Local Lawyers - Super Attorneys 2020

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

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Local Lawyers Super Attorneys A Cleveland Jewish News Special Section

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LOCAL LAWYERS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Local law firms retain Midwestern values that allow for growth SKYLAR DUBELKO | STAFF REPORTER @sdubelkocjn sdubelko@cjn.org |

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ortheast Ohio is home to more than 100 law firms, but according to experts, three Cleveland-based firms reign supreme.

“You’ve got great schools in Cleveland that attract a lot of people,” said JD Search Advisors managing director Lyndon Parker, who handles law firm mergers and attorney placements across the United States.

Identifying Case Western Reserve University School of Law as “one great example,” Parker said Midwestern values allow firms to grow, while encouraging attorneys to stay local.

“Prime examples of how you can use your values that you grow up with, and then expand from there,” are Baker & Hostetler LLP, Jones Day and Squire Patton Boggs, Parker said. “Being close to the community, in all cases, that’s how they really started to spread their wings.”

Each firm took a different route, Parker noted. Squire Patton Boggs – formerly Squire, Sanders & Dempsey – took the international route.

“Which has worked out reasonably well for them,” Parker said, whereas Jones Day took a more global, corporate route.

“They couldn’t have done it without the solid foundation they all have from growing up in Cleveland with, again, those Midwestern ideals of being fair,

Parker

Rosner

being honest, doing a lot of hard work and not milking your client for every dime,” Parker explained. But that might not be the case today.

Describing Jones Day as “tough as nails now,” Parker noted the firm’s “rates are sky high.”

“As is Baker & Hostetler,” said Parker, who has worked at placing attorneys at the firm for years. “Baker wound up, for the last several years, making $1 billion in fees from the Bernie Madoff matter.

Simply mind-boggling.”

According to Parker, firms don’t reach that point by “just being a nice Cleveland firm.”

Baker & Hostetler has an impressive client base in the health care and insurance sectors.

“They represent some of the biggest names in the industry from Progressive to Cardinal Health,” Parker added. “I mean, it’s amazing what they have done growing out of Cleveland.”

Parker, who practiced law for nearly 15 years, admits there’s no foolproof approach to expansion.

Describing New York as “the center of the legal universe,” and a city some might consider the next logical step, in terms of location, for firms to grow, Parker noted, “That’s not what any of them chose, so there’s no one city, I think you go where your clients are.”

Shawna Rosner, director, legal solutions group of Direct Recruiters, Inc. in Solon, has a similar mindset.

Firms expand “to be able to compete in the marketplace for clients that are more national in scope,” Rosner said.

“I think that the areas right now where there’s the most growth, because of the strong economy are business finance, including venture capital. There is a need for corporate attorneys to work on the needs of start-up companies. In addition, real estate is strong now so there is a need for attorneys with that specialty.”

Noting Baker & Hostetler has a “wonderful” litigation practice outside of its corporate clients, Parker said, in the corporate realm, the firm has represented Major League Baseball “for over a hundred years.”

“That didn’t come from a big fancy New York firm,” Parker said. “That came from a friendly, midwestern Cleveland firm that Major League Baseball decided to trust.”

Once a firm rises to the Am Law 100, as Baker & Hostetler, Jones Day and Squire Patton Boggs have, Parker said, “You’ve then got to maintain your level of excitement to attract new talent for

the firm and new clients. Your rates should be going up on a regular basis and your clients should be willing to accept it.”

According to Parker, this type of expansion doesn’t leave much room for error. His examples: Kansas City, Missouri-based Lathrop Gage LLP and Richmond, Virginia–based LeClairRyan.

Describing Lathrop Gage as “a modest rate-focused firm that is growing by leaps and bounds,” Parker said the firm has been taking a similar approach to Cleveland’s industry leaders.

“Simply having a nice, solid, local clientele and then gradually expanding out to areas that make sense geographically, where you’re going to find the clients that are looking for your rate range and your expertise. Firms like that grow beautifully,” Parker said.

“The other side of the coin, there’s the LeClairRyan side, with firms that try to have that approach and then didn’t really follow the model and wound up going bankrupt.”

Firms experiencing successful growth are unlikely to move their talent to start new offices.

“They’re going to acquire another firm, they’re not going to send Cleveland talent,” Parker said. “You don’t need to disrupt, there’s enough talent out there that you can find someone that meets the standards of those firms.”

