JANUARY 15, 2016
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 19
LOCAL LAWYERS SUPER ATTORNEYS A Cleveland Jewish News Special Section
20 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
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!
January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
L-R: PAUL B. DAIKER*, ADAM M. BROWN, LARRY W. ZUKERMAN*, S. MICHAEL LEAR, ANDREA LATESSA, BRIAN A. MURRAY** *CHOSEN TO 2016 SUPER LAWYERS **CHOSEN TO 2016 RISING STARS
ZUKERMAN, DAIKER & LEAR CO., L.P.A ZUKERMAN, DAIKER & LEAR CO., L.P.A. 3912 Prospect Ave., E. Cleveland, OH 44115 PH: (216) 696-0900 FX: (216) 696-8800 zukerman-law.com
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 15, 2016
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 21
MICHAEL UNGAR | ULMER & BERNE Jewish roots help lead the way for this ‘super’ attorney NOELLE BYE | SPECIAL TO THE CJN
T
he principles Michael Nathan Ungar learned as a young Jewish boy prepared him for his career as an award-winning lawyer.
“I would say that Judaism – like many religions, including Catholicism, Buddhism, Protestant, etc. – teaches you early on to ask a lot of questions, to be open to new ideas, to formulate an advance position,” Ungar said. “And to treat other human beings with dignity and respect, and to act in a manner that reflects positively on people of the Jewish faith.” A member of Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights, Ungar feels those values contributed to his skill in dealing with his clients. A large amount of his ability to connect to others can also be attributed to his more humble beginnings, working as a shoe salesman in his father’s Cleveland shoe shop, Mar-Lou Shoes in Mayfield Heights, which his brother Dan now runs. “You’ve got to relate to people in this business,” he said. “I think I can relate to people pretty well, and some of it goes back to lessons my dad taught me in terms of treating people decently, treating them with respect, no matter what shape or size they had – and that
“When I see some of
the injustices going on in the world, in the do-over category … would I like to be part of the prosecution team against some of the criminals doing some of the things we know they’re doing – the terrorists? The answer is you bet.” Michael Ungar Ulmer & Berne
includes their foot.” For the fourth consecutive year, Ungar tops the Ohio Super Lawyers list. Benchmark Litigation also selected Ungar as one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers in the country in 2015. Most of his cases are in business litigation, and he also mediates and arbitrates in many litigations. “The truth is, there are so many great lawyers throughout Ohio, it’s just humbling,” Ungar said. “I’ve had so many mentors in my life and leaders – great lawyers, great judges, that I’ve been exposed to and learned so much from.” In addition, he was ranked in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2007-2015) in Band 1 – the highest of six bands – for General Commercial Litigation. Only six other Ohio attorneys, including one from Cleveland, earned this ranking. “Winning has a lot of definitions,” he said. “Winning in my world means achieving a good result for the client, so the client picks up the phone and calls you for the next matter. You’re only as good as your most recent performance for the client. You have to prove yourself again and again. You cannot rest on your laurels. And if I believed any of this stuff that’s being written about me, it would be time to go back to being a first-year lawyer.” Though he owes a lot of his political upbringing to his now retired peers, and he’s mindful of where he came from, he never stops learning, and it’s the millennials who keep him energized. “They represent the future, and I try to relate to them – sometimes successfully, sometimes not successfully,” he said, laughing. “I engage with them on a daily basis and their fresh perspectives on the world, in everything from technology to work-life balance, to what entertains them … is of interest to me. It may not be my generation, I may be a classic boomer in so many respects, but guess what? They were voting too.”
Michael Ungar of Ulmer & Berne headlines the list of Ohio Super Lawyers for the fourth consecutive year. | Photo | Noelle Bye
The younger generation certainly relates to the law differently, taking a much bolder and less restrained approach, Ungar said, than his generation. They also tend to be less concerned with taking a hint from the past in order to lead in the future. “And while that might have a scary aspect to it, to me … I sort of embrace it,” he said. “It’s bold and it’s daring. And it challenges the sort of conservative view I had coming in.” He deals with the newer age bracket daily – both at work and at home. His daughter, Katherine, is a third year law student at The Ohio State University in Columbus. “I’m getting it pretty much straight up and unvarnished, directly from a millennial,” he said. “And my daughter, as you would expect any proud parent to say, is very bright and incredibly enthused and brings a brand new perspective.” Law runs in Ungar’s family. His grandfather, Abe Kipperman, a Russian immigrant, also attended OSU’s law school. Ungar’s career spans 31 years, all of which was spent in Cleveland, though he went to law school at Boston
University. “I think the legal profession is a great and honorable profession that should be touted. It’s just a benchmark to all the freedoms that we as Americans enjoy,” Ungar said. His exposure to the concept of justice came at an early age, through his history lessons in the Holocaust. He saw both sides of justice – from a complete absence of it initially to the rendering of it when those who could be apprehended were required to answer for their crimes at the Nuremberg trials – and it had an impact on his later career. “I do civil litigation work. When I see some of the injustices going on in the world, in the do-over category … would I like to be part of the prosecution team against some of the criminals doing some of the things we know they’re doing – the terrorists?” Ungar said. “The answer is you bet.”
Nolle Bye is a freelance writer from Strongsville.
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January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
DAVID R. COHEN ‘Law geek’ gets to the bottom of cases CARLO WOLFF | STAFF REPORTER cwolff@cjn.org
Congratulations to Paul J. Singerman Gary S. Desberg Ronald J. Teplitzky who were selected for inclusion in 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers.® SINGERMAN, MILLS, DESBERG & KAUNTZ PRIDES
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A
n acrostic ties David R. Cohen to his work as a special master, an attorney who mediates, arbitrates, assists in federal cases and monitors in federal courts. “C” stands for “consistent.” “O” stands for “open-minded.” “H” is for “honest,” “e” for “excellent,” and “n” for “nice.” It’s a clever way to introduce a potential client to a man who’d rather be a referee than a litigator. After completing undergraduate work at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Cohen tried sales and marketing, but that didn’t take. So at age 29, he went to law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, not sure of his specialty. He studied criminal cases, contract cases, corporate law – and read an opinion, which turned on the light bulb. “Somebody’s got to write the opinion, somebody’s got to decide the cases,” he said he realized. “I think that would be really cool, that’s what I want to do.” So his first job out of law school was clerking for a federal judge. “A clerk reports to the judge, but one of the worst-kept secrets is that law clerks draft opinions for the judge’s signature,” he said, adding there is a “lot of give-and take. That was a great job and I really loved it. I ended up being a law clerk for three different judges.” They included Solomon J. Oliver, the U.S. District Court Judge presiding over the consent decree between the city of Cleveland and the Department of Justice in connection with Cleveland police practices. As special master, Cohen was a helpmate to Jack Zouhary, judge for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, in a Toledo case that’s been called the biggest antitrust suit in U.S. history. It alleged price-fixing among manufacturers of polyurethane foam, contended the firms owed money to everyone who had bought any kind of product containing such foam over the past 10 years. It meant “almost everybody in the country was a potential class member.”
Cohen Name: David R. Cohen Age: 56 Residence: Beachwood Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami in Beachwood Other Jewish affiliation: Studies with the Jewish Family Experience Why I am an attorney: “To help bring justice into the world.”
The case was settled for $151.5 million and, Cohen said, “If you think of all the people and all the product, you can argue that that’s a pittance.” He’s been involved in other cases more than a billion dollars and ones involving “hundreds of millions.” In such cases, “the judge will appoint me as a helpmate,” Cohen said. He’s been doing this full time for almost 12 years, and he’s happy to not be a specialist, said Cohen, who also spends part of his day on tai chi and kung fu, different kinds of Chinese martial arts. He worries he’s too busy. He also worries the work will dry up. He’s doing fine. “I’m a law geek,” Cohen said. “There’s never been a case I don’t like because there’s always something interesting, whether it’s the evidence or the people who are part of it. I just really like the law and helping people figure it out.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
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January 15, 2016
Representing Victims of Financial & Professional Wrongdoing LEVIN & ASSOCIATES CO., L.P.A.
PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE & COMMERCIAL LITIGATION We represent plaintiffs in litigation using alternative fee arrangements. • Legal, accounting, advising and fiduciary negligence Joel Levin
• Contract, commercial and securities disputes • Matters arising from significant business, property or economic loss • Securities and investment fraud • Dozens of seven and eight figure results for clients
Levin & Associates has earned a reputation for vigorous advocacy and achieving satisfying results for our clients.
LEVIN & ASSOCIATES CO., L.P.A. THE TOWER AT ERIEVIEW, SUITE 1100 1301 E. 9TH STREET, CLEVELAND, OH 44114 PH: 216.928.0600 FX: 216.928.0016 WWW.LEVINANDASSOCIATES.COM
24 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
JANUARY 15, 2016
LOCAL LAWYERS
HEIDI FRIEDMAN THOMPSON HINE
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR DISPUTES Jerry Weiss, founder of MediationInc, is nationally recognized as a go-to neutral for the resolution of complex, high conflict, intractable disputes. He’s the first lawyer 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 mediation and conflict and its resolution.
Environmental work takes her across country KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER kmott@cjn.org
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
2016
Congratulations to our 2016 Super Lawyer Ohio Super Lawyers Since 2003 2015 and 2016 Cleveland Top 25 Women 2015 Ohio Top 50 Women Certified Elder Law Attorney*
Best Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year 2016 Cleveland Elder Law 2013 Cleveland Trusts and Estates
Attorney Janet L. Lowder
Member and Former President, Special Needs Alliance
Elder Law Estate PlanningAsset ProtectionMedicaid Planning GuardianshipLong-Term Care OptionsSpecial Needs Planning
(216) 861-0360 x Hickman-Lowder.com
*Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation.
Turning Your Obstacles Into Opportunities
C
JN: After graduating from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1995, where did you begin your career? HF: “I went to Thompson Hine right after college and I’ve been there ever since. At the time it just seemed like the right fit.” CJN: You’re a partner in the firm’s environmental and product liability practice groups. Why did you focus your career on those areas of law? HF: “I’m an environmental, health and safety lawyer, and my niche practice is national environmental counsel for large companies across the country. I handle environmental health and safety and product stewardship issues for large companies, mainly manufacturing companies but others as well, and I handle them across the board, so everything that includes transactional work, litigation and regulatory compliance work. “I enjoyed the regulatory compliance work aspect of environmental law. It’s an area that’s been stable and growing and a focus of many businesses for a long time.” CJN: Is there a case you’ve been involved with that has made an impact on your career? HF: “There’s not a specific case or matter, but the relationships that I’ve had with some of my clients – some of whom I’ve been supporting for decades on these issues – have made me want to have similar relationships with other clients.” CJN: You’re founder of a firm-wide women’s initiative at Thompson Hine. What does that entail and why did you create it? HF: “I’m extremely active in the professional development of female lawyers nationally, regionally and locally. About eight years ago a partner of mine and I started and formalized our women’s initiative called Spotlight on Women. It has two main aspects: to facilitate the networking and interaction of female professionals in the Cleveland community and to support the professional development of our own female attorneys at Thompson Hine. CJN: What do you enjoy most about
Friedman Name: Heidi Friedman Age: 45 Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood and Cleveland Other Jewish affiliation: Involved with the professional women’s committee at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland Why I became an attorney: “I was always interested in assisting companies in furthering their business goals by providing supportive legal advice. Mainly, I wanted to become a partner with business clients so they could further their business goals. That was the most interesting aspect to me.” your work? HF: “I really like being a trusted adviser to clients. I like thinking about how I can add value to their businesses and making sure that they can meet their goals without any legal issues. And I have a really good relationship with a lot of my clients and I enjoy working with them.” CJN: Looking toward the future, do you have any goals you hope to accomplish? HF: “I’m the co-founder, along with Ann Harlan, of a women’s law center at CWRU. It’s another way that we can help facilitate and promote the success of women in the law. I want to continue to further that cause. At most firms, you have 50 percent of associates coming in as women but at the equity partner level, you only have 16 or 17 percent. I want to continue to find ways to work with other professional women in the community.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
January 15, 2016
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 25
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
26 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
Meyers Roman Proudly Salutes Our
2016 Super Lawyers
JEFFREY FRIEDMAN FRIEDMAN DOMIANO & SMITH
Seth P. Briskin
Peter D. Brosse
Mario J. Fazio
Alan N. Hirth
Debra J. Horn
Jonathan T. Hyman
Scott M. Lewis
R. Russell O’Rourke
Auto accident launched career to aid hurt passengers ED WITTENBERG | STAFF REPORTER ewittenberg@cjn.org
A Barbara K. Roman
Peter Turner
Bryan J. Dardis
Jenifere R. Singleton
Rising Star
Rising Star
meyers roman Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis
A Legal Professional Association
28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 500 Cleveland, OH 44122 Phone: 216.831.0042 www.meyersroman.com
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.
Donald Lampert
David Kaufman
Workers’ Compensation 216.622.8467 dlampert@calfee.com
Labor and Employment Litigation 216.622.8399 dkaufman@calfee.com
Marcia J. Wexberg
Eric Zell
Estate & Succession Planning 216.622.8858 mwexberg@calfee.com
Business Litigation 216.622.8603 ezell@calfee.com
Calfee. Clients first. Legal expertise always. 1405 East Sixth Street | Cleveland, Ohio 44114 216.622.8200 | calfee.com
n automobile accident at age 17 fueled Jeff Friedman’s passion to become a personal injury lawyer. “I care about those who are injured, and I want to see them compensated fairly for their injuries, since I was not,” Friedman said in a telephone interview from his winter home in Marco Island, Fla. “I can empathize with them and understand their problem.” Friedman has been confined to a wheelchair since 1964, when he suffered a spinal cord injury as a passenger in a car crash. Laws did not exist at that time to protect and compensate injured passengers of motor vehicle accidents. But Friedman – founding partner of Friedman Domiano & Smith, a personal injury law firm based in Cleveland – was determined to change that. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from John Carroll University in University Heights in 1969, he attended Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland. During his final year of law school, Friedman began working on a case with attorney Mike Shane to fight to change what he called the highly unfair guest statute law in Ohio, which stated a driver wasn’t liable for any injuries to guests or passengers in the vehicle and injured passengers couldn’t collect against the driver. He argued the law with the Supreme Court of Ohio and won, and the law was ruled unconstitutional in 1973. Friedman began practicing law solo in 1973, and a classmate from college, Frank Chenette, joined him to create a partnership called Friedman & Chenette in 1980. Friedman and Chenette practiced together until 1987, when Joe Domiano and David Smith were invited to join together in a new partnership. After Chenette ventured on his own in 1988, Friedman Domiano & Smith was established. Friedman is still the firm’s managing partner.
