringing, shut my door and comb the records for clues.
Name: Ari Jaffe Name of firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz Field of specialty: Business litigation and general practice Years as attorney: 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 7 (2005, 2006, 2013-17) Why I became an attorney: I enjoy helping people and businesses. Through the practice of law, I have been able to resolve disputes, assist ventures to grow and prosper, and aid individuals and entities by defending their legal and contractual rights and enabling them to recover damages they have suffered. Name: Barbara Bellin Janovitz Name of firm: Reminger Co., LPA Field of specialty: Trusts and estates Years as attorney: 33 Years as U.S. News Best Lawyers: 9 (2009-17) Other: Recipient of YWCA Woman of Professional Excellence, 2014; Recipient of the Cleveland Clinic Speaking of Women’s Health Award for Leadership and Community Service, 2007. Why I Became an attorney: I enjoy maintaining close, long-term relationships with many of my clients and being able to advise them on the personal, as well as tax aspects of their estate plans. I appreciate being able to help my clients make important decisions with compassion and in a thoughtful, deliberate manner.
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 87
Commercial Litigation Art’s practice spans nearly every type of commercial litigation. He has been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America for the past 5 years, a Super Lawyer for the past 20 and one of Northeast Ohio’s Top Lawyers. He also carries the Martindale Hubbell A/V rating, the highest recognized rating.
Arthur M. Kaufman
Attorney at Law 29525 Chagrin Boulevard, Suite 250 Pepper Pike, Ohio 44122 Phone: 440.462.6501 | Mobile: 216.346.8896 ak@kdglegal.com
Doug Bloom, founding principal, advises clients on corporate, real estate, lending, contractual, employment matters and secured transactions. He also has extensive experience litigating commercial, real estate, tort, employment, non-competition and real estate tax cases. Doug has extensive experience representing clients in the entertainment industry. In addition, he has vast knowledge and experience with educational law through his representation of charter schools and sponsors of charter schools. DOUGLAS E. BLOOM • Bloom Law Group, LLC 24460 Aurora Road • Cleveland OH 44146 Direct: 216.364.0504 • Main: 216.364.2600 Fax: 216.364.0507 • dbloom@bloom-lawgroup.com
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88 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Charles Kampinski Name of firm: McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Field of specialty: Trial attorney Years as attorney: 39 Years as Super Lawyer: 12 (2004 14, 2017 Why I became an attorney: My family survived the Holocaust. I quit high school, joined the U.S. Navy, got a GED, and obtained a law degree. We grew up poor. I viewed the law as a noble profession and it has been an honor and a privilege to represent injured victims. Name: Daniel R. Karon Name of firm: Karon LLC Field of specialty: Anti-trust, consumer and class action litigation Years as attorney: 26 Years as Super Lawyer: 5 (2013-17) Other: Global directory of “Who’s Who” top lawyer, 2015-present Why I became an attorney: Being a lawyer means helping people. This means lawyers must respect opposing counsel, all of whom, in my experience, believe that they, too, are doing the right thing. If together we can solve our respective clients’ shared problems, we’ll have achieved our profession’s highest calling – making people’s lives better. Name: Mark D. Katz Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Employment and labor Years as attorney: 42 Years as Super Lawyer: 12 (2005-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 8 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy being involved early with a client and advising how to proceed with a certain course of action. When there is no advanced contract and then the client gets in trouble, I switch hats and attempt to undo what wouldn’t have occurred had my advice been previously sought.
January 27, 2017 Name: David J Kaufman Name of firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Labor and employment Years as attorney: 13 Years as Rising Star:
Name: Joshua A. Klarfield Name of Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Product liability Years as attorney: 11 Years Super Lawyer: 4 (2014-17)
3 (2015-17) Why I became an attorney: I like that, as an employment attorney, I really am in the people business. I particularly enjoy advising clients on how to manage and resolve employment and human resources issues, before those issues result in litigation, so that my clients and their employees can be successful.
Name: James N. Kline Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Product liability Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2012-17) Why I became an attorney: I am privileged to work with dedicated, smart, caring professionals. It provides a wonderful opportunity to learn new things about the law, products, services, and our community while meeting a variety of people including colleagues, clients, witnesses, experts, judges, and even opponents in working to resolve complex disputes.
Name: Steven Kaufman Name of firm: Kaufman & Company Field of specialty: Commercial litigation, including financial services, real estate, intellectual property and professional/ fiduciary liability Years as Attorney: 42 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2005-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Other: BTI Client Service All-Stars, 2013: LawDragon, 2006, 2009-10; Chambers and Partners; AV preeminent MartindaleHubbell Why I Became an Attorney: I have a strong daily motivation to represent clients; through the satisfaction of bringing justice for clients in whatever the situation: financial, civil right, constitutional right, or equity to obtain a just result. It is its own reward and fuels the desire to take on tough, contentious disputes. Name: Grant J. Keating Name of firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., LPA Field of Field of specialty: Business litigation Years as attorney: 11 Years as Rising Star: 6 (2010, 2012, 1014-17) Why I became an attorney: Some people say getting sued is just another cost of doing business, but in my experience most businesses find litigation to be an extremely daunting experience. The best part of my job is alleviating clients’ anxiety by thoroughly explaining their risks and, if necessary vindicating their positions at trial.
Name: Laurie A. Koerner Name of firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., LPA Field of specialty: Family law Years as attorney: 8 Years as Rising Star: 1 (2017) Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney practicing in the area of family law because I understand how difficult divorce and custody issues can be for people to navigate and believe I can help my clients achieve a positive outcome. Name: Brett S. Krantz Name of firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz Field of specialty: Commercial litigation Years as attorney: 26 Years as Super Lawyer: 10 (2008-17) Why I became an attorney: Every day as an attorney you face something new, something different. You are always challenged to think in new ways. Repetition is rare and lethargy is never an issue.