Where current licensed area attorneys went to law school Law School

No. of attorneys

% of attorneys

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

1,400

35.34%

Case Western Reserve University

975

24.62%

Ohio State University Moritz College of Law

285

7.20%

University of Akron School of Law

190

4.80%

University of Michigan

73

1.84%

University of Toledo

67

1.69%

Harvard Law School

56

1.41%

Capital University Law School

53

1.34%

Georgetown University

53

1.34%

University of Notre Dame

41

1.04%

Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law

38

0.96%

Law School

No. of attorneys

% of attorneys

Law School

No. of attorneys

% of attorneys

George Washington University

23

0.58%

University of North Carolina

9

0.23%

Cornell Law School

22

0.56%

Syracuse University

9

0.23%

Columbia University

19

0.48%

Chicago Kent College of Law

9

0.23%

University of Dayton

19

0.48%

DePaul University

8

0.20%

New York University

18

0.45%

Washington University

8

0.20%

University of Pennsylvania

18

0.45%

Valparaiso University

8

0.20%

Boston University

17

0.43%

Western Reserve University*

8

0.20%

Thomas M. Cooley Law School

17

0.43%

Capital University

8

0.20%

University of Chicago

15

0.38%

Loyola University-Chicago

8

0.20%

University of Pittsburgh

14

0.35%

Washington and Lee University

8

0.20%

Yale University

13

0.33%

West Virginia University

7

0.18%

University of Wisconsin

13

0.33%

0.18%

0.28%

College of William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law

7

11 11

0.28%

University of Miami

7

0.18%

7

0.18%

7

0.18%

University of Virginia School of Law

35

0.88%

Northwestern University Law School

University of Cincinnati

33

0.83%

American University

No School Listed

27

0.68%

Vanderbilt University

10

0.25%

Fordham Law School

Duke University School of Law

23

0.58%

Boston College

10

0.25%

Ohio State University College of Law*

Source: Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association *Former names

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JANUARY 31, 2020

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LOCAL LAWYERS

Liner Legal creates ‘The Stephen Project’ SKYLAR DUBELKO | STAFF REPORTER @sdubelkocjn sdubelko@cjn.org |

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s part of a unique arrangement, Liner Legal, LLC, has allowed a client to donate money to local charities as payment for services rendered, according to a news release.

Many of the Cleveland-based disability firm’s clients cannot afford to pay for legal services up front. In these instances, the Social Security Administration typically holds legal fees, releasing them to the lawyer after the case is resolved.

But when Stephen Jones came to the firm looking for help obtaining disability benefits, the SSA neglected to

hold the legal fees, mistakenly turning over the full sum to the 24-year-old Clevelander.

Jones appreciated the benefits he received and wanted to pay the firm for representing him. However, Liner Legal founder Michael Liner had a different plan in mind.

Together, Jones and Liner created, ‘The Stephen Project’ in which Jones will donate the money to help others.

“I am so appreciative of the services provided to me by Liner Legal and that they are allowing me to help others through this unique partnership,” Jones said in a news release.

Instead of paying Liner Legal $50 per month for about three years, Jones will donate $36 per month for

18 months. Each month, Jones will donate to a different charity. Jones and Liner Legal hope The Stephen Project will raise awareness for each charity and encourage others in the community to donate.

Organizations to which Jones will donate include Friendship Circle of Cleveland, Autism Speaks Walk, Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, Cleveland Public Library, Greater Cleveland Food Bank and NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness.

“We hope that Stephen’s generosity inspires others to donate to these valuable organizations that help so many in our community,” Liner said in the release. “Giving back is important to Liner Legal, so we are thrilled to be able to collaborate with Stephen on this important initiative.”

Firms announce new partners, counsel Brouse McDowell LPA Brouse McDowell LPA elected Daniel Glessner as managing partner.

• A member of the firm’s health care practice group, he focuses on corporate and health care issues and serves the needs of hospitals, physician group practices, dialysis centers, ancillary health care companies, and other health care entities.

Frantz Ward LLP

Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz, Co., L.P.A • Ron Teplitzky was named president of Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz, Co., L.P.A. Former president Paul Singerman is now chairman.

Tucker Ellis LLP

Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis

Patrick Clunk, John Favret, Chelsea Mikula, Michael Ruttinger and Chaz Weber were elected to the Cleveland partnership at Tucker Ellis LLP. • Clunk provides intellectual property counsel and advice on securing, protecting, clearing, and licensing patents, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property.