Friedman Name: Jeffrey H. Friedman Age: 67 Residence: University Heights and Marco Island, Fla. Synagogue: Attends services at Green Road Synagogue in Beachwood, but not a member Why I am an attorney: “My accident in 1964 was the cause of my becoming a lawyer.” Friedman is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won milliondollar and multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Friedman’s best-known cases include Felden versus Ashland Chemical, which resulted in a $3.5 million verdict, and Hillyer versus Painesville Township, which netted $1.6 million. He’s also a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, the Ohio Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice Friedman worked as a part-time assistant attorney general of Ohio for more than 25 years. He served 29 years on University Heights City Council, including several terms as vice mayor, and his wife, Margaret DuffyFriedman, followed him on council. A 1965 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School who grew up in University Heights, Friedman was inducted into the Cleveland Heights High School Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. He said his goal is “to keep pressing ahead under adverse legislature in the House and Senate in Columbus and do the best we can for our clients.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
JANUARY 15, 2016
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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. Rubin Guttman & Associates Rachel Kabb-Effron Certified Elder Law Specialist 216.991.5222 (Kabb)
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“At Rubin Guttman & Associates, we’ve been representing The ESTATE PLAN that Kabb Law co-creates with you determines who people who’ve been will be theor recipient of your assets. It minimizes taxes, ensures that injured disabled, youwhose are ableloved to receive the desired care, and make the decisions you or ones wouldbeen want ifthe youvictims were able to speak on your own behalf. have · Estate Planning of wrongful death as · Elder Rubin Guttman a result ofLaw serious · Care medical Coordination accidents, malpractice or nursing home neglect and abuse since 1977. We’re proud that Rubin Guttman The is care. hasdifference been recognized by his peers as an Ohio Super Lawyer for the tenth year.” Rachel& Kabb-Effron Rubin Guttman Certified Elder Law Specialist Associates, L.P.A. 216.991.5222 (Kabb)
55 Public Square, Suite 1860 Cleveland, OH 44113 Phone: 216-592-8716 • Toll Free: 888-206-9682 • Fax: 216-696-2778 www.guttlaw.com
LOCAL LAwyers
ANDREW GOLDWASSER CIANO & GOLDWASSER
Working for two firms keeps him busy KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER kmott@cjn.org
C
JN: Why did you decide to become an attorney? AG: “After graduating from the University of Akron in 1992, I enrolled in a master’s program to become a teacher. I had some time to kill so I started working at Reminger Co. as a legal investigator where I investigated truck accidents. I enjoyed what I saw and decided I would stop my master’s in education and instead focus on law.” CJN: Once you graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1997, where did you begin your career? AG: “I started working for a firm called Sindell Lowe Eklund and Wakefield in Cleveland. That firm subsequently split and I continued to work with one portion of that group before starting my own firm in 2000.” CJN: Why did you decide to start your own firm instead of joining another private firm? AG: “I’ve always wanted to try to do it on my own. I grew up in a family of lawyers and I wanted to try to experience something new and do it my way. That’s why I decided to go out on my own. I’m blessed to have selected a great law partner and I’m very proud of the firm we’ve built over the last 15 years.” CJN: What were some challenges you experienced along the way? AG: “I had some wonderful mentors but nonetheless I faced some challenges of not having someone there with more experience on a day-to-day basis. The other challenge was of course setting up the business and operational systems, growing the firm from a marketing perspective and then obtaining the capital that’s needed to run and operate a law firm.” CJN: As a trial lawyer, your specialties include complex civil litigation matters with an emphasis on serious injury and wrongful death claims. Why were you drawn to those areas of law? AG: “I enjoy helping people, I enjoy a contingent fee practice and I enjoy representing individuals. I also do quite a bit of securities litigation, which is helping people out who have had investment losses.” CJN: Is there a case you’ve been involved with that made a significant
Goldwasser Name: Andrew Goldwasser Age: 46 Residence: Solon Position: Co-founder and partner of Ciano & Goldwasser and managing partner of Rumizen Weisman Co. Noteworthy: Goldwasser has been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2008. This year, he was included in the Top 50 Cleveland Super Lawyers and Top 100 Ohio Super Lawyers lists. impact on you and your career? AG: “The most meaningful case for me was a case involving three Hiram College students who were tragically killed by a repeat drunk driver. We prosecuted a claim against the drunk driver but also went after the bar that served him when they knew he was intoxicated. That was a meaningful case for me because of the relationship that developed with the family as we walked through a very challenging and difficult process.” CJN: You’re a partner at two different law firms in Cleveland. How do you balance your time and your workload? AG: “I try to divide my time between the two firms. I maintain a relatively small case load and handle more complex cases, so that gives me the ability to focus on a smaller number of matters and devote the necessary time to both firms and my clients.” CJN: What’s the most rewarding aspect of your work? AG: “The people who I work with and the clients that I get to know.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
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January 15, 2016
Rumizen Weisman Co., Ltd. CLeveLAnd’S PerSOnAL Injury FIrm JAMES M. LINEHAN**
ANDY GOLDWASSER* Top 100 Ohio Top 50 Cleveland
PHILLIP A. CIANO* Top 100 Ohio Top 50 Cleveland
*CHOSEN TO 2016 SUPER LAWYERS **CHOSEN TO 2016 RISING STARS
CIANO & GOLDWASSER L.L.P. CLEVELAND
DEDICATED, DETERMINED AND DILIGENT REPRESENTATION OF CLIENTS IN HIGH-STAKES LITIGATION
When We say We have expeRienCe, We mean it. ouR fiRm has handLed moRe than 150 juRy tRiaLs. We have also settled more than 5,000 claims on behalf of injured individuals. Our attorneys have been routinely recognized by their peers as exceptional personal injury and wrongful death lawyers. 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 Inn of Court.
When individuals and businesses are facing high-stakes litigation, it is essential to work with attorneys who are business savvy, equally comfortable in a courtroom or boardroom and laser-focused on their clients’ needs and objectives. For almost two decades, Ciano & Goldwasser L.L.P. has met the high standards of its clientele. For the fourth consecutive year, Phil Ciano and Andy Goldwasser are named to the Top 100 list for Ohio and Top 50 list for Cleveland. As a boutique civil litigation fi rm, the attorneys handle a diverse range of matters, including business torts, commercial/employment litigation, investor claims, specialty torts, shareholder/partnership disputes, sports law, health care and wrongful death/catastrophic personal injury. Most of their referrals come from former clients and fellow attorneys, who know they possess the insight and tenacity to solve the problems at hand in the most effective way possible.
Andy Goldwasser
mitch Weisman
Scott rumizen
CIANO & GOLDWASSER L.L.P. 101 Prospect Ave. West 1610 Midland Building Cleveland, OH 44115
Rumizen Weisman Co., Ltd.
PH: (216) 658-9900 c-g-law.com
ph: (216) 658-5500 ohio-injury.com
Andy Goldwasser is a partner of both Ciano and Goldwasser as well as rumizen Weisman.
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LOCAL LAwyers
JOEL LEVIN LEVIN & ASSOCIATES
His work on financial fraud pays dividends CARLO WOLFF | STAFF REPORTER cwolff@cjn.org
J
oel Levin knows his way around financial chicanery. As founder and principal of Cleveland-based Levin & Associates, the Erie, Pa., native prides himself on being dogged, patient – and victorious. His firm recently won just less than $2 million in a case involving investors in a fund for themselves and a small not-for-profit agency. They lost their money. “The person who ran the fund was running a Ponzi scheme and went to prison, and we had an almost four-year fight to try to figure out where he had put the money – in a commodities trading firm in Chicago,” Levin said. Based on records there and the Chicago firm’s policy manual, along with rules laid down by the federal Patriot Act, Levin & Associates won a $1.86-million jury verdict in October. That took a lot of work, but it’s work
Levin likes. His firm specializes in legal and accounting malpractice, consumer fraud and complex litigation. Levin says, “It’s becoming harder and harder because a lot of financial institutions have gotten sweet deals from legislators to protect them” and a “a lot of courts and juries are not that happy if you give them a complicated matter.” Some cases come to a satisfactory conclusion, he said, comparing such legal efforts to the one in “Spotlight,” a recent movie about the Boston Globe’s expose of pedophile activity within Boston’s Catholic clergy. “They ran it down and they got it,” he said of the Globe’s journalists. “Presumably other people in journalism and the law run it down and they lose it.” Witnesses die, papers disappear, companies dissolve, people move. Both sides in that recent Ponzi case wanted a particular witness but she was touring the country in her RV and could never be served, he noted.
Memory can be shaky, too. “People can’t remember who they had lunch with a week ago,” said Levin, who completed undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Chicago, earning a law degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. from Oxford University. “How are they going to remember who they had lunch with six years ago and what they talked about? People remember things that are important to them.” What does he like best about his work? “I suppose what I like best is the people who I encounter who I like. I like a lot of the people; usually I like my clients. Often I like experts, I sometimes like opposing counsel, though not always. I like success. When we get results, that’s a real rush, that’s a big deal. At the end, if you get a successful result, it’s a big deal. “I don’t take cases I don’t believe in,” Levin says. “I don’t need to, and I won’t.”
Levin Name: Joel Levin Age: 64 Residence: Cleveland Heights Why I am an attorney: “Watching a society often indifferent to victims, ignoring of rights and callous to those taken advantage of, I noticed that the one group of individuals who could remedy this were lawyers. Law allows us to step back from the initial fray and make sense of the issues, offering a way to find success in a problematic world.”
Stronger together Congratulations to our attorneys selected to the 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers list. Top 50 Women in ohio / Top 25 Women in Cleveland
HigH Hig Hest Rated in OH OHiO
TOP 100 OHIO
Michael N. Ungar
Michael S. Tucker
Frances Floriano Goins
Patricia A. Shlonsky
James A. Goldsmith Daniel A. Gottesman* Howard M. Groedel Richard G. Hardy Paul R. Harris* Elizabeth M. Hill*
Evelyn K. Holmer* Marvin L. Karp Mark D. Katz Joshua A. Klarfeld James N. Kline Murray K. Lenson
David L. Lester Pingshan Li* Mary Forbes Lovett Bruce P. Mandel Lori A. Pittman Haas Lawrence D. Pollack
Brian N. Ramm Kip Reader Peter A. Rome Patricia A. Shlonsky Ronald C. Stansbury Gregory P. Stein*
Andrea Stone* Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau Michael S. Tucker Michael N. Ungar Matthew T. Wholey* Frederick N. Widen
K.C. Green John M. Hands Jennifer Snyder Heis*
James D. Houston Scott P. Kadish Jesse R. Lipcius*
Thomas G. McIntosh* Donald J. Mooney, Jr. Jeffrey F. Peck
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Michael J. Suffern Joseph P. Thomas Vance V. VanDrake, III*
Brian J. Laliberte
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Cleveland Inajo Davis Chappell Robert E. Chudakoff Timothy J. Downing Jeffrey S. Dunlap Bill J. Gagliano Frances Floriano Goins
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January 15, 2016
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 31
LISA ARLYN LOWE BUCKLEY KING
She helps companies work for ‘public good’ JONAH L. ROSENBLUM | STAFF REPORTER jrosenblum@cjn.org “Cuyahoga County approves $50 million demolition plan.” “Intergenerational School opens.” “Historic building reopens after major renovation.” Behind numerous Cleveland headlines lies the work of Buckley King banking and financial services attorney Lisa Arlyn Lowe. “I have a lot of background in community development projects and community development initiatives,” Lowe said. “I became an attorney to ‘further the public good.’ I started out working for Legal Aid in New York and have evolved to representing business clients, helping them provide solutions to both business and legal issues. I hope my clients are better off for having met me.” Many of the companies that she helps work for the “public good” that Lowe talks about – and that changes the nature of her work. “You give it your all no matter what the position is or what the kind of project is,”
Lowe said. “Obviously, if you’re passionate about something, you’ll spend all hours of the day and night working on it. If it’s promoting economic development, you can enjoy spending the extra hours on it.” Take the opening of The Intergenerational School, which she helped move in with Saint Luke’s Foundation and Neighborhood Progress Inc. “We helped get that across the finish line,” Lowe said. “It was a great accomplishment. It felt very, very good to go to the groundbreaking or the opening.” Lowe did much of the “mundane” work to ensure that the school got the appropriate tax credits and necessary financing. “The loan documents, you trudge through them, but without them you don’t close the loan and the kids don’t start school,” Lowe said. What she admits could be considered “mundane” is uplifting in its results. She described helping a nonprofit refinance and lower its mortgage rate, thus allowing it to save money and put its resources toward the services it provides rather than toward debt service.
Other examples of her behind-thescenes work include her work on behalf of the county’s demolition program, a major initiative meant to remove some of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County’s abandoned homes and urban blight. Behind the scenes, Lowe served as project attorney, providing advice regarding the structure of the program, bonds, legislation, program guidelines and contracts between those involved. Or take her work with JobsOhio, which helps promote local job creation by providing loans and grants to local businesses. Or there’s the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Northeast Ohio, where Lowe is working to structure a program in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood that will provide loans for people to buy side lots and fix up their houses, thus improving the neighborhood’s aesthetic appeal. “I am passionate about community and economic development, so I try to let my work permeate that as well as my volunteer time,” Lowe said. Lowe moved from Chicago in 2007 because her husband, Rabbi Steven Denker,
Lowe Name: Lisa Arlyn Lowe Age: 59 Residence: Solon Synagogue: Temple Emanu El in Orange Jewish Boards/Organizations: Executive vice president of the Hebrew Free Loan Association of Northeast Ohio, National Council of Jewish Women member and member of the Jewish Community Federation’s Bridge to the Future task force became the rabbi at Temple Emanu El in Orange. She said that when she came to Cleveland, the streets around her office were empty, something particularly noticeable given her background in community development. That changed to her delight.