LOCAL LAwyers Name: Donald E. Lampert Name of firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Worker’s compensation Years as attorney: 31 Years Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 23 (19952017) Why I became an attorney: I very much enjoy explaining the intricacies of worker’s compensation to clients and the students I have taught at Case Western University Law School for the last 25 years. Name: Jack Landskroner Name of firm: Landskroner, Grieco, Merriman, LLC Field of specialty: Personal injury / consumer class action Years as attorney: 24 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2004-16) Other: Board certified Civil Trail Advocate (NBTA); past president of The Public Justice Foundation; voted Ohio Litigation Star, 2013-14; recipient of Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys President Award, 2007, 2013; recipient of the Garretson Courage Award, 2014 Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney to represent the interest of those who are not able to stand to protect their own interest. It is a rewarding and honorable pursuit. Name: Kenneth M. Lapine Name of firm: Miller Goler Faeges Lapine, LLP Field of specialty: Real estate, banking law and consumer credit Years as attorney: 49 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2004-16) Other: The Best Lawyers in America – banking and real estate law, 20 years What I like about being an attorney: As a commercial transactional attorney, I enjoy the challenge and satisfaction of accomplishing a satisfying result for clients and their families.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 89
JANUARY 27, 2017
Name: Anthony J. Lazzaro Name of firm: The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC Field of specialty: Employment law (wage and hour) Years as Attorney: 12 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Years as Rising Star: 2011-14 Why I Became an attorney: My firm celebrated its 10th anniversary in December 2006. My mission was to take on wage theft. Ten years later, my firm has recovered more than $30 million for 25,000 employees so I’ve succeeded in beating that mission. I’m looking forward to beating that in the next 10 years. Name: Jamie R. Lebovitz Name of firm: Nurenberg Paris Field of specialty: Personal injury and wrongful death litigation with a concentration in aviation, railroad, and trucking calamities Years as attorney: 33 Years as Super Lawyer: 11 (2006-17) Other: U.S. News Best Lawyers for aviation law, 2015-16; MartindaleHubbell Client Distinction Award, 2013 and 2016 Why I Became an attorney: I had a fascination with airplanes, trains and trucks as a youth, and I have always had the desire to right a wrong through our system of civil justice. When I decided to pursue a career in law, I discovered that I could combine these passions. Name: Kevin Lenson Name of firm: Elk & Elk Co. Ltd. Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 21 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Why I Became an Attorney: It is meaningful work. At the conclusion of a case, I see the fruits of my labor and how it impacts peoples’ lives. Those who walk into my office have had their lives thrown into upheaval because of their injuries. I like that I can fight for them. Name: Jeffrey A. Leikin Name of firm: Jeffrey A. Leikin, Esq. LLC Field of specialty: Personal injury and litigation Years as attorney: More than 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 9 (2006, 2010-17) Other: Licensed to practice in the State and Federal Courts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Licensed also to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; Martindale-Hubbell AV preeminent rating, since 2001 Why I became an attorney: The standard response would be to help others when they need help. To a large degree this is also why I went to law school, other than the advice of my father. But as a lawyer I am able to build relationships with my community that work not only to the benefit of my clients, but me as well, having the satisfaction that I made a difference in somebody else’s life. Very satisfying.
BUCKINGHAM CONGRATULATES ITS 2017 OHIO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS 2017 SUPER LAWYERS PETER T. CAHOON
STEVEN A. DIMENGO
DAVID L. DRECHSLER
CARL J. DYCZEK
JOSEPH J. FELTES
BARRY Y. FREEMAN
NICHOLAS T. GEORGE
JEFFREY A. HALM
STEPHEN M. HAMMERSMITH
JOHN F. HILL
DAVID J. HRINA
PATRICK J. KEATING
PATRICIA A. PACENTA
MARIETTA M. PAVLIDIS
DAVID KERN
ROBERT W. MALONE
SUSAN C. RODGERS
MATTHEW H. MATHENEY
MARK J. SKAKUN III
JOHN P. SLAGTER
2017 RISING STARS GREGORY P. AMEND RICHARD B. FRY III JUSTIN S. GREENFELDER ANDREW S. HARING JOSHUA D. NOLAN ANDREW J. PULLEKINS JON R. STEFANIK
RONALD F. WAYNE
DIRK E. RIEMENSCHNEIDER
DAVID W. WOODBURN
2017 TOP LISTS PETER T. CAHOON: White Collar Criminal Defense, Top 100 Ohio, Top 50 Cleveland MARIETTA M. PAVLIDIS: Family Law, Top 100 Ohio, Top 50 Female, Top 50 Cleveland, Top 25 Female Cleveland DIRK E. RIEMENSCHNEIDER: Med Mal Defense, Top 100 Ohio, Top 50 Cleveland
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC A Northeast Ohio Business Law Firm Akron | Canton | Cleveland bdblaw.com
Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC wishes to congratulate Michael C. Hennenberg, David C. Weiner, Steven B. Potter, Jason D. Hochman, and Benjamin D. Carnahan for their inclusion as 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers.
Steven B. Potter
Benjamin D. Carnahan Rising Star
Jason D. Hochman Rising Star
David C. Weiner
Michael C. Hennenberg
Established more than 30 years ago, Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC provides effective legal solutions, strength in litigation and innovative business solutions. Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC is AV® rated and ranked as one of the Best Law Firms® in Ohio 2017 by U.S. News & World Report. At Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC, we provide corporations, businesses and their owners sophisticated business law, real estate, estate planning and litigation representation that is tailored to their needs and goals. Our skill and commitment to exceptional case preparation equip us to serve all sizes of business and corporations. As Of Counsel to the firm, Mr. Hennenberg’s practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, including cyber crimes, financial, health and tax fraud, State felony and misdemeanor offenses, expungements, post-conviction relief, professional licensing, attorney discipline, and victim of crime representation. Mr. Weiner’s practice focuses on commercial litigation and during his 40 plus years as an attorney he has successfully represented numerous businesses and individuals in a wide variety of litigation settings.