• Favret is a litigator representing companies and institutions in the areas of product liability, commercial litigation and medical malpractice defense.

• Mikula represents clients in all aspects of commercial litigation, including complicated breach of contract actions and other business-related torts.

• Ruttinger is a class action litigator and appellate strategist representing clients ranging from healthcare services and pharmaceutical manufacturing to consumer-product companies and pension systems.

• Weber represents regional and national banks and other capital providers on real estate financing transactions.

• Lisa Arlyn Lowe joined Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis as a partner in its business and corporate practice group. She focuses her practice on representing individuals and businesses in the financial services and real estate industries.

• Alan G. Ross also joined the firm as of counsel. He focuses his practice on labor and employment law, representing corporate clients before the National Labor Relations Board and in unfair labor practice proceedings.

Madeline Dennis, Joseph Ferraro, Sarena Holder, Ludgy LaRochelle, Joseph Manno and Kelli Novak were promoted to counsel in the firm’s Cleveland office.

• Dennis defends medical device and pharmaceutical companies against product liability and personal injury claims.

• Ferraro focuses his practice on estate planning; trust and estate administration; charitable giving;

• Thomas E. Cardone, Thomas G. Haren and Allison Taller Reich were elected to the partnership at Frantz Ward LLP. • Cardone and Taller Reich are members of the firm’s construction practice group. Haren is a member of the firm’s business law and litigation practice groups.

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP • Casey McElfresh was elected to the partnership at Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP. McElfresh counsels clients in the areas of litigation and commercial litigation.

and estate, gift, and income taxation.

• Holder focuses on the national defense of product manufacturers in high-exposure product liability and premises liability matters.

• LaRochelle counsels businesses of all sizes through all phases of the business life cycle.

• Manno represents manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors in mass tort and product liability claims in state and federal courts throughout the United States.

• Novak focuses her practice on health care law.

Ulmer & Berne LLP Ulmer & Berne LLP elected three partners to its Cleveland and Cincinnati offices.

The Cleveland office welcomes real estate attorney Kristin W. Boose and Dolores “Lola” Garcia-Prignitz, a business litigator.

The Cincinnati office welcomes Christopher A. Singh, an intellectual property attorney.

• Boose represents clients in all facets of commercial real estate and commercial lending. She has also been named to “Best Lawyers in America” for three years.

• Garcia-Prignitz focuses on commercial matters, contract disputes and business torts. She previously worked as an assistant United States attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Civil Division. She has also been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star list.

• Singh counsels clients ranging from early start-up companies to Fortune 50 companies.

Information was submitted by law firms.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

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JANUARY 31, 2020

ALL IN THE FAMILY It’s all business as children follow in parents’ footsteps in entering the legal profession SKYLAR DUBELKO | STAFF REPORTER @sdubelkocjn sdubelko@cjn.org |

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hile the national “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” is recognized on the fourth Thursday in April, for some Clevelandarea attorneys it’s a yearlong event.

“Dana has always been a fierce competitor and a great sport,” Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy managing partner David Paris said about his daughter. “I mean, she was small in stature, but that never stopped her from excelling at anything she did.”

From a young age, Dana Paris prepared hard, played fair, didn’t whine in the face of bad calls and was humble in victory, David Paris said, “and it was that competitive spirit in sports that she brought to her professional life.”

The daughter of two attorneys, Dana Paris said she never felt pressured to follow in her parents’ footsteps.

Describing them as “true champions of the people,” Dana Paris said, growing up, she watched her father represent clients involved in complex injury and wrongful death cases.

“Helping the families and the clients navigate these horrific accidents through the litigation process and being able to get them a recovery and a sense of closure at the end of the day, I saw how satisfying that was for him,” Dana Paris said. “I knew that was something that I wanted to do.”

Noting she was able to clerk and intern at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy through high school and college, Dana Paris said, when her father gave her the option to join the firm after graduating from Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2012, she took him up on it.

“I was not surprised,” David Paris said of his daughter’s decision to join the practice. “I was elated.”

Now a partner at the firm, Dana Paris, who was in the inaugural class of the CJN 12 Under 36: Members of the Tribe, believes creating a distinct line between their professional and personal lives has been the key to their success.