32 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
DAVID M. PARIS NURENBERG PARIS
He fights for Davids against Goliaths JONAH L. ROSENBLUM | STAFF REPORTER jrosenblum@cjn.org Trial lawyers like David M. Paris are not always portrayed in the most positive light. There is this persistent image in the public mind of lawyers chasing windfalls on the backs of corporations and doctors who made an honest mistake. The former North Carolina senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards, pre-scandal, did well to rebut that in his autobiography, “Four Trials.” “Physicians err like the rest of us, and when, through neglect or reckless behavior, they cause damage, they must be held accountable for the consequences of their action or inaction,” Edwards wrote. That’s the kind of passion that has kept Paris going for 3 1/2 decades. “(Nurenberg Paris is) a firm that has maintained a leadership role in the specialized practice of representing people who have been hurt, many catastrophically, by the carelessness of
other people, professionals, corporations and governmental entities,” Paris said. “I’m the luckiest guy around because I love what I’ve been doing for the past 35 years.” For Paris, his work brings up the classic biblical tale of David and Goliath. As prestigious as Nurenberg Paris is, the firm’s legal adversaries often dwarf its clients in power and wealth, such as a mother suing an enormous hospital. “It’s the David and Goliath kind of syndrome, and it’s nice to be cast in that, to see yourself cast in that light, that role, as the David fighting the big insurance companies,” Paris said. It’s a heritage that he is now passing down to his daughter, Dana, who joined Nurenberg Paris as a law clerk in 2010 and has been an associate attorney there for nearly three years. Her father said nepotism is avoided in the legal field, for good reason, yet Nurenberg Paris has figured out a way to have legacies and keep it professional. Partners Ellen M. McCarthy, William S. Jacobson and Jonathan D. Mester all had parents at
the firm – and are now a proud part of the firm. “I think the secret to that is for the parents to stay away from their son or daughter as they’re learning,” David Paris said. How did the Paris family keep it professional? For Dana Paris’ first 2 ½ years, everyone mentored her – except her father. She sat second chair for five trials – none of them her father’s. “Now that she’s cut her teeth on a number of cases, she’s self-assured and developing her own reputation and her own name, it’s wonderful to bring her on to some of my cases and we’re having a ball together,” Paris said. The man she works with is one who, interestingly enough, has garnered some of his top praise from opposing attorneys. He credits that to professionalism and avoiding the “Rambo,” “take no prisoners” style that some believe to be true of the field. “This is a profession first and foremost,” Paris said. “It’s a small commu-
Paris Name: David M. Paris Age: 63 Residence: Moreland Hills Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami in Beachwood Noteworthy: In the past year, his daughter Dana got engaged and his wife Michelle was elected to the Bedford Municipal Court. nity. What goes around always comes around, always, and you lose credibility very quickly in a courtroom when you misbehave, so the best policy is and always has been the things you learned on the playground: play fair, make good calls, shake hands, don’t be a bully, and like my grandmother always told me, be a mensch.”
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PATRICIA A. SHLONSKY ULMER & BERNE
Employees can benefit from her vocation CARLO WOLFF | STAFF REPORTER cwolff@cjn.org
CONGRATULATIONS to Our 2016 SUPER LAWYERS Got Hurt | Get Results | Get NRS
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atricia A. Shlonsky, a specialist in employee benefits and health care, has been at Ulmer & Berne LLP for nearly all of her career. Chair of the employee benefits and tax practice groups at the Cleveland firm, she represents employers in establishing and maintaining employee benefits like 401(k), pensions and health care plans. “I started out doing general tax work and I really wanted to be more specialized than that, and employee benefits is kind of a hybrid of tax and labor,” said Shlonsky, who will celebrate her 30th anniversary at Ulmer & Berne Feb. 1. The regulations she consults most regularly in representing employers are found in the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974, the portion of federal labor law that covers employee benefits. Besides the Department of Labor, she also tracks the Department of Health & Human Services, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, and the IRS. The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law honors graduate also does a lot of reading. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford. Shlonsky is proud owner of a blog, frombriefstobooks.com. There, she recently reviewed a book by Anna Quindlen, also telling readers she spends much time “dealing with the intricacies of the Internal Revenue Code, the obscurities of ERISA and the agonizing and yet rewarding task of solving complex problems.” Shlonsky said she also handles a lot of government audits, and she’s been spending a lot of time looking at fees health care vendors charge. The field is especially fluid as the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, continues to roll out. The labor department keeps a sharp eye on fees associated with employee benefits, making sure “the fees being charged are appropriate and the investment selection” is on target, she said. While employee benefits are her focus, her practice is “very diverse,” she said. Among her other tasks is handling litigation “when our clients get sued by an employee or employees challenging
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 33
January 15, 2016
Shlonsky Name: Patricia A. Shlonsky Age: 56 Residence: Shaker Heights Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel, Beachwood and Cleveland Other Jewish affiliation: National Council of Jewish Women Why I am an attorney: “I always wanted to be a lawyer. I think I liked the intellectual discipline of it.” how benefits are administered.” How does she keep up with the feds? “I do a lot of reading, I get daily updates from four or five different sources,” first by email, then with hard copy updates every two days or weekly. “It’s a fluid field,” she said. Whether reviewing regulations that affect how employers administer their employee benefits or negotiating with employees on behalf of a client who has an issue with employers, Shlonsky is engaged and involved. She advises clients on benefits issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions, on privacy and data security issues under Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act benefits, and on private dispute resolution. Her work may be specialized, but it has scope and consequence. “Employee benefits affect every working person’s life and job, so you want to make sure that everything is compliant so the employee can continue to rely on the benefits they’re expecting,” Shlonsky said. “You’d be amazed how interesting it can be.”
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January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
MICHAEL S. TUCKER ULMER & BERNE
Solving problems has become his business ED WITTENBERG | STAFF REPORTER ewittenberg@cjn.org
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bUSineSS/coRPoRaTe GeneRaL LiTiGaTion 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.
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ichael S. Tucker takes pride in his work as a business lawyer who specializes in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights. “I enjoy working through the issues, helping my clients and dealing with attorneys on the other side of the case,” he said. “I’d like to think I have a reputation for integrity, honesty and professionalism – professionalism is very important to me.” Tucker, who has practiced law for 29 years, said he was flattered to have been recognized for the first time as one of the top 100 attorneys in Ohio for 2016 by the Super Lawyers rating service. He has been rated as an Ohio Super Lawyer every year since 2004, and he also has been honored by The Best Lawyers in America each year since 2008. Tucker also has earned the highest rating of AV from the MartindaleHubbell Peer Review Ratings for many years. “Primarily, clients call me up when they’re in stressful situations,” he said. “I like to take a calm and even approach to help them solve their problems.” Tucker is a partner in the Clevelandbased Ulmer & Berne law firm, where he has worked for 18 years. Before that, he was an attorney for Weltman, Weinberg & Reis, also of Cleveland, for eight years. “I do a lot of negotiation, a lot of working with both sides to hopefully achieve an amicable resolution,” he said. “When that isn’t possible, even when we have to resort to litigation, I still handle it in a professional manner and put my clients at ease by telling them what is going to happen and working with them. I always try to work out a resolution that is cost-effective and beneficial for my client.” Tucker has served as chair of the Ohio State Bar Association and is immediate past chair of the OSBA’s banking, commercial and bankruptcy committee. He is also a former chair of the bankruptcy and commercial law section of
Tucker Age: 54 Residence: Solon Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike Other Jewish affiliation: Participant in fundraisers for the Jewish Big Brother Big Sister Association of Cleveland Why I am an attorney: “I like dealing with people and solving problems.”
the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. In addition, Tucker is certified as a business bankruptcy specialist by the American Board of Certification. Despite these honors and accomplishments, Tucker said he is most proud of his two daughters: Betsy, 21, and Lauren, 18. “I love to play softball, and I enjoy coaching,” he said. “I’ve coached both of my daughters in softball and soccer through the Solon (Recreation Department).” Tucker, who lives in Solon with his wife, Diane, earned a law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Miami University in Oxford. He grew up in University Heights and is a 1979 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. “My goals are to continue representing my clients, to be available to them whenever needed and to help them to solve their problems,” he said.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 35
January 15, 2016
JEROME WEISS MEDIATIONINC.
His goal is to solve, resolve disputes ED WITTENBERG | STAFF REPORTER ewittenberg@cjn.org In 2000, Jerry Weiss took a big step when he became the first lawyer in Northeast Ohio to commit his entire practice to alternative dispute resolution. Since then, Weiss has become recognized as an expert on mediation in the United States and abroad. He is the only Northeast Ohio lawyer – and one of only 145 worldwide – to have been selected as a Distinguished Fellow in the International Academy of Mediators. “We as lawyers are very used to winning or losing,” he said. “Often the winner feels like a loser also. The litigation process is a very demanding and exhausting process; it takes a long time. “Mediation is the kind of thing where you can take people away from the past conflict to a more constructive future.” Weiss was selected as an Ohio Super Lawyer each year from 2008 through 2013 and again in 2015 and 2016. He also was recognized as Cleveland Mediation Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America in 2013. “I do 100 mediations a year, and to see the pivot to resolution that people take is really gratifying,” he said. “I know what they have saved themselves by not continuing the war drums. I am gratified every week by seeing that.” Weiss, who has been practicing law since 1972, mediated his first case in 1990 as part of the original panel of federal neutrals formed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. He formed his Cleveland-based firm, MediationInc., in 2000. “I define myself as a mediator before a lawyer,” he said. “I view mediation as a profession, although I have maintained my license to practice law. Mediation is something quite separate and apart from the law.” Weiss said he handles a broad range of disputes in many subject matter areas. “It’s primarily employment-based matters, commercial cases and catastrophic injury and professional negligence,” he said. “I also do a great deal of work in the energy and environmental areas.” In addition to being a good listener, Weiss credited his success to “the eight P’s of mediation: patience and persistence, patience and persistence, patience and persistence and patience and persis-
Weiss Name: Jerome Weiss Age: 69 Residence: Shaker Heights Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah in Beachwood Why I am an attorney: “Primarily to help people solve problems in a fair way. That’s always been one of the definers of my professional and personal life.” tence.” “I am the child of European Jewish refugees who lost their own parents at Auschwitz,” he said. “As a result, at an early age, I found fairness to be a defining value in my life.” Weiss, who grew up in Erie, Pa., earned a law degree in 1972 from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, where he serves as an adjunct faculty member. He designed and teaches a seminar on mediation representation at the law school, which recently inducted him into its Society of Benchers. His bachelor’s degree is in political science from Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. “I am increasingly involved in the educational aspects of mediation,” he said. “I look forward to continuing that and hopefully maintaining a robust practice here in Cleveland. “An additional goal is to re-instill a problem-solving and collaborative attitude in law students and young lawyers in what is an increasingly contentious environment.” Weiss and his wife, Judith Salomon, have a son, Daniel.
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January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
ROBERT M. WOLFF LITTLER MENDELSON PC
Passion for winning drives his career CARLO WOLFF | STAFF REPORTER cwolff@cjn.org
N
CONGRATULATIONS 2016 Super Lawyers George Crisci, Jon Dileno, Jonathan Downes, Michele Jakubs, Andrew Zashin, Stephen Zashin 2016 Rising Stars Amy Keating, Helena Oroz, Ami Patel, Christopher Reynolds, David Vance
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Michael C. Hennenberg
1/11/16 4:40 PM
David C. Weiner
Aaron M. Minc
Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC wishes to congratulate
Michael C. Hennenberg and David C. Weiner,
Of Counsel to the firm, for their inclusion as 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers for 13 consecutive years and Aaron M. Minc, Of Counsel, for his inclusion as a 2016 Ohio Rising Star for 3 consecutive years. Michael’s practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, including financial, health and tax fraud, State felony and misdemeanor offenses, expungements, post-conviction relief, professional licensing, attorney discipline, and victim of crime representation.
David’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. David has been a leader in various legal organizations, including Chair of the Litigation Section of the ABA.