90 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
January 27, 2017
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Name: Peter HardinLevine Name of firm: HardinLevine Co., LLC Field of specialty: Employment and business Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 8 (2010-17)
Name: Jeffery M. Levinson Name of firm: Levinson LLP Field of specialty: Business reorganizations Years as Attorney: 27 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2010, 2017) Other: AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell; designated by Turnaround & Workouts as one of 12 outstanding young bankruptcy lawyers in the United States. Why I Became an attorney: It’s very gratifying to work with the exceptional lawyers in this region that practice in my area. Together, we assist companies that are struggling financially to return to health. The results of our work benefit so many, including employees and suppliers, many of whom depend on the company’s survival. Name: Scott M. Lewis Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Corporate, mergers and acquisitions, franchising Years as attorney: 33 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Other: Crain’s Cleveland general and inhouse counsel award, nominee 2013 What I like about being an attorney: The combination of “familiar yet fresh” keeps me focused, and I enjoy being able to tap into years of experience and efficiently adapt to the standard and customary to suit the particular circumstance. Name: Kenneth B. Liffman Name of firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Field of specialty: Real estate and construction, corporate, business and finance Years as attorney: 38 Years as Super Lawyer: 16 (2002-17) Years as U.S. News Best lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Other: Martindale-Hubbell rating of AV Preeminent Why I became an attorney: I have a business background. I enjoy creating
LOCAL LAwyers value and doing something positive. I do different things every day. I help clients achieve their goals, financially and otherwise. I get to work with very smart lawyers and a great team. We are involved in the community and help numerous organizations. Name: Michael Ariel Liner Name of firm: Liner Legal LLC Field of specialty: Social Security disability (SSD/SSI) Years as attorney: 6 Years as Rising Star: 1 (2013) Other: Avvo Client’s Choice Award Why I became an attorney: There aren’t many professions where you can truly change lives. As a disability lawyer, I help families with no income put food on their table and roofs over their heads. There isn’t a greater motivator than that! Name: Lisa Arlyn Lowe Name of firm: Buckley King LPA Field of specialty: Financial services and community development Years as attorney: 37 Years as Super Lawyer: 5 (2006-07, Illinois; 2015-17, Ohio) Why I became an attorney: I originally became an attorney to “further the public” good and help youth and those who were unable to afford counsel. I currently help our clients find solutions to both business and legal issues. I hope our clients are better off for having met me. Name: Franklin C. Malemud Name of firm: Reminger Co., LPA Field of specialty: Estate and trust litigation Years as attorney: 19 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2016-17) Years as Rising Star: 3 (2009, 2011-12) Other: Chair of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association estate planning, probate and trust law section, 2016-17; vice chair of CMBA’s June 2016 “Hot Topics for Estate Planners Seminar”; Ohio State Bar Foundation, fellow; Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation, fellow. Why I Became an attorney: I went to law school because I liked politics and enjoy public speaking. I drifted away from politics and saw my calling as a problem-solving trial attorney. I enjoy trust and estate litigation because I can help families resolve legal disputes while trying to preserve the family dynamic.
SUPER ATTORNEYS Name: Jack S. Malkin Name of firm: Jack S. Malkin Esq. Field of specialty: Small Business and consumer law Years as attorney: 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 1 (1987) Why I became an attorney: I always felt it necessary to assist and advocate for others. Not only is it important to have a great lawyer, it is even more important that your lawyer be accessible, communicate well, provide prompt quality personal service and get positive results. Name: Ellen S. Mandell Name of firm: Law Office of Ellen S. Mandell Field of specialty: Family law Years as attorney: 38 Other: Cuyahoga County Bar Association, president, 1999-2000 Why I became an attorney: I decided at age 4 I wanted to be a lawyer after seeing “Perry Mason.” I liked that he could solve problems and help people. The real world has proved to be more complex than my young mind envisioned, but I am still happy when I can help people.
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JANUARY 27, 2017 Name: Dale H. Markowitz Name of firm: Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan Field of specialty: Real estate Years as attorney: 41 Why I became an attorney: Helping people solve problems. Name: Stephen A. Markus Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Employment and labor Years as attorney: 37 Years as U.S. News Best lawyer: 9 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy being an attorney because it’s challenging and gives me opportunities to work with and assist clients in avoiding legal profiles and achieving their desired goals.
Name: Gary Melsher Name of Firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Field of Specialty: Real Estate Years as attorney: 52 Other: Member of the Best Lawyers in America and selected an Ohio Super Lawyer many times. Name: Joel W. Meskin Name of firm: McGowan Program Administrators Field of specialty: Community association insurance and risk management, insurance coverage and professional liability Years as attorney: 31 Other: Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers, 2014 (Community Association Institute); community insurance risk management specialist, 2005, (Community Association Institute); management liability insurance specialist, 2016 (International Risk Management Institute, Inc.); member, Foundation for Community Association Institute Think Tank, 2015.
Why I Became an Attorney: My business is developing and providing Insurance for community associations such as condos and HOAs. I love working with community associations, their volunteer boards, and their managers nationwide to effectively manage their association assets and risks. Name: Daniel L. Messeloff Name of firm: Jackson Lewis P.C Field of specialty: Class action litigation Years as attorney: 15 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2016-17) Years as Rising Star: 4 (2010-14) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyers: 2 (2016-17) Other: Certified specialist in labor and employment law, Ohio State Bar Association; member, board of trustees, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. What I like about being an attorney: Being an attorney is like playing chess. You engage in thoughtful, creative strategies to problems that may arise in the course of such needs.
Congratulations to our 2017 Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars™
Ann-Marie Ahern Super Lawyer
Hugh Berkson Super Lawyer
Rob Glickman Super Lawyer
Toby Hirshman Super Lawyer
Chuck Kampinski Super Lawyer
Kimon Karas Super Lawyer
Bob Kracht Super Lawyer
Ken Liffman Super Lawyer
Chris Patno Super Lawyer
Richard Rabb Super Lawyer
David Schaefer Super Lawyer
John Seich Super Lawyer
With special mention to Ann-Marie Ahern, who made the Cleveland Top 25 Women and Ohio Top 50 Women lists; Christian R. Patno, who was ranked Top 5 Cleveland, Top 10 Ohio, Top 50 Cleveland and Top 100 Ohio; as well as David A. Schaefer, who was included in the Top 50 Cleveland and Top 100 Ohio lists.