“At the very outset, once I passed the bar exam and was hired as an associate attorney at the firm, it was very clear that in the office he’s David,” Dana Paris said.

“I don’t call him dad or father; he’s David, he’s the managing partner, he’s the boss.”

David Paris concurs. Explaining that, when Dana Paris joined, he insisted she be mentored by his partners and other lawyers at the firm, David Paris added,

“I didn’t want to be that helicopter dad looking out for her and that worked out well.”

Three or four years into Dana Paris’ tenure at the firm, David Paris said he slowly started to bring her into some of his cases.

“And she asked me to work on a couple of her cases and it’s been great,” David Paris said.

Asked for advice on how to successfully maintain a familial work-life balance, David Paris said, “It’s tricky.”

“I try not to give anybody advice,” he explained. “Things work well with Dana and I because we’re very similar and I know when to shut up and I think she does too. I’m just grateful that it works for us.”

Dana Paris credits their successful partnership to their “phenomenal relationship.”

“He’s someone that I’ve (always) been able to go to,” Dana Paris explained. He helped her navigate childhood problems, and when she went to law school, he helped her navigate that too.

Noting she works 24/7, Dana Paris said her father also influenced her work ethic.

“Growing up, on the weekends he would bring me to the office and I would see him working nonstop,” Dana Paris said. To this day, she said the family meets for dinner each Sunday.

“We’re talking about cases, talking about the upcoming week, how to prepare for my upcoming deposition or trial, whatever it may be,” Dana Paris said, referencing those dinners. “We kind of have a fluid relationship where we’re talking about our plans for the weekend and then also cases and issues that we may have.”

Like Dana Paris, Jason Hochman grew up seeing his father practice law.

“I definitely grew up and it seemed like there was a strong pull towards the profession,” Jason Hochman said. “I’d always had a very close relationship with my father, I looked up to him. I guess for those reasons it was something that I was interested in.”

But his father, Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC, partner David Hochman, never suspected his son would follow suit.

“Never,” David Hochman asserted. “He told me as a junior in college that he was going to law school, which was surprising to me because he had never expressed an interest in that, and I had never really explored that with him.”

“I thought he was going to be an architect or a city planner,” David

FAMILY | 37

Above: Dana and David Paris. Below: David Paris pictured with a young Dana Paris | Submitted photos

LOCAL LAWYERS

SUPER ATTORNEYS

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 37

JANUARY 31, 2020 FAMILY | 36

Above: David Hochman, right, celebrating his 70th birthday with his son, Jason Hochman, and grandson, Nash. Below: David Hochman pictured visiting 10-year-old Jason Hochman in the 1990s at summer camp. | Submitted photos

Hochman said. “Something maybe a little more creative than being a lawyer.”

Prior to his last year at Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Jason Hochman spent the summer interning at a different firm.

Following his graduation in 2005, he decided to join his father at Dinn, Hochman & Potter, LLC. “I was very happy to have him,” David Hochman said.

Now a partner at the firm, Jason Hochman said he and his father both handle real estate and business transactional matters.

“I just enjoy getting to spend the time with my father and learning as much as I can from him,” Jason Hochman added.

“It seems like he’s a never-ending well of knowledge when it comes to this type of work.”

Acknowledging it doesn’t always work out when family members go into business together, Jason Hochman advises others in similar situations to be patient.

“There’s definitely a transition from sort of being a child to being an associate or partner, and that does not happen overnight,” Jason Hochman explained.

“When you get a job because of your family member, you also have to sort of over–prove yourself to demonstrate that you’ve earned it ... not solely just based on the fact that you’re related to someone.”

David Hochman said an experience with his father informed how he treats his son at the office. Explaining his father came to the firm as a client, David Hochman said he “treated me like a son instead of a professional.”

“And I found myself treating my son as a son rather than a colleague,” David Hochman said of the early days. “I got that straightened out relatively quickly, but it was a little difficult to see him in a different role.”

Almost 15 years into working together, David Hochman said, “It’s going very well.

He does exactly the same type of work that I do, he has the same interests that I do.”

For those lucky enough to find success in working with their family members, Jason Hochman said it’s a great opportunity to see a parent in a “different light altogether.”

“Seeing them as a parent versus seeingC them as a professional are two completely different things,” Jason Hochman said. “I M continually am impressed by the wealth Y of knowledge and how skilled (he is at his) CM job, which is a side of your parents you might not actually ever know about whenMY they’re just your parents.”