Aaron is highly skilled in the area of Internet Defamation. His practice is on the technological forefront of removing damaging Internet content, combating cyber-attacks and intellectual property infringement. Aaron is also a Board member of the Cleveland Jewish News.
ot every case Robert M. Wolff works on is a win for his client, though most are, and Wolff, a seasoned trial attorney for Cleveland firm Littler Mendelson PC, likes to win. But Wolff also knows that when he finds out a client has violated the law, the proper advice – and the right thing to do – is to counsel resolution and the correction of deficiencies in the client’s human resources practices. A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law in Champaign, Wolff has lived in Cleveland since 1980. He did his undergraduate work at Oberlin College and joined Littler Mendelson in 2007 following its merger with his former firm, Duvin, Cahn & Hutton. In the mid-1980s, he also worked as a labor lawyer for the city of Cleveland when the mayor was George V. Voinovich. It was during that decade that he handled a case that continues to resonate – both for him and more generally. The city had to defend its affirmative action plan in a case in which white applicants claimed they were discriminated against because the plan unfairly favored people of color, he said. The whites were challenging an affirmative action decree designed to make the racial composition of the department better reflect the community that it served, Wolff said. “So it was a class action and we defended the city’s practice of reserving slots for minority applicants during a political climate where very, very few of these cases resulted in affirmative action hiring decrees being upheld, and we won the case,” said Wolff, who was working for Duvin, Kahn & Hutton at the time. “To me that was a big deal because I personally believed in the righteousness of the city’s position, reserving spots in the police force for applicants of color. It was one of the few cases in the last 20 years or so where these hiring
Wolff Name: Robert M. Wolff Age: 60 Residence: Shaker Heights Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood and Cleveland Other Jewish affiliation: Board of directors chair, Bellefaire JCB Why I am an attorney: “I like advocating on behalf of others and I like winning arguments during the workday. I very rarely win an argument at home.” decrees have been upheld.” Wolff also is co-chair of Littler Mendelson’s health care industry practice. Among his achievements in that field was winning a case for Manor Care, the nation’s largest for-profit eldercare skilled nursing company. The class action brought by some 40,000 alleged that the company forced those employees to work without compensation through their meal breaks. His client was committed to compliance with wage and hour laws and he eventually won the case. “The reason it was satisfying to me is it is costly to defend these cases,” Wolff said. Many companies “write a check, thinking it’s going to be cheaper than to fight, even though they did nothing wrong. And this company said no. It was willing to invest in fighting the fight and it won. And it was the right ending.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 37
JANUARY 15, 2016
BARBARA FRIEDMAN YAKSIC McGLINCHEY STAFFORD
Lenders have keen interest in what she can do
AT KLEIN & CARNEY: PRACTICE AREAS • WRONGFUL DEATH • SERIOUS INJURIES • MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
CARLO WOLFF | STAFF REPORTER cwolff@cjn.org
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arbara Friedman Yaksic is a puzzle fan. Not only does the McGlinchey Stafford member enjoy word games, she’s also patient and she likes to untie knots. When Yaksic joined the then-spankingnew Cleveland law firm from Benesch in 2002, she devoted her time to building the trial department for Louisiana-based McGlinchey Stafford’s first northern outpost. “It was like my third child, you know? It was personally exciting for me to bring on younger lawyers and mentor them and train them and work with them on the disputes among the financial institutions.” Yaksic, who graduated cum laude from Indiana University in Bloomington and summa cum laude from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in Columbus, specializes in consumer finance, complex business litigation and commercial matters. Her background also includes litigation linked to employment, bankruptcy and real estate. Her primary work consists of representing lenders and financial institutions, and one of her greatest satisfactions is satisfying both parties in a case. She joined McGlinchey Stafford as the housing bubble was building up, so a good deal of her work in the first decade of the millennium dealt with foreclosures. It still does, though the landscape has changed. “Sometimes the most satisfying (cases) are when the homeowner is not represented by a lawyer (and I) help them while still fulfilling my obligation to zealously represent my client,” she said. What she tries to do in prosecuting a case is cut through the underbrush, accumulating enough data to present to a judge so he or she can apprehend and act on the larger picture. Years ago, Yaksic assembled and reviewed thousands of transactions, presenting information in an earlier case so successfully her client was awarded all the damages it sought. There was no further appeal. Many recent cases involve contested foreclosures, and her preference is to satisfy both lender and borrower. Yaksic said, “My approach is to first look and see if there’s some resolution that will keep
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Yaksic Name: Barbara Friedman Yaksic Age: 59 Residence: Concord Township Synagogue: Park Synagogue, Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike Why I became an attorney: “Inspired by “To Kill a Mockingbird” and a desire to help people solve problems.” the homeowner in the property while still protecting the rights and interests of the financial institution, avoiding unnecessary litigation costs. When that doesn’t work, I represent the interests of my clients to obtain complete relief for them.” While contested foreclosures still permeate her practice, another large area she deals with is statutes and regulations affecting consumer financing. In the past several years, especially since the establishment of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in 2010, the number of regulations has grown dramatically, prompting a shift from counterclaims that characterize contested foreclosures to affirmative lawsuits initiated by the borrower. “There’s so much more regulation, we’re seeing a lot more of those affirmative lawsuits initiated by the borrower (as a complaint) instead of sending a counterclaim,” she said. Based on new regulations and statutes, there are more claims relating to loan servicing, she added. “I like working through a problem, trying to find a creative solution,” Yaksic said. “I like working with people and I like mentoring younger attorneys and seeing them grow.”
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JANUARY 15, 2016
ROBERT A. ZIMMERMAN
Congratulations to our Partner Aaron S. Evenchik, Esq.
BENESCH, FRIEDLANDER, COPLAN & ARONOFF
Early Ohio Supreme Court victory sparked career
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wo years after graduating from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1991, Robert A. Zimmerman won his first major case in the Ohio Supreme Court. That success pushed him to pursue even more challenging cases and tackle difficult issues in front of the courts. Zimmerman, who is now a partner at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff in Cleveland, has ample experience in the legal world. He started his career in Columbus, working for former Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher. It was during his four-year stay at the attorney general’s office that Zimmerman had the chance to argue a case before the Ohio Supreme Court. “The issue dealt with whether certain records maintained by the Ohio Division of Securities were confidential lawenforcement records,” said Zimmerman, who is also chair of the public law practice group and vice chair of the litigation practice group at Benesch. “I argued that the records were confidential and convinced the court that they were and got a chance to make some law in an important area very early on in my career.” Although Zimmerman admits that it was “a little intimidating” arguing in front of seven justices just two years out of law school, the case served as an important stepping stone for Zimmerman’s career. “You find that as you have more success and are able to persuade judges and others of the validity of your opinion, you gain confidence,” said Zimmerman, who has been named a Super Lawyer every year since 2010. Zimmerman moved back to Cleveland during the summer of 1995 and took a position with the Arter & Hadden law firm. After a little over a year there, he left his position to manage the political campaign of Tim McCormack, who was running for Cuyahoga County commissioner in 1996. In early 1997, Zimmerman joined the Kahn Kleinman law firm. He spent the next 11½ years there and eventually became partner. After the firm was acquired by Taft Stattinus & Hollister, Zimmerman was recruited by Benesch. He began his career there in 2009. “Every job that I’ve had has provided experiences and building blocks for what I like to think is continued success at the next job. That’s very much the beauty of
Zimmerman Name: Robert A. Zimmerman Age: 49 Residence: Shaker Heights Synagogue: Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike Other Jewish affiliation: Current board member of Menorah Park in Beachwood. Past chair of the government relations committee and vice chair of the community relations committee at the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and past member of the Cleveland Jewish News Board of Directors. Why I became an attorney: “I can’t say I always wanted to be a lawyer. My late father was a trial lawyer. It just seemed like it was going to be the thing that I did and that’s exactly what happened.” the law,” Zimmerman said. Zimmerman, who also serves on Shaker Heights City Council, focuses his practice on two different specialties. He has a general civil litigation practice in which he does trial work in the courts on behalf of clients engaged in civil matters. He’s also a lobbyist, and as a government relations lawyer he advocates for clients in front of local and state government. As for the future, Zimmerman, who was named a Top 100 Super Lawyer in Ohio this year, said he hopes to continue to advocate and make positive changes within the community. “I continue to look forward to more challenging cases and issues whether I’m handling those in front of courts or in front of legislative bodies,” he said. “Most importantly, I really do want to make a positive impact for the community and I hope that my law and lobbying practice will allow me to do that.”
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January 15, 2016
Safety from suits Jewish organizations’ board members usually in the clear ED WITTENBERG | STAFF REPORTER ewittenberg@cjn.org
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eople who volunteer their time by serving on nonprofit boards at synagogues and other Jewish institutions are subject to legal liabilities, but there are laws in place to protect them in case they are sued. “The law as drafted is intended to not put nonprofit directors in harm’s way, so there’s a pretty high Kaplan standard that has to be met or not met for there to be personal liability for a board member,” said Ira Kaplan, partner and executive chairman of the Cleveland-based Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff law firm. Myers Kaplan, a corporate lawyer, said Ohio law states that
board members are required to perform their duties in good faith and “in a manner they reasonably believe to be in the best interests” of the entity they serve and “with the care that an ordinarily prudent person would use.” A board member shall not be found to have failed to perform his or her duties unless it is proved, “by clear and convincing evidence,” that he or she has not met that standard, Kaplan said. By the same token, directors who approve of or agree to unlawful distribution of assets of an entity can be held personally liable for doing so, Kaplan said. “But generally under law, board members are entitled to rely on advice and reports of the counsel offices of the entities’ accountants,” he said. “They are really protected, so even if there is an improper distribution of assets, if they have done their homework and the entities’ accountants have gone through this and have the documents, the board should not have a problem.” Under not-for-profit law, institutions such as Menorah Park Center for Senior Living, Montefiore and Bellefaire JCB
almost always have a provision in their charter documents that directors are indemnified by the entity if they have acted in good faith in a manner not opposed to the best interests of the entity, Kaplan said. “So, if there is a lawsuit against a board member, generally what would happen is there would be an indemnification provision that would kick in and protect someone from individual liability as long as they have acted in good faith,” said Kaplan, whose three-year term as president of the board of directors at Menorah Park ended Dec. 31. If a director of a nonprofit board has responsibility for books and records and there is “knowing false entry,” there could be personal liability for that, Kaplan said. “But that is really unusual, for a board member to have that responsibility,” he said. “It’s usually a staff member, rather than a board member, who has that responsibility.” Kaplan, a member of The TempleTifereth Israel in Beachwood and Cleveland who serves on its foundation board, said he doesn’t believe fear of
being sued dissuades many people from serving on nonprofit boards. “There are not a lot of reported cases (of such board members being sued), so I don’t think it happens very often,” said Kaplan, who also serves on the boards of United Way of Greater Cleveland and Bellefaire JCB. “It has to be something pretty egregious, and I don’t see a lot of it.” Nonprofit claims more frequent However, according to Towers and Watson’s 2012 Directors and Officers Liability Survey of Insurance Purchasing Trends, 63 percent of nonprofit respondents reported having had claims against their directors and officers liability policies in the past 10 years. “Nonprofit claims are more numerous and frequent than for for-profit companies,” said Richard Myers, vice president of professional liability for Insurance Partners Agency Inc. in Solon. Myers, a past president of B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike, said most nonprofit boards carry directors and officers liability insurance to
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protect their members. But there are some issues that nonprofit directors and trustees need to be aware of, Myers said. “If a nonprofit becomes insolvent, a director’s or officer’s personal assets are exposed,” he said. “Most nonprofits, such as synagogues, don’t have deep staff resources or human resource departments.” Myers said some nonprofit boards become liable by voluntarily adopting all provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, a federal law that set new or expanded requirements for all U.S. public company boards, management and public accounting firms. The act requires nonprofits to “protect whistleblowers” and retain records of minutes and finances for future reference, Myers said. “If either of these provisions in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are violated, it puts directors and officers at risk,” he said. Types of exposures facing nonprofit boards, Myers said, include employment claims; breach of fiduciary duties, such as care, loyalty or obedience; conflicts of interest; government actions and enforcement and allegations of misuse of funds. Fellow directors and officers can sue one another, Myers said. Others who can sue a nonprofit board include the state attorney general; the Internal Revenue
LOCAL LAWYERS Service, which can threaten a nonprofit’s 501(c)(3) status; donors who don’t like how their funds are being used; employees; and recipients and beneficiaries of the nonprofit’s mission. It’s important for nonprofit boards to have directors and officers liability insurance because it funds defense for all claims, even though most are groundless or fraudulent, Myers said. “It also satisfies the organization’s obligation to indemnify board members, and it encourages qualified people to serve on the board,” he said. Nonprofit board members don’t necessarily think about these things until something happens, Myers said. “Then it’s, ‘Why am I being sued? I’m just a member of a board,’” he said. “But it doesn’t matter; they are personally liable. Without D and O insurance, they are relying on the organization to indemnify them, and if the (nonprofit) is small, it may not have the finances to do that.” Myers believes fear of being sued is definitely a consideration when people think about serving on nonprofit boards. “But having D and O insurance will mitigate that,” he said. “Remember that regular general liability insurance only covers claims that allege bodily injury or property damage and will exclude most other claims against directors and officers,” he added.
Tucker Ellis promotes four in Cleveland
Four Cleveland attorneys have been promoted to counsel at Tucker Ellis. The attorneys are: Courtenay Youngblood Jalics, who practices in the areas of products liability, medical and pharmaceutical liability and construction litigation. Paul Malie, who focuses on business transactions, commercial banking, corporate finance and securities. Chelsea Mikula, who practices in the areas of business litigation and products liability litigation. Jeff Sindelar, who represents clients in matters involving antitrust, contract disputes, consumer class actions, copyrights, drugs and medical device products liability, medical malpractice and toxic torts. Others promoted to counsel include Michael Adelsheim, Justin Garratt, Monee Takla Hanna, Aggie Lee, Michael Robbins, Chad Tian and Amanda Villalobos.
Six gain partnership at Tucker Ellis
Six Cleveland attorneys have been elected to Tucker Ellis’s partnership. The attorneys are: Susan Audley, who practices in the area of general litigation. Stephen Bittence, who advises businesses, developers and lenders in the ownership, financing, operation, management and development of multifamily residential, office, retail, single-family residential and mixed-use projects. Sarah Bunce, a trial attorney in the areas of products liability defense and complex commercial litigation matters. Anthony Petruzzi, who practices in the area of white-collar criminal defense, corporate investigations and business litigation. Jennifer Steinmetz, who practices in the areas of medical and pharmaceutical liability. Victoria Vance, chair of the Tucker Ellis health care group, who represents health care providers, drug and device manufacturers, insurers, reinsures and underwriters in claims, risk, litigation, investigatory and compliance issues. Other attorneys elected to the partnership include Robert Cutbirth, Monica Williams Monroe and Joshua Wes.
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January 15, 2016
Friedman and Nemecek open downtown Cleveland office JULIE FAIR | SPECIAL TO THE CJN
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s Ian Friedman and Eric Nemecek prepared to open their new law firm, the only disagreement the two had was whether they should have an air hockey table in the lobby of Friedman and Nemecek L.L.C. As the air hockey table debate is discussed, six lawyers will run the new firm, which opened its doors Jan. 1. Friedman, a member of Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple in Beachwood, said he plans to open another location in Chapel Hill, N.C., by the middle of the year. Friedman The new firm, in the IMG Center in Cleveland, derived from Friedman and Nemecek’s choice to leave the law firm of McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal and Liffman Co., LPA. Aside from practicing criminal defense, the new firm will focus on helping companies evaluate their susceptibility to computer hacks. If a client’s personal information is reNemecek vealed due to the hack, the company could be sued, Friedman said. Friedman was 27 when he graduated in 1997 and opened a private practice, Ian Friedman and Associ-
Lawyers group presents honors
ates, on West 6th Street in Cleveland. About five years later, Nemecek joined the practice. “As a criminal firm, we handle the obvious spectrum from OUI’s (operating under the influence) to murder,” Friedman said. He said the original merge was an attempt to be a “one-stop shop” for all of his clients’ needs. As he worked with the new firm that covered all areas of law, Friedman realized he wanted to go back to his focus on criminal defense. “Our clients are looking forward to getting back to the smaller, more comfortable environment,” Nemecek said. One day, Friedman passed by a familiar face in the hallway. That face turned out to be Eric Long, an old student of Friedman’s from Cleveland Marshall College of Law. Long, a member of the Suburban TempleKol Ami in Beachwood, realized he liked working on criminal defense cases. Soon after, Long was asked to join the firm with Friedman and Nemecek. “There’s really no one better to practice with in the criminal realm,” Long said. “It’s a very exciting time for us.”