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Nick Celebrezze Rising Star
Chris Klasa Rising Star
Jack Moran Rising Star
Trusted Advisors. Respected Advocates. www.mccarthylebit.com
92 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
Susan L. Friedman, Esq., MSSA Friedman Law, LLC www.friedmanlawllc.com susie@friedmanlawllc.com
440-552-7991
• Special Needs Planning • Probate • Guardianship • Elder Care • Estate Planning • Wills & Trusts
• Tax Lawyer • Tax Advice • Specialty in partnerships and LLCs • IRS controversies • Estate Planning • 20-year Tax Law professor at Case Western Reserve University Law School • Former Administrative Director of Case Western Reserve University Law School Graduate Tax Program
CALL TODAY! (216) 591-1054 30195 Chagrin Blvd. Suite 100W • Pepper Pike, Ohio 44124 (216) 591-1054 • tomh@thausmanlaw.com
Jeffrey D. Zimon, Esq. Zimon Law provides businesses with access to cost-effective employee benefits and compensation advice and counsel. Parkland Terrace • 6120 Parkland Boulevard • Suite 102 • Cleveland, OH 44124 216.678.9300 (main)1• 216.789.8775 (mobile) mauricewutscherad.pdf 1/19/2017 10:15:18 AM jzimon@zimonlaw.com
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We proudly welcome leading bankruptcy and creditors’ rights litigation attorney Alan Hochheiser to our Cleveland office.
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January 27, 2017 Name: Jonathan D. Mester Name of firm: Nurenberg Paris Field of specialty: Medical malpractice, nursing home litigation and complex personal injury Years as attorney: 18 Years as Super Lawyer: 16 (2002-17) Other: U.S. News Best Lawyers for personal injury litigation Plaintiffs for Cleveland, 2016; Martindale-Hubbell Client Distinction Award, 2013. Why I Became an Attorney: I became an attorney because I enjoy competing, being challenged, and working hard. I have continued to practice exclusively in the representation of people who have suffered serious injury or death of a loved one because of the satisfaction I receive in helping people. Name: Anne L. Meyers Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Field of specialty: Mediation; business and corporate; business succession; construction; surety and insurance; civil and commercial litigation Years as attorney: 40 Years as Super Lawyer: 1 (2007) Other: Top 10 women business owners in Northeast Ohio by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 2009 Why I Became an attorney: My motivation for becoming an attorney began as an idealistic, vague notion that I might be able to affect change, political or otherwise. Ultimately tempered by the exigencies of reality, I have come to understand that those early notions have, in fact, been the engines that have driven my career. Name: Aaron Minc Name of firm: Meyers Roman Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Internet defamation Years as attorney: 6 Years Rising Star: 4 (2014-17) Why I became an attorney: It was the best-suited path for me to pursue my passions as an entrepreneur and simultaneously utilize my skills in research, writing, technology, public speaking, and persuasion. What I like most is helping people who are in the toughest and most desperate situations. Instantly improving their lives. Name: Howard D. Mishkind Name of firm: Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., LPA Field of specialty: Personal injury and medical negligence Years as attorney: 36 Years Super Lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Years U.S. News Best Lawyer: 6 (2011-present) Other: AV preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell for more than 25 years; Super Lawyers top 50 in Cleveland; Super Lawyers top 100 in Ohio; Multi-Million Dollar Advocate Forum; Best Law Firm U.S. News, 2012. Why I became an attorney: The relationship of an attorney and client is unique and very special and I value the trust that is placed with me to help. Making a difference for an injured party or family of a loved
LOCAL LAwyers
one that was seriously injured or killed is extremely satisfying. Name: Richard S. Mitchell Name of firm: Roetzel & Andress Field of specialty: Business litigation Years as attorney: 32 Years a Super Lawyer: 11 (2004-15) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 1 (2017) Other rankings: BTI Consulting Client Service all-star in commercial litigation, 2011, and AV Preeminent rating for 20 years from Martindale-Hubbell Why I Enjoy Being an attorney: Every day is a new and exciting challenge. Name: Suzann Moskowitz Name of firm: The Moskowitz Firm Field of specialty: Trademark, copyright and technology transactions Years as attorney: 13 What I like about being an attorney: I work collaboratively with entrepreneurs to build and protect intellectual property and creatively solve problems. Being on a team that names businesses and products is a challenge and a privilege. In this seventh year of growing my small firm, I pride myself on personal attention, flexibility and responsiveness. Name: Susannah Muskovitz Name of firm: Muskovitz & Lemmerbrock, LLC Field of specialty: Labor and employment, arbitration Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2005-17) Why I became an attorney: It is my passion to represent labor unions and individuals in employment matters. I primarily work with teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers, nurses, university professors and electrical workers. I have been an OSBA certified specialist in labor and employment law since 2002. I also work as an employment law arbitrator. Name: Tod Northman Name of firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Field of specialty: Corporate law Years as attorney: 22 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy helping clients achieve their business goals. Transactional aviation law bridges high tech with corporate fields.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
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JANUARY 27, 2017
Name: Andrew November Name of firm: Balin Law, LLC Field of specialty: Disability litigation Years as attorney: 7 Why I became an attorney: To be a lawyer is to help those who cannot help themselves. It is to fight another’s fight as hard as I would fight my own. It’s been said that disability doesn’t discriminate. As a disability advocate, I will never have a fixed clientele. My clientele is humanity Name: Gary Okin Name of firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., LPA Field of specialty: Family law Years as attorney: 59 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2005, 2011, 2013-16) Other: Avvo rated superb, AV rated preeminent Name: David M. Paris Name of firm: Nurenberg Paris Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 37 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyers: 10 (2008-17) Other: Super Lawyers top five in Cleveland, 2013; Super Lawyers top 10 in Ohio, 2013; Super Lawyers top 50 in Cleveland, 2007-09 and 2012-17; Super Lawyers top 100 in Ohio, 2007-17; U.S. News Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year for Cleveland metro region, plaintiff’s personal injury litigation, 2015 and 2017; The National Trial Lawyers top 100; CATA’s Distinguished Service Award, 2009; Cleveland State University Distinguished Alumni Award, 2010); Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni of the Year, 2011; selected for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates and International Academy of Trial Attorneys, available only by invitation to trial attorneys who have demonstrated excellent trial skills while maintaining the highest level of professionalism, integrity, honor and courtesy. Why I Became an aattorney: I represent injured people; many are minorities. One client, a truck driver, lost his leg in a towing accident in southern Ohio. The client despaired of getting justice from a conservative judge and 12 white jurors until they came back unanimously in his favor. It underscored why I’m a lawyer.