CY

Publishers note: Jason Hochman’s CMY wife, Jessa Hochman, is a member of the K Cleveland Jewish Publication Company Board of Directors.

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LOCAL LAWYERS

FINDING THEIR NICHE Different strokes for different folks allows these lawyers to stand out in a crowd SKYLAR DUBELKO | STAFF REPORTER @sdubelkocjn sdubelko@cjn.org |

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awyers looking to rise from the pack might find success in developing a niche practice.

“If you’re not niche, you’re the same as

everybody else,” said Aaron Minc, principal and founder of Minc LLC, an Orange firm that specializes in internet defamation.

When clients seek out attorneys, they’re typically tackling some of the “most important, difficult, personal and confidential problems” in their life, Minc

explained. “They don’t want to deal with someone who just may or may not have experience with something, or might be OK at it. They look for the person who’s the best at that one thing.”

That’s something Minc can personally attest to. Once he decided to pursue the

niche of online defamation, he said, “the calls started coming in a lot quicker for people who wanted help with that.”

With that in mind, the Cleveland Jewish News spoke with four local attorneys who fill a particular niche. Here are their stories.

Medical Malpractice | Howard Mishkind

H

oward Mishkind was first introduced to medical malpractice law while clerking at a personal injury firm.

A student at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at the time, Mishkind said after graduating in 1980, he joined a small personal injury firm as an associate, making partner four years later.

The founding shareholder of Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co., LPA in Beachwood has hung a number of shingles since, he said, noting, “I’ve either been a partner in a firm or operating my own firm since 1994, but it’s always been a small practice.”

Most personal injury and medical malpractice firms are on the smaller side, the attorney explained, because “massive firms with multiple offices” typically handle defense work.

“But the plaintiff side of cases typically are small,” Mishkind said. “Because as a plaintiff ’s lawyer, you want to be able to have the personal connection with the client, especially in the medical malpractice area.”

His practice is concentrated primarily in the area of personal injury litigation, representing injured patients and their families in medical malpractice, legal malpractice and catastrophic injuries arising out of motor vehicle and truck collisions.

In layman’s terms, Mishkind said, when people come to him, they typically want to evaluate whether their injury was preventable or avoidable.

“The issues that I’m typically looking at (are): Was there a failure to diagnose?

Should this have been diagnosed?”

Mishkind said, “And if it was a failure to diagnose, would the diagnosis, had it been made, would it have changed the outcome?”

His job consists of diving into medical records and talking with experts to determine “whether this outcome was a known and recognized complication, or whether this is something that ... should have been avoided.”

He described medical malpractice as a “more intense” area of personal injury law than the likes of an automobile case, as to patients, it’s usually not obvious whether

an injury or complication could have been avoided. Mishkind explained, “If someone rear ends you, they can’t come out and say, ‘Oh, I did the best I could. It’s a known complication to rear end somebody.’”

There’s no hiding from responsibility in medical malpractice areas, because patients don’t have a medical background, Mishkind said. “They don’t know, and they just assume that if something bad happens, it was due to a medical error. Well, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.”

Noting he tries to limit the number of cases he handles – “just because it is so time intensive and so terribly expensive to investigate” – he and his partner, David A. Kulwicki, have about 20 to 30 open cases at a time.

Most cases come from word of mouth referrals from former clients, and some from other lawyers who don’t handle medical malpractice cases.

Noting there are a lot of great doctors in the Cleveland area, Mishkind said things still have a way of falling through the cracks.

“It’s not that the doctors or the hospitals

Howard Mishkind are intending to cause harm. It’s just that, when harm happens and they try to avoid accepting responsibility, it’s very difficult to prove that that bad outcome was due to malpractice,” Mishkind explained. “Unless you really know the medicine, are willing to roll up your sleeves and spend the time, it’s a difficult area.”

Franchise Law | Stanley Dub

S

tanley Dub describes himself as the most specialized franchise lawyer in the state of Ohio.

“It sounds like such a broad statement that’s self-aggrandizing, but it’s actually true,” Dub said. “So, you know, I don’t want to shy away from it.”

While Dub is unaware of any other attorney in the state whose practice almost entirely focuses on franchise law, there may soon be an uptick.