Julia Fair is a sophomore in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens.
Several lawyers were presented with awards to recognize their service to the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys, the profession and the larger community during the organization’s annual meeting in Columbus. Carolyn A. Taggart of Porter, Wright, Morris and Arthur LLP in Cincinnati received the Excellence in Advocacy Award, while Peter J. Hersha of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company in Columbus earned the Distinguished Contributions to the Profession Award. Mark Kitrick of Kitrick, Lewis and Harris Co., LPA in Columbus was the recipient of the Respected Advocate Award, and Judge Lisa Sadler of the 10th District Court of Appeals received the Public Service Award. Neil F. Freund of Freund Freeze & Arnold in Dayton earned the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Natalie M. Wais of Young and Alexander Co. LPA in Cincinnati receive the Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. Lynn V. Luther of Eastman and Smith in Toledo was the recipient of the Committee Chair of the Year Award, and Michael M. Neltner, staff counsel for the Cincinnati Insurance Company in Cincinnati, was presented with the Frank Seth Hurd Member of the Year Award. The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys is an organization of attorneys, corporate executives and managers who devote a substantial portion of their time to the defense of civil lawsuits and the management of claims against individuals, corporations and governmental entities.
Elk & Elk Super Lawyers | 5 in Top 50 Cleveland & Top 100 Ohio
FrOnt rOw (L tO r): Kevin Lenson*, amy papesh*, marilena diSilvio*†‡, phillip Kuri*†, arthur elk, david elk, James Kelley*†, John O’neil*†; BaCK rOw: william Campbell*, gary Cowan*, rob dubyak* Of Counsel, r. Craig mcLaughlin*, william price*†, ryan harrell**, matthew Carty**, michael eisner*, Kimberly young** * 2016 OhiO Super LawyerS
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† tOp 50 CLeveLand LiSt and tOp 100 OhiO
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“i am very proud of the fourteen lawyers at elk & elk who have been recognized statewide for their experience, professionalism and results,” said managing partner arthur elk. “it is an honor to have our firm’s depth of talent recognized by our peers. each of these attorneys is an incredible advocate for our clients and representative of this firm.” MayfIELd HEIgHts OffIcE 6105 parkland Blvd. mayfield hts., Oh 44124 440.442.6677
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LOCAL LAwyers
Criminal defense attorneys face uphill battles KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER kmott@cjn.org
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s a criminal defense and civil rights lawyer, Terry H. Gilbert has been involved with a myriad of cases, from drug crimes to homicide and murder to fraud and tax crimes. After earning his law degree in 1973, he was drawn to criminal Gilbert law because he wanted to maintain integrity within the criminal justice system. “I felt that it was important for a crimiGrant nal justice system to make sure that people charged with criminal violations had their rights protected,” said Gilbert, of Friedman & Gilbert in downtown Cleveland. “I felt that that was one of the most important areas to advance in making sure that due process and fairness is applied to everybody.” After moving from Ashtabula to Cleveland, David L. Grant found himself handling many criminal cases. Now a partner at Grant & O’Malley Co., Grant covers all areas of criminal law in state, municipal and federal courts, including sex crimes, juvenile offenses and homicides. Being a criminal defense lawyer is no easy task. Among the challenges associated with the job, bias and prejudice are often the two most difficult obstacles to overcome, Gilbert said. “The true test of a legal system is how it treats those who are marginalized or disadvantaged or who are perceived to be pariahs in society. If those people are mistreated then it hurts all of us,” Gilbert
said. “The biggest challenge is the people we represent are sometimes viewed so negatively that it’s hard to get the system to apply the rules properly. The biggest challenge is to overcome the bias and prejudice against those people.” Another major challenge criminal defense lawyers face is overcoming the vast resources of the state. “They’ve got all the resources, including their investigators and their forensic people,” Grant said. “You’re basically pitting yourself against all those resources, which has certainly been a challenge.” For criminal defense lawyers, the media are often either a blessing or a curse. Gilbert said he values the role the media can play in educating the public about any unfairness involved with a case. “I’ve always believed in the use of the media to the extent that it doesn’t conflict with your role as a defense lawyer. I’ve always been outspoken about issues and criminal justice in general, even on cases that I’ve been involved in. I think it’s an important tool because there’s so much information being disseminated that you have to make sure that what’s out there is accurate,” he said. Social media also has impacted criminal cases and can create problems for lawyers and their clients. “The first thing you tell your client is not to talk about your case with anybody, not even family or friends,” Grant said. “Now with social media, people communicate about their case in many different ways long before we give them that warning. They’re on Facebook or Twitter or all different sorts of social media outlets and they’re having conversations with people, which can impact their case.” Even so, social media can sometimes be beneficial to a case. Gilbert said there have been times where he’s been able to find and uncover comments made online by alleged
O.J. case 20-year anniversary brings back memories KRISTEN MOTT | STAFF REPORTER kmott@cjn.org
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ct. 3, 2015 marked the 20th anniversary of the O.J. Simpson verdict. Two decades ago, Simpson was found not guilty in the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, who were fatally stabbed during the evening of June 12, 1994. At the time of the trial, Terry H. Gilbert, a criminal and civil rights attorney in Cleveland, served as a legal commentator in the media on the Simpson case. He also spent time collaborating with Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, two lawyers on Simpson’s defense team who later co-founded the Innocence Project, a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. “Because of that case I got involved in the application of DNA evidence in criminal cases,” Gilbert said. “I went on to be a part of the Ohio Innocence Project to help people who were innocent get out of prison.”
victims, which has ultimately helped his defense. “It cuts both ways,” he said. “Social media has hurt me in some cases, but it’s also helped me in other cases.” Criminal defense lawyers also must develop a thick skin. Over the course of his career, Gilbert said he’s seen people call him derogatory names in the comments section of online news articles. “People will say I’m an ambulance chaser, a scumbag, that I represent rats and animals and that I’m a disservice to society. I’ve had a few threats, but that goes with the turf. If you’re going to be a criminal defense lawyer you’re going to have to expect that and understand that it’s a risky occupation,” Gilbert said. Grant said he too has received negative comments from people. About 15 years
Cleveland criminal lawyer David L. Grant already was entrenched in his legal career during the O.J. Simpson trial, but he said the verdict changed people’s perceptions of the criminal justice system. “There was a significant period of time where people were skeptical of the system – and unnecessarily so. I think the case was somewhat of an aberration and probably shouldn’t have made people that skeptical,” he said. The Simpson case also highlighted racism that was present in America, Gilbert said. Mark Fuhrman, a former detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, was caught on audiotape making racial slurs. On the other side of the coin, Gilbert explained that people blamed the predominantly black jury for Simpson’s acquittal. “The case reminded us that we have a long way to go in fleshing out discrimination and racial bias in the criminal justice system,” Gilbert said. “And now we see 20 years later the Black Lives Matter movement and the Tamir Rice issue and all the concerns about inequality in the criminal justice system. That case was a big factor in highlighting all of that, but we still have problems so many years later.”
ago Grant represented a former fireman who pleaded guilty to being a serial stalker, among other charges. During the trial, Grant said people would come up to him on the street and question how he could defend such a person. “Any criminal defense lawyer who doesn’t receive negative comments isn’t doing his job,” Grant said. “Everybody has an absolute right to defense. I’m quite proud of what I do because I feel like I defend the Constitution. “If it wasn’t for people who do what we do, our Constitution would almost be meaningless because no one is defending it or making the state comply with the things that the Constitution requires. I think we play a vital and significant role within the criminal justice system.” Despite all the challenges, Grant said the most rewarding
part of being a criminal defense lawyer is helping people resolve problems and enabling them to move forward with their life. “I enjoy helping people who have difficulty helping themselves and vindicating someone who has been wrongfully accused. There’s no greater feeling than a jury coming back with a not guilty verdict when you know the state hasn’t proven its case and your client hasn’t done anything wrong,” Grant said. For Gilbert, helping clients who have been wrongfully accused is the most important aspect of his job. “There’s nothing better than fighting at great odds on behalf of an individual who’s being wrongfully targeted by the system and prevailing,” Gilbert said. “To me, that’s the essence of what being a lawyer is all about.”
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Elk & Elk touts family values in sports branding partnerships CARLO WOLFF | STAFF REPORTER cwolff@cjn.org
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rthur M. Elk and his brother, David, view their Mayfield Heights law firm as family. So it made sense to Elk & Elk to hook up with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital in a campaign designed to spur donations to the clinic for its efforts in quelling, perhaps even defeating, pediatric cancer. To Arthur Elk, his firm, like the sports teams with which it partners, is all about family values. Besides the Cavaliers, Elk & Elk has entered into branding partnerships with the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Indians and The Ohio State University football and basketball teams. It is the official law firm of all those teams. “Our law firm’s attorneys and staff are big fans of our local professional and college sports teams,” Elk said. “It goes without saying that Northeast Ohio has the most loyal fans in the country. “In my mind’s eye, sports carries on traditional family values, of being together and having fun together,” Elk added. “Because Elk & Elk is a family
law firm, I saw a connection. I saw a mutual connection between what we do in our law firm and the same values that are generated by families enjoying their sports teams.” A good example of this type of partnership is a new campaign against pediatric cancer linking Elk & Elk, the Cavaliers and the Cleveland Clinic. The campaign came about over lunch between Arthur Elk and “Mr. Cavalier,” Austin Carr. “About two weeks ago, I had lunch with Austin Carr, who works for the Cavs,” Elk recalled. “Austin came up with the remarkable saying, ‘Get that weak stuff out of here,’ and when he says that now, we’re referring to pediatric cancer.” When Elk asked Carr where he got that saying from, the former professional basketball player said that when he was a kid, when he or a teammate would block an opponent’s shot, they’d turn that memorable phrase. So whenever a Cavalier blocks a shot, the scoreboard at The Q flashes the news, broadcasting Elk & Elk’s dedicated website for the cause (elkandelk.com/WeakStuff). The firm, along with the Cavs and the Clinic,
Stone, Supler become principals at McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co
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usan C. Stone and Kristina W. Supler have each been promoted to principal at McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co. “The firm is proud of both Susan and Kristina’s growth,” said Kenneth B. Liffman, a managing principal at the firm. “We are excited to see the continued success of both their Stone individual practices and blended education and criminal practice. Stone began her career with the firm in 2011. She leads the firm’s education practice and possess a strong litigation Supler background. She focuses on education
law concerning students of all ages, including Title IX actions, academic charges of dishonesty and special education law. She also handles employment law issues and criminal defense matters. Stone received her bachelor’s degree at Miami University in Oxford and earned her law degree rom the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland. Supler joined the firm in 2014 in the criminal, cyber and white collar practice. She represents individuals and businesses in federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels. She has extensive experience defending clients charged with cyber crimes, sexual offenses and fraud-related offenses, including tax fraud, health care fraud, mortgage fraud and money laundering. Supler received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University and earned her law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Elk & Elk, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital and the Cleveland Cavaliers have created a partnership to benefit the community.
also pushes the cause on social media. “I think it’s strategic alliances like this that are focused on traditional values that allow law firms and sports teams to create attractive examples for our children,” Elk said. “It’s all about
giving back to the community – and to these sports teams. I think of our firm as a team. We have over 100 people at Elk & Elk and we work very hard every day, just like these teams do.”
CWRU law school launches video podcasts
Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland launched a new video podcast series and speakers bureau in an effort to make its faculty expertise available to a wider audience. The video podcast series, “Faculty View from CWRU,” features brief expert commentaries on cutting-edge legal developments. The 10-minute videos will be posted every few weeks on YouTube. Faculty participating in the law school’s faculty speakers’ bureau provide free lunchtime talks at law firms on more than 30 contemporary legal issues. Nearly a dozen law firms have hosted CWRU law faculty over the last few months. The speakers’ bureau is available to firms in Ohio and Pennsylvania. CWRU law faculty members also have participated in the “Case Downtown” program at the Cleveland City Club, which features monthly breakfast continuing legal education presentations that are free to attendees.
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LOCAL LAwyers
Dealing with dueling experts – and finding the right one JONAH L. ROSENBLUM | STAFF REPORTER jrosenblum@cjn.org
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he Tamir Rice case put a spotlight on the use of expert witnesses – even though it never went to trial. First, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office released three expert reports labeling the shooting “tragic, but reasonable.” Then, the attorneys representing Rice’s family released two expert reports of their own directly rebutting the prior reports. It raised two questions. How often does a jury see contrasting expert reports and witnesses? Also, what does a jury do when confronted with differing explanations on a topic they’re only barely beginning to understand? After all, per Rule 702 in the Ohio Rules of Evidence, an expert witness may only testify on “matters beyond the knowledge or experience possessed by lay persons” or to dispel “a misconception common among lay persons.” In other words, experts testify on matters jurors weren’t familiar with prior to trial, and now disagreeing professors are in charge of teaching them, so to speak. The jury is protected to some extent
by the judge, who is often referred to as the gatekeeper, according to Michael C. Hennenberg, a criminal defense lawyer in Mayfield Heights. Similarly, Rule 702 requires that the “witness’ testimony is based on reliable scientific, technical or other specialized information,” setting a standard, however small, that must be met by expert reports and expert witnesses. “It can’t be one person’s theory of science,” Hennenberg said. “That’s referred to usually as junk science.” Still, particularly with cases as complex as the Rice case, medical malpractice cases or white-collar crime cases, expert testimony is common, and with it, dueling expert opinions. “When you have one expert, more often than not, you’re going to have another one, and so you have this dueling of opinion,” criminal defense lawyer Ian N. Friedman said. “Every party is going to be able to find an expert that backs their position.” Ultimately, it comes down to the jury to decide which expert is right. “The jury is considered the ultimate lie detector, and it falls totally within their province to believe all, part or nothing of a witness’ testimony,” Hennenberg said.