Name: Elizabeth L. Perla Name of firm: The Perla Law Firm Field of specialty: Practices in elder law, estate planning, probate and family law Years as attorney: 9 Other: I earned my B.A. degree magna cum laude and with honors distinction from the The Ohio State University and my J.D. degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where I was on law review; served on the young/New Attorneys Section of the National academy of eder law attorneys; member of the estate planning, probate and trust law sections of the Ohio State Bar Association and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association; received exceptional ratings on Avvo and lawyers.com. Why I became an attorney: I get a great deal of satisfaction from working with the senior community. With age comes rich life experiences and wisdom. I enjoy meeting people and learning about their lives, families and needs. In turn, I do my best to provide caring and thoughtful counsel. Name: Matthew I. Pollack Field of specialty: Commercial business and finance Years as attorney: 14 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy that my job is always evolving. No two transactions are the same. It is very common to encounter something new or unique that requires research and consultation with others to determine the best course of action. There is always more to learn.
Name: David I. Pomerantz Name of firm: Pomerantz & Crosby Co., LPA Field of specialty: Personal injury and workers’ compensation Years as attorney: 31 Years as Super Lawyer: 1 (2016) Why I enjoy became an attorney: I hate bullies. My entire career I have stood up for Cleveland-area families, consumers, patients, small businesses and workers against powerful interests, which would deny them their rights. Name: Robert B. Port Name of firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Field of specialty: Business tort litigation Years as attorney: 12 Years as Rising Star: 2 (2010-11) Why I became an attorney: I was a longtime engineer before going to law school, but my plan was always to become a lawyer. I was originally drawn to litigation by the competition and helping clients. Litigation combines the analytical thinking and problem solving of engineering with competition and helping clients solve real-world problems.
Collective Experience. Individual Excellence.
Name: Samuel S. Pearlman Name of firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Field of specialty: Real estate Years as attorney: 50 Years as Super Lawyer: 11 (2005-15) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyers: 20 (1996-2016) Other: Rosewater Award from the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar
Marc B. Merklin
Managing Partner, Business Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Commercial mmerklin@brouse.com
Irving B. Sugerman
Partner, Real Estate & Litigation ibsugerman@brouse.com
Congratulations to Marc and Irv on being selected as 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers.
Association
Marc Merklin, Top Rated Attorney – Bankruptcy Irv Sugerman, Top Rated Attorney – Land Use & Zoning Cleveland
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94 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Howard S. Rabb Name of firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., LPA Field of specialty: Estate planning, bankruptcy, probate, business, real estate Years as attorney: 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 1 (2007) Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney to apply my business and legal education to help people. I like that my estate planning and bankruptcy practices allow me to meet directly with people, creatively analyze for solutions and the positively assist them with the huge problems they face. Name: Julie E. Rabin Name of firm: Rabin & Rabin Field of specialty: Bankruptcy for individuals and small businesses Years as attorney: 35 Other: Fellow of American College of Bankruptcy, admitted 2015 Why I Became an attorney: I focus my practice on the needs of individuals and businesses seeking debt relief. I help my clients resolve financial problems by filing bankruptcy, negation loan modifications, or seeking structured settlements. It is gratifying to me when my clients resume their lives with a financial fresh start. Name: Alan M. Rauss Name of firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz Field of specialty: Labor and employment, representing employers Years as attorney: 44 Years as Super Lawyer: 11 (2007-17) Why I became an attorney: I have always been interested in people, and in helping them find solutions to their problems. I have spent a significant part of my career assisting employers in dealing with difficult employees and counseling them as to the best way to address challenging situations in the workplace.
JANUARY 27, 2017
Name: Jodi B. Rich Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Real estate Years as attorney: 16 Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 5 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy real estate law for the challenges, the relationships that I have developed with clients and the ability to see the projects that I have worked on right here in Northeast Ohio. Name: Alice Rickel Name of firm: Alice Rickel Associates Field of specialty: Family law
Name: Barbara K Roman Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Divorce and family law Years as attorney: 40 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2012-17) Why I Became an Attorney: As a divorce and family law attorney, I assist families going through a major upheaval in their lives. Divorce is a disruptive life event but with respect, careful listening, creative thinking, and true concern, I make that transition easier for my clients and their children. Name: Peter A. Rome Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of Specialty: Mergers and acquisitions Years as attorney: 32 Years Super Lawyer: 9 (2006, 2010-2017) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 6 Other: Ranked as one of Ohio’s leading corporate / merger and acquisitions lawyers by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2014-16 Why I became an attorney: I am a passionate dot-connector and love to help businesses grow.