For the last four years, the Shaker Heights-based attorney has taught a franchise law course at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland.

Noting he teaches the only course of its kind in Ohio, Dub suspects there are fewer than 10 taught across the country.

While he often tells students “there are potentially going to be jobs for people in the future who have this background, and it’s an area that a young lawyer interested in having a practice might profitably pursue,” Dub admits his path to franchise law was

not a direct one.

As a young lawyer in 1975, Dub went to work as an in-house attorney for major New York Stock Exchange-traded corporations before transitioning to private practice.

In 1989, a client walked into the law firm Dub was working at. He owned a pizza store with a unique concept, had somebody who wanted to buy a franchise, and asked the firm to handle the legal work.

“There’s not a lot of knowledge in the state of Ohio on what that process looks like,” Dub said. Due to his “extensive business background,” Dub was asked if he could handle it.

“I said, ‘Well, I’ve never done it. I have no idea how to do it, but I’ll study it and I’ll let you know tomorrow,’” Dub recalled. “So I went to the law library and I essentially did a research project on what the person needs to do and came back and said, ‘Yes, I can do this.’”

His first experience with franchise law resulted in the East of Chicago Pizza chain,

which Dub represented for “12 or 15 years,” taking the franchise from zero to 120 stores in five states.

“After that, I had an occasional assignment and it became more frequent,” Dub added.

When he left the firm in 2006 to start the Law Office of Stanley M. Dub Co. LPA, Dub said, “I had a long talk with myself about how I was going to encourage people to come find me, because it’s very difficult to be a business lawyer who tries to compete with Benesch Friedlander.”

His strategy: to focus on what distinguished his from other firms in Ohio.

That was franchise law.

“And then, subsequently, I got much more involved in it by a quirk of fate,” Dub said.

He ultimately played a leading role in passage of the 2012 amendments to Ohio’s Business Opportunity Act, the state’s only law relating to franchising.

“That sort of increased my credentials

Stanley Dub even more, so that I’ve had a number of engagements as expert on that law, which is our primary law,” Dub said. “I’ve also accepted some interesting cases on a contingency, where the people didn’t have any money, and I’ve made some very important precedent now.”

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Elder Law | Rachel Kabb-Effron

Internet Defamation | Aaron Minc

R

L

achel Kabb-Effron never planned to pursue elder law.

“I had initially gone to law school thinking I was going to be a death penalty litigator, and my professor had done a lot of that and every person that she had represented was executed,” Kabb-Effron said. “I thought, there’s no way I can do this.”

After graduating from Cleveland State University’s Cleveland–Marshall College of Law, Kabb-Effron decided to work with her father, Kenneth Kabb, at The Kabb Law Firm, which she now owns.

At the time, “He was disillusioned with his area of practice and he was starting to look at other areas, and so elder law was one of them,” Kabb-Effron said.

As her grandmother got older, Kabb–Effron recalls watching her father struggle.

“Not knowing all these things about Medicaid and Medicare, and what to do, and whether to bring in hospice and all of these things, I’m like, ‘This is the smartest guy I know, and he doesn’t know any of these things,’” Kabb-Effron said.

She realized elder law was “definitely an area where I can help people.”

Early on, Kabb-Effron attended seminars hosted by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She said having a national network helped answer her questions and connected her with lawyers to speak with whenever a need arose.

Now a certified elder law attorney with the National Elder Law Foundation and the Ohio State Bar Association, Kabb-Effron handles a variety of matters within the realm of elder law and care planning.

“I would say it’s usually a spousal case where one spouse is going into the nursing home, or is in the nursing home, and they’re (told), ‘You’re going to be cut from Medicare and you need to pay $10,000, $12,000, $13,000 a month,’

Rachel Kabb-Effron and they are freaked out about how to do that,” Kabb-Effron said when asked about her most frequently handled legal matter. “They’re just worried about whether they’re going to have to spend everything or whether there’s some protections for them. They just don’t know what they don’t know.”

The Beachwood lawyer said it would be “crazy to say” her legal work hasn’t impacted her attitude about getting older.

Her advice: “You can rely on the government to some extent, but you had really better save. The more money you have, having long-term care insurance, the more resources you have to put towards the long-term care system, the better it is for you.”

She also urges clients to be proactive about early decision making.

At the end of the day, Kabb-Effron said the most rewarding part of her practice is when a client gets more comfortable and starts to understand their options.