That’s why picking the right expert is so critical, and indeed requires a sensibility that smacks as much of the political arena as the legal one. For example, the term “carpetbagger,” referring to someone from out of town, is loathed in politics. It’s also something to avoid when picking an expert witness, according to Friedman. “If you’re going to go out of town, it’s got to be for a good reason,” Friedman said. In other words, if counsel brought in a biologist from Harvard University, who happened to be the top biologist in the country, no jury would question that. It makes sense why legal counsel went all the way to Cambridge, Mass., to find its expert. That was the top expert in the country, after all. On the other hand, if counsel picked a relatively random biologist from Philadelphia, the jury might wonder why counsel couldn’t find anyone closer, and if it really turned into a desperate search for someone who would advocate counsel’s position. “I think the juries do give great weight to good experts,” Friedman said. “If you have the wrong expert, someone who turns off the jury or makes them think that you just went and got some hired gun
who will say anything, that will really undermine your case, because that will call, really, the entire credibility of your case into question.” That’s where picking the right expert gets even more complicated, because just like picking a winning political candidate, the smartest guy in the room isn’t necessarily the one that’s most likely to win. Friedman noted that he wants the “dean of their field,” someone who has all the academic recognition, but also someone who “the jury can really relate with.” The jury, like with a political candidate, will scrutinize everything about a witness, making presentation perhaps as important as substance. That’s why once a lawyer finds a good expert witness, he or she might go back to that same witness numerous times. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “You’ve got to have someone who very smoothly takes complicated questions and can break it down where a jury just kind of says, ‘Oh, I get it now,’” Friedman said. “The key to all of this and to any trial really is you have to be exceptionally strategic when setting up your case and determining who is going to testify and in doing that you always have to ask yourself what is a jury going to think.”
Does ‘Law & Order’ disturb legal order? JONAH L. ROSENBLUM | STAFF REPORTER jrosenblum@cjn.org
F
or many Americans, their only glimpse inside a courtroom is through television shows like “CSI” and “Law & Order.” Jury duty would be a rude awakening then, according to local experts. “There’s a very small semblance to what really goes on,” said Roger Synenberg of the law firm Synenberg, Coletta & Moran, LLC. So little semblance that Synenberg said he generally avoids such shows. Criminal defense attorney Ian N. Friedman said he goes “a little crazy” watching the way questions are asked and testimony is elicited. “I just think it feeds the public a completely different perception and expectation as to what should be presented,” Friedman said. “I guess I would be like a doctor watching one of the medical shows and the surgeon sews the person up wrong. Nobody else would notice that.” Yet, Friedman, Synenberg and their colleagues can’t avoid that such shows exist and are reaching their potential jurors. Indeed, Friedman and Synenberg said that lawyers directly allude to such shows when telling a jury what to expect.
“I always address TV shows like that because I have to dispel any notion that this case is going to be like that,” Friedman said. “There’s just the little things I pick up on and it drives me nuts, but I can’t ignore it. I have to address those points in jury selection today.” “People are starting to hold (prosecutors) to a higher standard based upon what they’re watching on television, and it’s a rare case where the prosecutor does everything they should do,” Synenberg said. What’s an example of potentially damaging expectations created by a show like “Law & Order?” Frequently, on such shows, a witness will break down and give a knowing glance at the defendant – or the defendant will fall apart on the stand. As frequent as that might be on the show, it’s not frequent in real life, according to Friedman. “I address that on day one with my clients,” Friedman said. “There’s to be absolutely no emotion in the courtroom regardless of what someone may say about them.” Worse yet, after watching such shows, a jury might expect a defendant to testify, and deem it suspicious when he or she chooses not to. “In real life, (defendants testifying)
is the exception to the rule,” Friedman said. “The problem is the people have seen the defendant testify every single night during primetime, so the reason this guy isn’t testifying is he’s got to be hiding something, so you really do have to address that.” Conversely, while television watchers see plenty of emotion on the stand, they don’t see what takes place outside of the courtroom and what a truly traumatic experience a trial is, according to Synenberg. Trials can tear apart plaintiffs, defendants and their respective families. “Anybody who has been through it will know what I’m talking about,” Synenberg said. “Sometimes, (being a lawyer is) like being an oncologist, like you’re delivering bad news all the time.” And while you can only show so much torment in an hour, an hour that typically includes the police detective work as well as the trial, much torment comes as a result of how long the criminal justice system takes. Synenberg said that clients often ask him, “How much longer is this going to go?” He described one client who has already been investigated for years only to finally be indicted, ensuring further pain. “’A Law and Order” episode show begins with the crime, and one hour later, ends with, 99 out of 100 times, a convic-
tion,” Friedman said. That’s quite unlike real life. Among the things that take longer than such shows depict is the presentation of evidence. While Assistant District Attorney Jack McCoy might suddenly whip out the gun used in the crime, in reality lawyers have to establish where that evidence came from first. The same goes for presenting experts at trial. And then there’s the behind-thescenes, beyond-the-courtroom work. “For every hour in the courtroom, I figure I spend between 15 and 20 in preparation,” Synenberg said. And while such shows usually depict a vigorous prosecution and defense, they frequently don’t reflect the impediment of money, which is often near the forefront of real-life litigation. All of which leaves a jury about to enter a courtroom very much unlike the one they might have envisioned. “Society evolves. So does strategy in the courtroom,” Friedman said. “You have to address the current jurors, the present-day jurors, and you have to address all of their concerns and experiences. They are different today than they were five years ago, and they will be very different particularly as the advent of technology continues.”
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 45
JANUARY 15, 2016
Meyers, Roman, Friedberg and Lewis marks 20th anniversary JULIA FAIR | SPECIAL TO THE CJN
A
nne Meyers’ and Barbara Roman’s names first appeared next to each other on their freshman year dorm-room door. Now, Meyers’ and Roman’s name rest next to each other in the name of the now 20-year-old Cleveland-area law firm. The law firm of Meyers, Roman, Friedberg and Lewis celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015. In those 20 years, the firm has changed names, locations and grew from four lawyers to 32. “Basically, we were lucky,” said Anne Meyers, the founding partner. “We started with a certain base of clients and as my clients interests got bigger, we would hire people just to make sure we had what our clients needed.” Meyers, a member of The Temple Tifereth-Israel in Beachwood and Cleveland, was 43 when she left the Kahn Kleinman law firm, which since has merged with the law firm of Taft Stettinius and Hollister LLP. Meyers opened her firm with three other lawyers from Kahn Kleinman, adding Roman one year later. “When she decided to start putting this firm to-
gether, she was looking for reliable lawyers she could trust, so she called me,” Roman said, pointing to their long friendship stemming from their time spent at The Ohio State University in Columbus. When Roman, a member of Park Synagogue in Cleveland Heights and Pepper Pike, joined the legal team, the firm was located in a building on Rockside Road. With Roman joining the team, there wasn’t enough space there, she said. When the lease ended, the firm moved to its current building on Chagrin Boulevard in Woodmere, where it occupies almost the whole floor now, Roman said. “The growth of the firm is because we all grew,” Meyers said. “We all grew into and expanded our practices. As we made partners in the firm, those partners were involved in management in important decisions.” Those decisions, Meyers said, made her realize her start up firm was working, joking that she didn’t have to ask anyone for permission about the decisions. Then, about four years ago, Meyers stepped down as managing partner. Now, a management committee runs the firm, she said. Meyers still practices law full time at the firm and is also a partner with the firm.
Peter Turner, current managing partner, joined the firm in 2006. He said a big part of his job is managing the growth of the firm. “In order to serve the business, we need to have the resources, mainly people, to fill the need for our clients,” said Turner, a member of The Temple TiferethIsrael. Turner added that he’s not sure if growth is in the future for Meyers Roman, but that it will continue to adapt as needed. Scott Lewis, administrative partner, worked with Meyers at Khan Kleinman, before joining the firm in 2002. The more people added to the firm, the greater the product is that’s delivered to the client, said Lewis, a member of Park Synagogue. “We’ve never grown for the sake of growth,” Lewis said. “We’ve grown judiciously.”
Julia Fair is a sophomore in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens.
Gardner, Guliano join Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis; Steinlage becomes partners
Michael B. Gardner has joined the law practice as of counsel. Gardner has a background in energy law and served as general counsel to the largest surface coal mining company in Ohio. He will be responsible for working closely with the firm’s construction, en-
ergy law, and occupational safety and health practice groups. Robert N. Guliano is starting his law career and will concentrate on the intellectual, property, civil and commercial litigation, and construction practice
areas. Rachel L. Steinlage also has been promoted to partner. She focuses her legal practice on civil and commercial litigation and creditors’ rights and bankruptcy.
Trusted Advisors. Respected Advocates.
SM
Congratulations to our 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers® Ann-Marie Ahern, Robert T. Glickman, Kimon P. Karas, Robert R. Kracht, Kenneth B. Liffman, Christian R. Patno, Richard A. Rabb, David A. Schaefer and John S. Seich and 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers® Rising Stars™ Vincent J. Calo, Nicholas J. Celebrezze, Anne Walton Keller, Jack E. Moran and Kristina W. Supler
Ann-Marie
Rob
Kimon
Bob
Ken
Chris
Richard
David
John
Vince
Nick
Annie
Jack
Kristina
with special mention to Christian R. Patno who was ranked #3 in Ohio and Top 5 Cleveland, Top 10 Ohio, Top 50 Cleveland and Top 100 Ohio, as well as David A. Schaefer who was also included in the Top 50 Cleveland and Top 100 Ohio rankings.
46 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
January 15, 2016
LOCAL LAwyers
Briefs ZASHIN & RICH LAWYERS NAMED SUPER LAWYERS, RISING STARS: Six lawyers at Zashin & Rich were named 2016 Super Lawyers, including Brad E. Bennett, George S. Crisci, Jon M. Dileno, Jonathan J. Downes, Michele L. Jakubs and Stephen S. Zashin. Helena Oroz, Ami J. Patel and David R. Vance were named Rising Stars. 44 ATTORNEYS HONORED AT REMINGER: Forty-four attorneys at Reminger were selected as 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. Super Lawyers include Stephan Kremer, Shelby McMillan, D. Cheryl Atwell, Hugh Bode, Joseph Cavasinni, Andrew Dorman, Adam Fried, Martin Galvin, Marc Groedel, Gregory Guice, Thomas Kilbane, Frank Leonetti III, Franklin Malemud, Clifford Masch, William Meadows, Russell Meraglio Jr., Ronald Mingus, Richard Raymond, Christine Santoni, Michelle Sheehan, John Stalzer, Brian Sullivan, James Turek, Stephen Walters, Leon Weiss, Gregory Brunton, Warren Enders, Ronald Fresco, Paulette Ivan, Donald
Moskowitz Firm marks five years
Suzann Moskowitz celebrated her fifth year of business with The Moskowitz Firm. A Stanford-law trained attorney with more than 10 years of large firm and in-house experience, Moskowitz partners with individuals and businesses to identify and protect their intellectual property and handle a variety of contracts, Moskowitz with a strong focus on trademarks and brand identity. Moskowitz started her firm in 2010. Over the last five years, she’s worked with more than 150 entrepreneurs and businesses. “Having Suzann as our legal counselor is imperative to our firm,” said Julia Toke, managing partner of Susie Frazier, Inc. “She understands our business demands, including tight turnarounds on trademark and copyright matters, and consistently delivers fairly priced and timely legal work.” Moskowitz is a member of the Cleveland HeightsUniversity Heights Public Library board of trustees and recent graduate of Cleveland Bridge Builders. She also devotes pro bono time to Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and entrepreneurial associations such as Bad Girl Ventures. “When I hear of my clients setting up meetings with each other and not just trading business cards, I take immense pride in fostering a chain of true connections,” Moskowitz said.
Moracz, Jeanne Mullin, Laurie Avery and Thomas Prislipsky. Rising Stars include Joseph Borchelt, Anthony Catanzarite, Brian Gannon, Jonathan Krol, Bethanie Murray, Brian Nally, Melvin Davis, Zachary Pyers, Kevin Sanislo, Matthew Schrader and David Hudson. 31 ATTORNEYS AT TUCKER ELLIS NAMED SUPER LAWYERS: Thirty-one attorneys at Tucker Ellis LLP have been named 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers. They include Henry Billingsley, Ann Caresani, Thomas Coffey, Harry Cornett, Stephen Ellis, Robert Hanna, Jeffrey Healy, Christopher Hewitt, Laura Hong, Irene Keyse-Walker, John Lewis, Irene MacDougall, Rita Maimbourg, John McCaffrey, Mark McCarthy, Joseph Morford, Matthew Moriarty, Glenn Morrical, Carl Muller, Brian O’Neill, Thomas Ostrowski, Anthony Petruzzi, Susan Racey, Keith Raker, Dustin Rawlin, Benjamin Sasse, Patricia Seifert, Scott Stitt, Robert Tucker, Jeffry Weiler and Kevin Young.
13 AT TUCKER ELLIS HONORED AS RISING STARS: Thirteen attorneys at Tucker Ellis LLP were selected as 2016 Ohio Rising Stars. The attorneys include Karl Bekeny, Michael Brink, Sarah Bunce, John Favret, Jonathan Feczko, Erica James, Arun Kottha, Seth Linnick, Clifford Mendelsohn, Chelsea Mikula, Erika Ostrowski, Justin Rice and Seth Wamelink. ELK & ELK ATTORNEYS NAMED SUPER LAWYERS: Five attorneys at Elk & Elk were named to the Super Lawyers Top 100 Ohio and Top 50 Cleveland lists. The attorneys include James M. Kelley III, John P. O’Neil, Philip A. Kuri, Marilena DiSilvio and William J. Price. BUCKLEY KING ATTORNEYS RECOGNIZED: Brent M. Buckley and Harry W. Greenfield have been named Cleveland’s Top 50 Lawyers for 2016 by Super Lawyers. Buckley is a managing partner at Buckley King and Greenfield is a partner with the firm.