Name: Michelle Rood Name of firm: McDonald Hopkins LLC Field of specialty: Tax and estate planning, mergers and acquisitions Years as attorney: Less than 1 Why I Became an attorney: Before I went to law school, I thought about becoming a rabbi. Growing up I enjoyed reading Torah and looking to the Talmud for an explanation. As a tax lawyer, I use the same skills as I interpret the Internal Revenue Service Code. The tax laws are constantly changing. Name: Steven Howard Roth Name of firm: Dworken and Bernstein Co., LPA Field of specialty: Corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, real estate; and sports, media and entertainment law Years as attorney: 4 Why I became an attorney: I love representing my clients in complex transactions and coming up with creative solutions to issues. Moreover, I enjoy that no two days are alike. One minute, I am negotiating a TV show or record deal and the next I am helping a manufacturing business buy out a competitor. Name: Eugene Roytberg Name of firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Field of specialty: Business and finance Years as attorney: 6 Other: Received CALI Awards in debtor and creditor law and legal writing and analysis in law school; J.D., cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; Earned the Judge Ernest Karam Award and was recognized as a public service fellow with dean’s special recognition; B.S. in accounting, summa cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University, 2008. Martindale-Hubbell AV rated, 2005-17 Why I became an attorney: Growing up in the USA as an immigrant, I often enjoyed helping handle various matters for my family. I now enjoy helping people navigate our legal system
LOCAL LAWYERS Name: Richard J. Rymond Name of firm: Reminger Co., LPA Field of specialty: Civil litigation Years as attorney: 34 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2012-17) Other: Received Ohio Legal Center Institute Award of Merit; OMSNIC Continuing Excellence Award, 2008, 2010 and 2012; Delegate, 8th Judicial Conference, Life Member; Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation, Fellow; American Bar Association, litigation committee; Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, fee resolution committee; Cuyahoga County Common Pleas arbitration chairman; William J. Thomas Inn of Court. Why I became an attorney: My inspiration as an attorney comes from my grandfather, an old school solo practitioner who treated his clients and adversaries with the utmost professionalism and respect. Name: Mark J. Sack Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Estate planning and business law Years as attorney: 19 Why I became an attorney: I’m a full-time high school teacher and wanted to be able to help people in another way and to be in the position to leave “education” if I ever stopped enjoying teaching or if I ceased being of benefit to my students. I still practice law part time. Name: Michael A. Saltzer Name of firm: The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm, LLC Field of specialty: Plaintiff’s personal injury and medical negligence Years as attorney: 28 Years as Super Lawyer: 4 (2008-09, 201617) Other: Board certified civil trial advocate; board certified civil pre-trial practice advocate Why I became an attorney: I enjoy being a trial lawyer because I like the intellectual combat while at the same time helping individuals and families when they need it most. My areas of specialty allow me to combine my two passions, law and medicine.
SUPER ATTORNEYS Name: Kevin S. Sandel Name of firm: Sandel Law Firm Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 21 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy being able to use my knowledge and experience to help my clients in their time of need. I will never stop feeling good about that. Name: Fran Mitchell Schaul Name of firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Estate and succession planning Years as attorney: 39 Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 2 (2016-17) Name: Roy J. Schechter Name of firm: Lichko & Schechter Field of specialty: Trial lawyer – civil matters Years as attorney: 30 What I like about being an attorney: Helping my clients achieve great results. Name: Douglas B. Schnee Name of firm: McDonald Hopkins LLC Field of specialty: Labor and employment litigation Years as attorney: 22 Years as Rising Star: 4 (2005-07, 2010)
Name: Aaron A. Schwartz Name of firm: Law Office of Aaron A. Schwartz Field of specialty: Domestic relations, family law, criminal defense Years as attorney: 14 Why I became an attorney: I became an attorney because I truly liked helping people. Between family law and criminal defense, I can say that I have helped hundreds of families throughout the years. Aside from all the stereotypes, being a lawyer is about helping your community.
JANUARY 27, 2017 Name: Anna Leigh Seiger Name of firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz, LLP Field of specialty: Business and commercial litigation Years as attorney: 1 Name: Patricia A. Shlonsky Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Employee benefits Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 12 (2004-06, 2008-09, 2011-17) Years U.S. News Best lawyer: 14 Other: Ranked as one of Ohio’s “leaders in their field” in employee benefits and executive compensation by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2007-16; Designated Best Lawyers litigation – ERISA Lawyer of the Year in Cleveland, 2017 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy working in an area that benefits most employees and employers and that keeps me educated about the legislative process. I especially like the intellectual challenge and changing nature of the practice area. Name: Marvin A. Sicherman Name of firm: Dettelbach, Sicherman & Baumgart (of counsel) Field of specialty: Bankruptcy and commercial law Years as attorney: 56 Years as Super Lawyer: Multiple years Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 33 (1983-2017) Other: The bankruptcy and commercial law section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association in January 2007 honored him and his late wife by establishing the “Marvin & Sue Sicherman Excellence in Bankruptcy Law” scholarship award. Why I became an attorney: There can be great satisfaction in solving problems for others, whether they are business entities or people. During the 56-plus years I practiced law, I had my share of such pleasure. There is no other occupation that offers more opportunities to do that than the law.