“Their shoulders go down and they breathe again because they’re so freaked out coming into the lawyer’s office – most people have never had to deal with a lawyer at all,” Kabb–Effron said.

“So that moment where they breathe again is probably the best moment, my favorite part.”

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ike many attorneys, Aaron Minc entered his practice area accidentally.

“You kind of just fall into things,” he said. “I think (that) happens for a lot of people and (it) happened with me.”

Recalling his first big client out of law school had an internet defamation matter, Minc said, “I helped them remove something from a website where every attorney and person they’d spoken to beforehand had failed.”

After the case had resolved, Minc said the success he achieved, the fun he had while pursuing the matter and the value he was able to provide the client hooked him.

“It was something that I wanted to continue doing and continue pursuing ultimately,” said Minc, who strung together part-time jobs before landing a partnership at Sennett Fisher LLC in 2011.

Two firms and seven years later – Minc later had brief of counsel stints at Dinn, Hochman + Potter, LLC, and Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis – the attorney went out on his own, starting Minc LLC in 2018.

His internet defamation work includes uncovering the identities of anonymous internet users and removing damaging content from the internet, competitor defamation, internet extortion, online investigation, online harassment, online cyberbullying, revenge porn, online privacy and other types of defamatory cyberattacks.

“It requires a lot of technical skill and knowledge,” Minc said. “Like any specific practice area that’s niche, if you don’t do it every day, it’s hard to be really good at it.”

The associations he has formed with websites through frequent interaction have helped him gain knowledge of

Aaron Minc the landscape, he explained. He’s also gained knowledge regarding how “not to do things.”

“Because there’s so many different ways that lawyers traditionally might approach a problem like this that just won’t work at all, you either know those things inherently, because you’re good at this stuff, or you learn that very quickly,” Minc said.

He said the most rewarding aspect of his work is the people, his clients and how much value he is able to provide while garnering successful results.

“It really aligns,” Minc said, noting he’s been “very adept and savvy at technology, and especially at the internet” since he was young.

“Using the law and technology to solve problems for people has always just been very natural for me,” Minc added. “So it’s very satisfying for me to be able to do that and it’s probably why I found so much success doing it.”

Publisher’s Note: Aaron Minc is a member of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company Board of Directors

Laurel G. Stein AT TO R N E Y AT L AW D O M E S T I C R E L AT I O N S Nee Law Firm. LLC 26032 Detroit Road, Suite 5 Westlake, OH 44145 440-793-7720 (phone) | 440-793-7920 (fax) laurel@neelawfirm.com www.neelawfirm.com Julie Rabin Falck Business Counseling | Estate Planning | Probate Litigation | Appeals | Domestic Relations | Adoptions

Bankruptcy – not a failure, but a fresh start 55 Public Square, Suite 1750 Cleveland, OH 44113 P 216-771-8084 | F 216-771-4615 jrabin@rabinandrabin.com Rabin&Rabin Co. LPA www.rabinandrabin.com

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Where do we go from here?

Potential outcomes of impeachment trial LARRY W. ZUKERMAN and ADAM M. BROWN Special to the CJN

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resident Donald J. Trump has been impeached by a majority vote of the U.S. House of Representatives.

While many are undoubtedly aware of this historical occurrence and further aware the president must stand trial before the U.S. Senate, many are left to wonder what happens next?

Brown Where do we go from here? What are the potential outcomes of the president’s impeachment trial before the U.S. Senate?

The U.S. Constitution directs the U.S. Senate to handle Zukerman the impeachment trial of the president, over which the U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice (in this case, Chief Justice John Roberts) presides. Senators function as “jurors” during the trial and after hearing witnesses and reviewing evidence, they ultimately vote to determine whether the president is guilty or not guilty.

To convict the president on the Articles of Impeachment (charges) two-thirds of the “members present” in the Senate must vote in favor of finding Trump guilty.

So what happens if the president is convicted by the Senate? Can he go to jail? The answer is no. The penalty for conviction on an impeachable offense is limited to either removal from office, or removal and prohibition against holding any future offices of “honor, trust or profit under the United States.” To prohibit Trump from holding any future federal positions of office however, would require an additional vote in the Senate, with a majority of senators voting in favor of such a sanction.

Although a convicted president’s potential penalties from the U.S.