Information was submitted by law firms
Maddin, Hauser adds Swedler
Aaron M. Swedler has joined Maddin, Hauser Roth & Heller. Swedler will serve of counsel and help expand the capabilities of the firm’s health care practice and corporate/employment groups. “Aaron brings a great deal of specialized legal expertise to our growing team and also aids in expanding our firm’s presence in Ohio,” said Steven D. Sallen, president and CEO of the firm. Swedler received a bachelor’s degree in business from Miami University in Oxford and a master’s degree in business administration from Cleveland State University. He earned his law degree from ClevelandMarshall College of Law.
Dworken cy pres efforts top $27 million
Dworken & Bernstein has surpassed $27 million in cy pres distributions to charities and nonprofits in Greater Cleveland. The firm also was named as Best Lawyers 2016 and Martindale Hubbell Top Rated Lawyers AV Preeminent 2016.
Evenchik, Broski partners at Frantz Ward
Aaron S. Evenchik and Todd A. Broski were elected partners at Frantz Ward LLP. Evenchik serves on the executive board of the Cleveland Hillel Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland community planning committee and the University Heights finance committee. He is chairman of the developers council for the Cleveland Home Builders Association.
Trial attorney group elects officers
The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys elected its new officers and trustees for 2016. New officers include president John J. Garvey III, vice-president Brian D. Kerns, secretary James N. Kline, treasurer Jill K. Mercer and immediate past president James L. Mann. Trustees elected include Thomas J Antonini; Anthony E. Brown; Thomas P. Erven; Richard M. Garner; Gary L. Grubler; Amy Mass; Mark F. McCarthy; Paul W. McCartney; Michael M. Neltner; David W. Peck; Jamey T. Pregon; Daniel A. Richards; Benjamin C. Sasse; Elizabeth T. Smith; T. Andrew Vollmar; and Natalie M. E. Wais. The mission of OACTA is to promote fairness, excellence and integrity in the civil justice system by providing resources and education to attorneys and others dedicated to defense of civil actions.
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SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 47
JANUARY 15, 2016
LOCAL LAWYERS / SUPER ATTORNEYS MEET SOME NOTEWORTHY JEWISH ATTORNEYS* Name: Fred J. Arnoff Firm: Weston Hurd LLP Specialty: Business law, commercial law, real estate, bankruptcy, employment law, estate planning Years as an Attorney: 40 Years as an “Super Lawyer”: 7 Also, The Best Lawyers in America (7 years); Who’s Who in American Law (16 years) Why I enjoy being 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. Over 40 years of practice, my clients have constantly challenged me with problems that are almost always different, intellectually stimulating and never boring. Name: Matthew D. Besser Firm: Bolek Besser Glesius LLC Specialty: Employment discrimination and civil rights Years as an Attorney: 11 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 3 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: The practice of law is about service to the community. People typically come to me because something awful and emotionally traumatic has happened to them. The chance to make a positive, lasting impact – not only on their lives – but on the community as a whole, is tremendously fulfilling. Name: Seth Briskin Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Labor and employment law Years as an Attorney: 20 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 5 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy the respect and credibility that I receive from being an attorney. This reverence is commonly demonstrated in lawyer jokes like “What is the difference between a dead skunk in the road and a dead lawyer in the road?” “There are skid marks in front of the skunk.” Name: Peter Brosse Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Business and real estate Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1
Name: Robert E. Chudakoff Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 28 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 4 Why I enjoy being 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 Firm: David R. Cohen Co. LPA Specialty: Federal special master, mediator, arbitrator Years as an Attorney: 25 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I excel at helping parties and Judges resolve complex cases. Settling difficult disputes is how I help “bring Justice into the world.” It is very satisfying to help parties and their attorneys conclude a lawsuit, allowing them to put their “tsuris” behind them.
Name: Michael H. Diamant Firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Specialty: Intellectual Property; Litigation Years as an Attorney: 45 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 12 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Being an attorney provides me with the opportunity to solve problems and learn new things. I learn new technologies and applications each time I open a case. Being a lawyer provides me with skills I can share and use in community, and enables me to assume leadership roles in organizations. Name: Brandon Duber Firm: Bentoff & Duber Co., L.P.A. Specialty: Personal Injury Years as Attorney: 10 Years Named “Super Lawyer Rising Star”: 4 Why I enjoy being 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.
Think consisTency For the fourth consecutive year, Ulmer & Berne partner and Litigation Department Chair Michael N. Ungar has been named the highest ranking attorney in the state (out of approximately 44,000 active attorneys) on the 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers List. In addition, Mike was selected as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in the country by Benchmark Litigation (2015; 2016) named the Best Lawyers® 2016 Bet-the-Company Litigation “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland; and ranked in Band 1 for General Commercial Litigation alongside only six other Ohio attorneys by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Congratulations, Mike.
Named the highest ranking attorney in Ohio four years in a row – Ohio Super Lawyers 2016
Learn more at ulmer.com
Michael n. Ungar
48 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Rob Dubyak Firm: Dubyak Nelson LLC Years as an Attorney: 23 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 7
Mary Ann “Mickey” Rabin
Julie Rabin Falck
Bankruptcy – not a failure, but a fresh start 55 Public Square, Suite 1510 Cleveland, OH 44113 P 216-771-8084 | F 216-771-4615 mrabin@rabinandrabin.com | jrabin@rabinandrabin.com Rabin&Rabin Co. LPA www.rabinandrabin.com
January 15, 2016 Name: Mark S. Edelman Firm: McGlinchey Stafford Specialty: Consumer financial services compliance Years as an Attorney: 30 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 9 Why I enjoy being 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 client the result they seek, even if it’s not the most obvious course of action. Name: Aaron S. Evenchik Firm: Frantz Ward LLP Specialty: Construction, real estate and zoning, both transaction and litigation Years as an Attorney: 15 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 4 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I love helping clients accomplish goals, resolve disputes, negotiate and allocate risk, and protect their ideas and investments. My practice lets me combine my degree in civil engineering, law degree, and love of presentation to best advocate for clients in front of courts, zoning boards, arbitrators, mediators and dealmakers.
LOCAL LAwyers
Name: Adam M. Fried Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Trust and estate litigation Years as an Attorney: 20 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 5 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I help my clients navigate the legal challenges posed by estate and trust litigation. I understand the emotional toll that these disputes can have on both individuals and families, so I especially enjoy the reward of developing and executing legal strategies to help guide them to a successful conclusion. Name: Joshua B. Fuchs Firm: Cohen Rosenthal & Kramer LLP Specialty: Consumer class actions; financial malpractice; employment Years as an Attorney: 5 Years Named “Super Lawyer Rising Star”: 1 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Each day is an opportunity to be of service and to provide a tangible benefit for my clients. Name: James A. Goldsmith Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 35 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy working with our 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: Ira S. Goffman Firm: Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLP Specialty: Healthcare Law Years as an Attorney: 35 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I love being an attorney because it is interesting, exciting, challenging and fun. It provides me with the opportunity to be a passionate advocate for clients and develop the experience, knowledge and expertise in health-care law to help solve clients’ problems in the ever-changing world of health-care law.
Ian Friedman and Eric Nemecek are proud to announce that Friedman & Nemecek L.L.C., have opened the doors to their new firm. The tradition of excellence within the realm of Criminal, Cyber, and White Collar defense will continue as we will be joined by a team of lawyers experienced in all facets of defense litigation. While individually formidable, our greatest strength has always been in our team approach to each case. Our wealth of resources has historically enabled us to formulate and execute the highest level defenses to complex allegations across the United States and abroad. Just as important, the attorneys at Friedman & Nemecek L.L.C., will always be committed to our civic duties within the community. We look forward to giving our time and skill to the legal community and to those in need.
Friedman & Nemecek, L.L.C. The IMG Center, 1360 E. 9th Street, Suite 650, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 P: 216.928.7700 · www.fanlegal.com
Name: Daniel A. Gottesman Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 8 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being 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.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 49
JANUARY 15, 2016
Name: Howard M. Groedel Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 33 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 3 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I still get a thrill from having clients ask for my advice when faced with their most important decisions. Being my client’s “first call” is a great source of pride for me and allows me an opportunity to be part of the project from the very beginning. Name: Marc Groedel Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Medical malpractice and professional liability Years as an Attorney: 37 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 7
Name: Jill Friedman Helfman Firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Specialty: Family law Years as an Attorney: 28 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being 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. Name: Alan N. Hirth Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Business litigation Years as an Attorney: 42 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Being a lawyer presents me with an opportunity to try to help people resolve problems in creative ways. I enjoy working with people and I enjoy the adversary process. Being a litigator lets me learn about many types of businesses and subjects I had never previously dealt with. Name: Jonathan Hyman Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Labor and employment Years as an Attorney: 18 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy being an attorney because of the satisfaction I receive from helping clients fix their problems so they get it right the next time. We spend more time with our employees than our families, and workplace law permits the unique opportunity to address the issues that arise in this relationship.
Name: Ron Isroff Firm: Isroff Mediation Services, LLC Years as an Attorney: 47 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Having started a mediation practice three years ago after retiring from an active trial practice, I now work with industrious attorneys and their clients in an effort to resolve disputes. The people are gracious, the legal and factual issues are interesting, the process is challenging and resolving disputes is gratifying.
Name: William S. Jacobson Firm: Nurenberg Paris Specialty: Medical malpractice, with emphasis on obstetrical and pediatric cases Years as an attorney: 32 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 Why I became an attorney: I’m drawn to medical malpractice as I enjoy solving the puzzle these cases present. Answers are not apparent, but buried in a few thousand pages of medical records. When the documents arrive, I wait until evening when the phone stops ringing, shut my door, and comb the records for clues.
David Paris
Jamie Lebovitz
William Jacobson
Jeffrey Leikin
Kathleen St. John
Jonathan Mester
Andrew Young
David Herman
Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy is pleased to announce eight attorneys have been selected as Super Lawyers on Ohio Super Lawyers magazine’s 2016 lists and one attorney recognized as a Rising Star. Included are David M. Paris, Jamie Lebovitz, William Jacobson, Jeffrey Leikin, Kathleen St. John, Jonathan Mester and David Herman. David M. Paris has been included on the Top 100 Super Lawyers list since 2007, as well as Top 50 Cleveland, Top 10 Ohio or Top 5 Cleveland honors in eight of the last ten years. David M. Paris, Jamie R. Lebovitz, Kathleen J. St. John and William S. Jacobson are all celebrating their 10th year being selected to Super Lawyers. For 2016, Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy was named as a “Tier 1” “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News - Best Lawyers® for personal injury - litigation in Cleveland. It was also named a “Tier 3” for Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs. David Paris and Jonathan Mester were recognized for their outstanding service in personal injury litigation - plaintiffs. Jamie Lebovitz was recognized for aviation law; William Jacobson was recognized for plaintiff’s medical malpractice; Kathleen St. John was recognized for plaintiff’s personal injury law; and Andrew Young was recognized for plaintiffs medical malpractice litigation.
600 Superior Avenue, Suite 1200 Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Phone: (216) 621-2300 or Toll Free: (888) 900-6075 | www.nphm.com
50 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG
January 15, 2016
Resolving Complex Disputes For More Than 20 Years
DAVID R. COHEN Mediator, Arbitrator, Federal Special Master
Name: Rachel Kabb-Effron Firm: Kabb Law Firm Specialty: Elder Law Years as an Attorney: 17 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: The best part about being an elder law attorney is helping seniors navigate long-term care maze. Our holistic practice incorporates care and legal and financial aspects of aging and allows for different puzzles to solve every day. Providing more dignity for an elder and peace of mind is incredibly rewarding. Name: Ronald L. Kahn Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 42 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Helping clients navigate a complex and ever-changing area of the law and find creative solutions to accomplish desired objectives.
216.831.0001 · Cleveland, Ohio www.NeutralArbiter.com
Name: Mark D. Katz Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 41 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy being involved early with a client in advising how to proceed with a certain course of action. When there is no advanced contact 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.
Ohio Personal Injury Attorneys OhioMedical Medical Malpractice Malpractice &&Personal Injury Attorneys
Howard Mishkind,Esq. Esq. Howard D. Mishkind,
hmishkind@mishkindlaw.com hmishkind@mishkindlaw.com Howard D. Mishkind, Esq.
hmishkind@mishkindlaw.com
DavidA. A.Kulwicki, Kulwicki,Esq. Esq. David dkulwicki@mishkindlaw.com dkulwicki@mishkindlaw.com David A. Kulwicki, Esq. dkulwicki@mishkindlaw.com
LOCAL LAwyers
Name: Grant Keating Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A Specialty: Business law and commercial litigation Years as an Attorney: 10
Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., L.P.A. is proud to announce that Howard Mishkind and David Kulwicki wereLaw selected for inclusion LawyersKulwicki for 2016Law in the areasand of Mr. Mishkind Kulwicki Co., L.P.A. is proud toin Ohio SuperMishkind andpractice Mr. Mishkind plaintiff personal injury and medical malpractice. Mr. Mishkind has achieved this recognition announce that Howard Mishkind and David Kulwicki, individually, have been recognized by Best forKulwicki 11 years in a for row and Mr.isinKulwicki veMishkind years. Kulwicki were selected inclusion Ohio Super in America in the Plaintiff Medical Mishkind Law Co., L.P.A. proud tofor the past fiLawyers Kulwicki Lawareas andof Mr. Mishkind and Mr. Mishkind Kulwicki Law and individually, been recognized Lawyers for 2016 in theMishkind practice areas of Mishkind plaintiff and Mr. Kulwicki, Malpractice Law, as wellhave ashave Plaintiff Personal Injury by Best announce that Howard andMr. David Kulwicki, individually, been recognized personal injury and medical malpractice. by Best Lawyers America inOhio theMr. areas Medical well as Kulwicki were selected forininclusion in Superof PlaintiffLitigation. LawyersMalpractice in America Law, in theasareas of Plaintiff Plaintiff Medical Mishkind has achieved this recognition 11 years Personal Injury Litigation. Lawyers for 2016 in the practice areas offor plaintiff Malpractice Law, as well as Plaintiff Personal Injury in a row and Mr. formalpractice. the past five years. personal injury andKulwicki medical Mr. Litigation. Mishkind has achieved this recognition for 11 years saw the Cleveland Jewish News. Mention youMention saw uspast in you the News. Call for a free no-obligation in a row and Mr. Kulwicki for the fiveCleveland years.us inJewish
consultation consultation. Call for a free no-obligation Mention you saw us in the Cleveland Jewish News. Call for a free no-obligation 23240 Chagrin Blvd. | Suite 101 | Commerce Park IV | Beachwood, OH 44122 consultation P: 216-595-1900 | F: 216-595-1633 www.mishkindlaw.com
23240 Chagrin Blvd. | Suite 101 | Commerce Park IV | Beachwood, OH 44122 P: 216-595-1900 | F: 216-595-1633 www.mishkindlaw.com
Name: Joshua A. Klarfield Years as an Attorney: 10 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 5
Name: James N. Kline Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 5 Why I enjoy being 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.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 51
January 15, 2016
Name: Keith Kraus Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A Specialty: Business and real estate Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1
Name: Jack Landskroner Firm: Landskroner Grieco Merriman, LLC (Team LGM) Specialty: Personal injury and consumer class action litigation Years as an Attorney: 24 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: When everyday people are harmed by the wrongful or deceptive acts of others, it is my legal representation that can be the sole basis of hope to give them a voice and provide them with accountability and a just remedy. A job does not get much better than that!