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 95 Name: Eric Simon Name of firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP Field of specialty: Health and life sciences Years as attorney: 30 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2004-05) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 11 (2007-17) Other: Former chair, health law council of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s health law section Why I became an attorney: I have devotedly serviced the regulatory and business aspects of health care law for nearly three decades. The health care terrain is a complicated journey through physician, hospital, long-term care and physician groups. I find it as adventuresome as the winding and fast-paced terrain of my other avocation – motorcycles. Name: Jeromy Simonovic Name of firm: Digital Photo not Forensics Corp. Field of specialty: available General counsel Years as attorney: 1 Why I Became an Attorney: I became an attorney to help people by making a difference in their lives through solving intellectual challenges. I realized that as an attorney I have a direct and effective way to help people, organizations and groups, and that I am in a unique position to further the public good. Name: Paul J Singerman Name of firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Field of specialty: Real estate and business Years as attorney: 33 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 10 (2007-17) Name: Warren Sklar Name of firm: Renner, Otto, Boisselle & Sklar, LLP Field of specialty: Intellectual property law Years as attorney: 45 Years as Super Lawyer: A number of times Why I became an attorney: With interests in math, science, law and helping others, I found intellectual property law merged those interests. Representing
companies and individuals, I’ve enjoyed assisting to protect clients’ intellectual property; patenting inventions and registering trademarks and copyrights. I happily moved to Cleveland, joining our intellectual property law firm 45 years ago. Name: Roni Sokol, Esq. Name of firm: The Sokol Law Firm LLC Field of specialty: Personal injury Years as attorney: 21 Other: Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Club 50K Award Winner (2014), Avvo Client Choice Award, personal injury, 2014 and 2015, Attorney of the Month, Attorney at Law Magazine, December, 2015. Why I became an attorney: After being bullied as a child, I wanted to dedicate my life to helping stand up for people who are unable to stand up for themselves. I find it very satisfying to be able to accomplish this objective by use of brains, argument, and the law. Name: Steve Solomon Name of firm: Pearne & Gordon, LLP Field of specialty: Intellectual property Years as attorney: 15 Why I became an attorney: I worked as a research engineer first. One client was so secretive that even the fact we were working for it was secret. I found legal aspects of that relationship more interesting than the research I was doing. I went to law school and that was that. Name: Robert E. Somogyi Name of firm: Kuenzi/Somogyi, Attorneys Field of specialty: Family law and general practice Years as attorney: 24 Years Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Other: Avvo Client Choice Award, 2012-14 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy working with families and helping them navigate through difficult legal situations, including but not limited to the following; divorce disputes, parenting issues, the equitable division of marital estates, and issues affecting their children – all in a manner which causes the least amount of stress on the individuals involved.
96 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Jeremy Sosin Name of firm: Sosin Law LLC Field of specialty: Commercial real estate Years as attorney: 20 Years as Super Lawyer: 4 (2014-17) Years as Rising Star: 3 (2006, 2011, 2012) Other: Chambers USA “Up-and-comer,” 2012 and 2013 Why I Became an attorney: I enjoy assisting my clients, who include individuals, closely-held enterprises and nonprofit organizations, to navigate the complex issues that always seem to arise when buying, selling, leasing, financing and developing real estate projects. Jeremy--40
Name: Scott Spero Name of firm: Bentoff & Spero Co., LPA Field of specialty: Personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice. Years as attorney: 27 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2016-17) Why I became an attorney: It is an honor and a privilege helping people and families at a time when the help is most needed. Name: Daniel N. Steiger Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Business, real estate and banking Years as attorney: 28 Why I became an attorney: Often, clients look at laws and regulations that affect their business as obstacles. I enjoy managing those obstacles, allowing them to concentrate their efforts on their business. It is very satisfying knowing that my clients appreciate the dedication, knowledge and care that I provide to them and their legal matters. Name: Gregory P. Stein Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Intellectual Property Years as attorney: 8 Years as Super Lawyer: 2 (2016-17)
JANUARY 27, 2017 Name: Susan R. Strom Name of firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Environmental and real estate law Years as attorney: 27
Name: Roger Synenberg Name of firm: Synenberg, Coletta & Moran LLC Field of specialty: Litigation and criminal defense Years as attorney: 39 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2004-17) Other: John P. Butler Lifetime Achievement, Cuyahoga Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2014, Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers Fellow, International Society of Barristers Fellow, American Board of Criminal Layers. Why I became an attorney: Using what we have learned as lawyers to help someone in a crisis or at a crossroads in their life is an important responsibility. Seeing it through successfully is the best reward any lawyer can hope to have. This is only one of many reasons I like being an attorney. Name: Ronald J. Teplitzky Name of firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Field of specialty: Banking and corporate law Years as attorney: 29 Years Super Lawyer: 13 (2004-06 and 2008-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 12 (2006-17) Other: Chambers USA Leading Lawyers (2006-17) Why I became an attorney: I have always enjoyed connecting with friends and business associates. I love seeing deals get done. The collaborative process in business deals has always energized me. I really like what I do for a living. Name: Adam J. Thurman Name of firm: Schoonover, Rosenthal, Thurman & Daray, LLC Field of specialty: Family law Years as attorney: 19 Years as Super Lawyer: 1 (2017) Why I became an attorney: I wanted to be an attorney ever since I won a mock
trial in fifth grade. I started down the path of family law in my second year of law school. I started as a law clerk with an established family practitioner at the time and the rest is history. Name: Michael S. Tucker Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Bankruptcy Years as attorney: 30 Years Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best lawyer: 9 Other: Ranked in band 1 of Ohio’s leading general commercial litigation lawyers by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, 2007-16); benchmark litigation – state litigation star and top 100 trial lawyers, 2014-17, named Best Lawyers litigation – banking and finance Lawyer of the Year in Cleveland, 2017 Name: Peter Turner Name of firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis, LPA Field of specialty: Civil litigation Years as attorney: 35 Years Super Lawyer: 10 (2008-17) Why I became an attorney: I have always gotten satisfaction from analyzing and solving problems. I am privileged to work with clients, whether businesses or individuals, as an adviser, counselor and, when necessary, advocate in order to assist them in evaluating as resolving some of their most important, sensitive and vexing legal disputes and dilemmas. Name: Michael N. Ungar Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Litigation Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2005-17) Years as U.S. News Best lawyer: 11 Why I became an attorney: I’m never bored. Every new case seems like an adventure. I learn new things, meet new, interesting people and confront new challenges. I also appreciate the opportunities to give back to the community, including being a trustee of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
LOCAL LAWYERS Name: Mark I. Wachter Name of firm: Wachter Kurant LLC Field of specialty: Mediator and arbitrator, business, real estate and construction litigation Years as attorney: 39 Years as Super Lawyer: 3 (2015-17) Other: American Arbitration Association construction master mediator for Ohio Why I became an attorney: My sixthgrade teacher at Park Synagogue, Eve Tishkof, told our class about Louis Nizer’s Book, “My Life In Court.” I read it and decided I wanted to be a litigator. Name: Mark I. Wallach Name of firm: Thacker Robinson Zinz LPA Field of specialty: Business litigation Years as attorney: 42 Years as Super Lawyer: Since inception Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 20 Other: Chambers American Leading Lawyers, since 2009 Why I became an attorney: Practicing business litigation is a form of problem solving: my client has a business problem and he or she needs a costeffective solution. I have an arsenal of weapons to reach that solution, but I have to select them strategically and employ them skillfully. Name: Joseph “Jake” Weinberg Name of firm: McDonald Hopkins LLC Field of specialty: Commercial Finance Years as attorney: 4 Why I Became an attorney: I consider myself a problem solver and grew up loving puzzles. As an attorney, I find it extremely rewarding putting the various pieces of a deal together and solving complex issues in order to get the deal done.