Buckingham Congratulates its 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars! 2016 Super Lawyers
Peter T. Cahoon Gregory P. Amend Joshua D. Nolan David J. Lindner Steven A. Dimengo Justin S. Greenfelder Andrew J. Pullekins Robert W. Malone David L. Drechsler Andrew S. Haring Jon R. Stefanik Matthew H. Matheney Joseph J. Feltes Patricia A. Pacenta Barry Y. Freeman Marietta M. Pavlidis Nicholas T. George John L. Reyes Jeffrey A. Halm Dirk E. Riemenschneider Top 100: 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers Stephen M. Hammersmith Susan C. Rodgers Pete Cahoon, John Hill, Dirk Riemenschneider and John Slagter John F. Hill Mark J. Skakun III David J. Hrina John P. Slagter Top 50: 2016 Cleveland Super Lawyers Patrick J. Keating Ronald F. Wayne Pete Cahoon, Dirk Riemenschneider and John Slagter David Kern David W. Woodburn Top 50: 2016 Women Ohio Super Lawyers Marietta Pavlidis
2016 Top Lists
Name: Anthony J. Lazzaro Firm: The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC Specialty: Employment law (wage and hour) Years as an Attorney: 11 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I started my firm in 2006 to represent employees who are paid improperly. When I’m able to recover wages for an entire group of employees and their employer eventually changes its unlawful practices, I feel like I’m taking small steps to repair the world – or at least the workplace. Name: Jamie Lebovitz Firm: Nurenberg Paris Specialty: Representing catastrophically injured and families of wrongful death victims arising from transportation disasters involving aircraft, trucks, trains and automobiles; as well as security negligence and unlawful use of force. Years as an Attorney: 33 years Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 years Why I Became an Attorney: At a young age I knew a career in law was my chosen profession. I was raised to help others who were less fortunate. I combined my interests in the law with my passion for righting those who’ve been wronged to represent folks who’ve suffered traumatic injuries or unimaginable loss. Name: Jeffrey Leikin Firm: Nurenberg Paris Specialty: Personal injury/medical negligence Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 8 Why I Became an Attorney: To become part of an honorable profession that fulfills my desire, and goal, to reach out and help others in need of assistance, and receiving back the satisfaction of knowing that I have accomplished that goal.
2016 Rising Stars
Top 25: 2016 Cleveland Women Super Lawyers Marietta Pavlidis Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLC • A Northeast Ohio Business Law Firm Akron • Canton • Cleveland bdblaw.com
Marc B. Merklin
Managing Partner, Business Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Commercial
Irving B. Sugerman Partner, Real Estate & Litigation
Collective Experience. Individual Excellence. Congratulations to Marc and Irv on being selected as 2016 Ohio Super Lawyers. Marc was also selected as a 2016 Top 50 Cleveland Super Lawyer and Top 100 Ohio Super Lawyer. Cleveland
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www.brouse.com
52 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Joel Louis Levin Firm: Levin & Associates Co., L.P.A. Specialty: Legal and accounting malpractice, securities fraud and complex litigation Years as an Attorney: 32 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 7 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Through a fog of corruption, influence, sloth and bias, one can view a legal system that relieves pain, corrects inequities and finds justice. My practice – recovering funds from breaches of trust and financial incompetence from bankers, lawyers, accountants and advisors – lifts that fog sufficiently to provide satisfaction as a lawyer.
JANUARY 15, 2016 Name: Scott Lewis Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Mergers and a acquisitions; general business; franchising and trademark Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I derive satisfaction from working with aspiring and established business owners and guiding them through the lifecycle of the business, from inception through sale/transition to the next generation of leadership. As an experienced business attorney I advise, support, educate and challenge the client, and to create value added beyond the documentation.
Congratulations and Best Wishes to all 2016 Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers and Rising Stars.
LOCAL LAWYERS
Name: Kenneth B. Liffman Firm: McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate and construction, corporate, business and finance Years as an Attorney: 37 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I have a business background. I enjoy creating 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: Franklin C. Malemud Firm: Reminger Co. LPA Specialty: Trust and estate litigation Years as an Attorney: 18 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I have a passion for solving complex problems. I find it very rewarding to help, through zealous and compassionate advocacy, families in my community address and solve the problems commonly present in trust, estate, wealth transfer, and inheritance claim disputes. Name: Jack S. Malkin Firm: Jack S. Malkin, Esq. Specialty: Small business and consumer law Years as an Attorney: 30-plus Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: My decision to become a lawyer was made at a very early age. I wanted to help people and be able to speak for them when necessary. It is essential that an attorney not only be a strong advocate, but also be accessible, communicate well, and get positive results. Name: Bruce P. Mandel Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 39 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 9 Name: Dale H. Markowitz Firm: Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan Specialty: Real estate Years as an Attorney: 40 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy being an attorney because it is challenging and gives me opportunities to work with and assist clients in avoiding legal problems and achieving their desired goals. Name: Stephen A. Markus Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 36 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy being an attorney because it is challenging and gives me opportunities to work with and assist clients in avoiding legal problems and achieving their desired goals.
SUPER ATTORNEYS
CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 53
JANUARY 15, 2016
Name: Daniel L. Messeloff Firm: Jackson Lewis P.C. Specialty: Labor and employment law Years as an Attorney: 14 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 6 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Being an attorney allows me to help clients resolve legal and business problems they may have while also allowing me to be creative and thoughtful in both coming up with solutions and in devising arguments to a court.
Name: David M. Paris Firm: Nurenberg Paris Specialty: Personal injury Years as an Attorney: 37 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 10 Why I Became An Attorney: 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: Jonathan Mester Firm: Nurenberg Paris Specialty: Medical malpractice, nursing home litigation, and complex personal injury Years as an Attorney: 18 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 16 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 the death of a loved one because of the satisfaction I receive in helping people.
Name: Scott Perlmuter Firm: Title law Specialty: Professional malpractice, consumer litigation, personal injury Years as an Attorney: 8 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 5 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: It sounds trite, but I truly enjoy taking on those most challenging cases where others are unwilling to get involved and fighting on behalf of my clients who need my help the most. Being an attorney affords me the opportunity to help my clients solve their most difficult problems.
Name: Howard D. Mishkind Firm: Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co. L.P.A, Specialty: Medical negligence and catastrophic personal injury including serious truck and car collisions Years as an Attorney: 35 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy protecting interests of those injured due to negligence. Whether a medical mistake occurred or a catastrophic accident caused injury or death, it is frequently difficult to know where to turn, whom to trust and whether the injury was preventable. I enjoy making sure individuals responsible are held accountable. Name: Susannah Muskovitz Firm: Muskovitz & Lemmerbrock, LLC Specialty: Labor and Employment Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 Why I enjoy being 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, the first year of the designation. Name: Gary Okin Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A Specialty: Family law, divorce Years as an Attorney: 38 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 12
Name: Howard Rabb Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A Specialty: Bankruptcy and estate planning Years as an Attorney: 29 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1
Name: Mary Ann (Mickey) Rabin Firm: Rabin & Rabin Co. LPA Specialty: Bankruptcy Years as an Attorney: 37 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 9 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I earned my law degree 22 years after my college degree. For 25 of the past 37 years I have practiced with my daughter Julie Rabin Falck. We are problem solvers for clients in financial trouble. It is satisfying to help them through difficult periods in their lives. Name: Mel Resnick Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A Specialty: Business law and commercial real 3state Years as an Attorney: 49 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2
Name: Jodi B. Rich Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 15 Why I enjoy being 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: Barbara Roman Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Divorce and family law Years as an Attorney: 38 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 5 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: As a divorce and family law attorney, I get a hands-on opportunity to assist families going through major upheaval in their lives. Divorce can be a disruptive life event but with respect, careful listening, creative thinking and true concern, that transition can be easier my clients and their children. Name: Peter A. Rome Firm: Ulmer & Berne Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 8 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I’m a passionate dot-connector and love to help businesses grow.
Name: Irving Rosner Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A. Specialty: Worker’s compensation Years as an Attorney: 36 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 1
Name: Michael A. Saltzer Firm: The Skolnick Weiser Law Firm Specialty: Personal injury-plaintiff Years as an Attorney: 27 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 3 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy being an attorney because it allows me an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people who couldn’t fight these battles by themselves while providing an intellectually challenging career. Name: Patricia A. Shlonksy Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 Why I enjoy being 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: Eric M. Simon Firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Specialty: Health and life sciences Years as an Attorney: 29 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being 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 – motorcycle riding.
54 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Jeremy S. Sosin Firm: Sosin Law LLC Specialty: Commercial real estate Years as an Attorney: 19 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 3 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: Being an attorney is a privilege and one I enjoy most when I am able to help my clients by assessing their risks and collaborating with them to develop and execute a plan to reach their goal. Jeremy--40
Name: Scott Spero Firm: Bentoff & Spero Co., LPA Specialty: Plaintiff’s personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice Years as an Attorney: 26 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: It is an honor and a privilege to help people and families at a time when the help is most needed. Name: Roger Synenberg Firm: Synenberg, Coletta and Moran LLC Specialty: White collar criminal defense Years as an Attorney: 39 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 11 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: It is a privilege to have people count on your counsel during their most trying times. I enjoy helping people in my practice and I am grateful and blessed to be a lawyer. Name: Peter Turner Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Civil litigation Years as an Attorney: 34 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 9 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy working with people to solve their civil legal disputes, both business and personal. While the process of dispute resolution in our system of civil justice can be very stressful, it can also be a source of great satisfaction when concluded properly and fairly. Name: Michael N. Ungar Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Years as an Attorney: 31 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 12 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I am 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 as a trustee of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
JANUARY 15, 2016 Name: Mark Wallach Firm: Thacker Martinsek LPA Specialty: Business Litigation Years as an Attorney: 41 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: When I enjoy being an attorney, it’s because I feel as though I’ve made a business dispute come out right. Whether that means I’ve brought about a good settlement, or won a victory in court, doesn’t matter as much as knowing that I’ve made a difference for my client. Name: Mark I. Wachter Firm: Wachter Kurant, LLC Specialty: Litigation and alternative dispute resolution Years as an Attorney: 38 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 2 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: While I am always an advocate for my clients, my greatest satisfaction comes from assisting clients to resolve disputes through win/win resolutions, often involving creative solutions that can preserve relationships between the parties. The parties conserve resources, terminate their dispute, and hopefully are able to work together in the future. Name: Jerome F. Weiss Firm: Mediation Inc Specialty: Alternative dispute resolution Years as an Attorney: 44 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 8 Why I enjoy being 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 is profoundly gratifying. Name: Leon A. Weiss Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Trust and estate litigation Years as an Attorney: 50 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy solving problems with a framework of rules; the law provides that opportunity. I enjoy the challenge the adversary process provides as well as the sense of accomplishment that process allows for when matters are brought to conclusion. I enjoy the environment in which I perform my daily work.
LOCAL LAWYERS
Name: Peter H. Weinberger Firm: Spangenberg Shibley & Liber LLP Specialty: Litigation; medical malpractice; personal injury Years as an Attorney: 41 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 12 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I am honored to pursue justice on behalf of those who have suffered a serious injury or loss of a loved one. Many of my clients are referred to me by other lawyers in the Cleveland legal community, reflecting my personal commitment to providing the best legal representation possible. Name: Frederick N. Widen Years as an Attorney: 34 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 13 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: I enjoy helping people with achieving their business and personal objectives and solving and resolving issues related thereto.
Name: Barbara Friedman Yaksic Firm: McGlinchey Stafford Specialty: Civil litigation, with an emphasis in the areas of consumer finance, commercial and complex business litigation Years as an Attorney: 35 Years Named “Super Lawyer”: 8 Why I enjoy being 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 Firm: Zashin & Rich Co., L.P.A. Specialty: Domestic relations law Years as an Attorney: 22-plus Why I enjoy being an Attorney: We are a unique CLE legal asset. We have amongst the largest family law practices in Ohio, more certified specialists, listed “Best Lawyers” than any other similar practice. We also routinely handle international family law matters, routinely trying cases in federal courts and have published in leading law legal journals. Name: Larry W. Zukerman, Esq. Firm: Zuckerman, Daiker & Lear Co., L.P.A. Specialty: Criminal defense Years as an Attorney: 30 Why I enjoy being an Attorney: The practice allows me to fight for my clients rights and help them maneuver through the legal system to win in court or prevent them from being criminally charged. Proactive, innovative and aggressive work many times vindicates the client and saves them from the embarrassment of formal criminal accusation. * Attorneys included in this section completed a questionnaire that was emailed to attorneys and/or firms by the Cleveland Jewish News. Some opted not to answer all questions.