SUPER ATTORNEYS Name: Jerome F. Weiss Name of firm: Mediation Inc. Field of specialty: Alternate dispute resolution Years as attorney: 44 Years as Super Lawyer: 9 (2008-13, 2015-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 11 (2006-17) Other: U.S. News Best Lawyers best law firms, metropolitan tier 1, mediation, 2010, 2014, 2017; Best Lawyers Cleveland mediation Lawyer of the Year, 2013; Society of Benchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, June 2015; board of governors, International Academy of Mediators, March 2016 Why I became an attorney: Nationally recognized as an astute problem-solver in highly entrenched and complex disputes, I know how important it is for disputants to get out of the trunk of the litigation vehicle and take control. Helping people and institutions pivot forward with business and productive life without conflict are profoundly gratifying. Name: Leon A. Weiss Name of firm: Reminger Co., LPA Field of specialty: Estate and trust litigation Years as attorney: 50 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Years as U.S. News Best Lawyer: 30 (1987-2017) Other: Selected by Best Lawyers as Lawyer of the Year – Cleveland, trust and litigation, 2012 and 2014; Super Lawyer top 100 in Ohio; Super Lawyer top 50 in Cleveland. Rated AV preeminent; very highly rated in legal ability and ethical standards by Martindale-Hubbel. Listed in “Who’s Who in America,” “The Metropolitan Who’s Who in Law,” “International Who’s Who of Professionals,” “Marquis Who’s Who in America in Finance and Business.” Inside Business Magazine Leading Lawyer, 2001-10. The American Lawyer, a leading trust and estate attorneys, 2004-07. American Bar Association member, probate and Trust property litigation sections, estate and trust litigation; committee / subcommittee on privileges and experts. Ohio State Bar Association member, probate and trust section. Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, member, estate planning, probate and trust law section. American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, member, fiduciary litigation committee / evidence subcommittee.
JANUARY 27, 2017 Name: Marcia J. Wexberg Name of firm: Calfee Halter & Griswold LLP Field of specialty: Estate and succession planning Years as attorney: 37 Years as Super Lawyer: 13 (2005-17) Why I became an attorney: “Truth, justice, and the American way,” Superman’s motto and mine. Growing up, girls didn’t become lawyers; they married lawyers. I was discouraged by practicing lawyers from becoming a lawyer. With the tools of the law, I can impact the lives of my clients, community and issues of the day. Name: Frederick N. Widen Name of firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Field of specialty: Tax Years as attorney: 35 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Years U.S. News best Lawyer: 12 Why I became an attorney: I enjoy helping people with achieving their business and personal objectives and solving and resolving issues related thereto. Name: John M. Wirtshafter Name of firm: McDonald Hopkins LLC Field of specialty: Executive compensation and employee benefits Years as attorney: 32 Years as Super Lawyer: 4 (2004-06, 2008) Years as Rising Star: 3 (2015-17) Other: Martindale-Hubbell AV preeminent. Why I Became an attorney: As corny as it sounds, I became a lawyer to be able to better help others; something which brings me much joy and satisfaction. Law school and practicing law provide you with an ability to look at problems from different angles and to critically consider and help implement win-win solutions.
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 97 Name: Barbara Friedman Yaksic Name of firm: McGlinchey Stafford Field of specialty: Civil litigation (emphasis in the areas of consumer finance, commercial, and complex
multiple times Why I Became an attorney: I enjoy the opportunity to resolve complex local, inter-state and international legal problems for my clients and their families. My team often resolves those cases that seem unsettle-able discreetly out of court or obtain the best results possible in court if necessary. Obtaining win-win results is gratifying.
business litigation) Years as attorney: 36 Years as Super Lawyer: 8 (2009-17) Why I became an attorney: Like many others, reading “To Kill A Mockingbird” inspired me to become an attorney. Although my practice is nothing like Atticus Finch’s, I enjoy helping people and companies resolve their disputes. Name: Andrew A. Zashin Name of firm: Zashin & Rich Co., LPA Field of specialty: Family Law Years as attorney: 24 Years as Super Lawyer: 14 (2004-17) Years as Best Lawyers: 10 (2007-17) Other: OSBA certified family relations law specialist; fellow of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers; fellow and U.S. delegate, International Academy of Family Lawyers; adjunct professor of law, CWRU Law School; Society of Benchers, CWRU Law School, career achievement award; Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, 2013; Super Lawyers Top 100 in Ohio and Top 50 in Cleveland,
Name: Jeffrey D. Zimon Name of firm: Zimon LLC Field of specialty: ERISA / employee benefits and compensation Years as attorney: 24 Years as Super Lawyer: 6 (2012-17) Other: Super Lawyers top 100, 2016; Chambers and Partners, 2005-16; Martindale Hubbell AV rated, 2005-17 Why I became an attorney: With almost 25 years of experience advising clients on all aspects of employee benefits and disputes, the greatest challenge in this ever changing area of law is to maintain a deep technical skill, combined with a consultative approach and direct litigation and dispute background to manage all matters to success.
* Attorneys included in this section completed a questionnaire that was emailed to attorneys and/or firms by the Cleveland Jewish News. The questionnaire also was available at cjn.org. Some opted not to answer all questions.
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