Senate are limited, this does not mean the president (or former president, following removal from office) is home free. The Constitution provides “the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment, according to law.” This means the president could still face an actual criminal indictment, trial and sentence for any allegations of and subsequent convictions for federal offenses, above and beyond the removal sanctions imposed by the U.S. Senate.

Ultimately, if the president is removed from office, pursuant to the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the vice president will become the president. Then, as the new president, he will nominate a new “vice president who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.”

If the Senate fails to convict, Trump is still considered impeached, but he is not removed from office. This was the case with respect to both President Bill Clinton in 1998 and President Andrew Johnson in 1868 (Johnson avoided removal from office by only a single vote). Considering the Republican Party holds 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, naturally, many expect the Senate’s final vote to fall short of the required twothirds, or 67 votes to convict and remove the president.

Certainly, both Democrats and Republicans will agree Trump’s impeachment trial before the U.S. Senate constitutes a historically significant event. While the outcome of the president’s impeachment trial may have far-reaching implications, the odds are stacked in Trump’s favor, given the Republican-dominated Senate and heated political climate.

Larry W. Zukerman is the managing partner of Zukerman, Lear & Murray, Co., LPA in Cleveland and Adam M. Brown is an associate attorney.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Christian R. Patno Personal Injury, Ohio Top 10

Ann-Marie Ahern Employment Litigation, Ohio Top 100

Hugh D. Berkson Securities Litigation

David M. Cuppage Business Litigation

David A. Schaefer Civil Litigation, Ohio Top 100

Rob Glickman General Litigation

Kimon P. Karas Tax

Tobias J. Hirshman Personal Injury Medical Malpractice

Kenneth B. Liffman Real Estate

Robert R. Kracht Business Litigation

Danielle G. Garson Rising Star Real Estate

Jack E. Moran Rising Star Employment Litigation

Charles P. Royer Business Litigation

John S. Seich Estate Planning & Probate

Nicholas R. Oleski Rising Star Creditor Debtor Rights

Colin R. Ray Rising Star Personal Injury

A Tribute To Our 2020 Super Lawyers. We’re Beaming With Pride! ©

Led by Ohio Top 10 recipient Christian Patno and Top 100 awardees, Ann-Marie Ahern and David Schaefer, this group of 16 top attorneys makes us all proud to be in the same office. Their accomplishments are as inspiring as their work ethic.Congratulations to you all!

MCCARTHY LEBIT CRYSTAL LIFFMAN McCarthyLebit.com Expect more. Get more.

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LOCAL LAWYERS

Newly enacted SECURE Act alters IRA distributions KYLE GRAHAM Special to the CJN

in life expectancy. The SECURE Act increases the required minimum distribution age from 70½ to 72.

T

he Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019, known as the “SECURE Act,” makes significant changes to how IRAs and certain retirement plan benefits are treated after the death of the account owner. Signed into law on Dec. 22, 2019, as part of the federal government spending bill, the SECURE Act’s provisions became effective on Jan. 1.

Thus, it is essential for retirement plan owners to understand the consequences of Graham the SECURE Act in order to make appropriate planning decisions moving forward. The following commentary explains some of the major provisions of the SECURE Act. REPEAL OF MAXIMUM AGE OF TRADITIONAL IRA CONTRIBUTIONS As Americans live longer, more individuals continue their employment beyond the traditional retirement age. The SECURE Act repeals the prohibition on contributions to traditional IRAs by an individual who has attained age 70½. Now, there is no age limit in which an individual may contribute to a traditional IRA. INCREASE IN AGE FOR REQUIRED BEGINNING DATE FOR MANDATORY DISTRIBUTIONS Under prior law, participants were generally required to begin taking distributions from their retirement plans (IRAs) at age 70½. The rationale for this mandatory distribution requirement is to ensure that individuals spend their retirement savings during their lifetimes and discourage the use of retirement plans for estate planning purposes in order to transfer wealth to their beneficiaries. The age of 70½ was first used in the retirement plan context in the 1960s, but has never been adjusted to take into account increases

MODIFICATIONS TO REQUIRED MINIMUM DISTRIBUTION RULES – THE ELIMINATION OF THE STRETCH IRA AND THE NEW 10-YEAR RULE The most significant change under the SECURE Act relates to the required minimum distribution rules with respect to defined contribution plans and IRAs upon the account owner’s death. The recommended planning for years has been the stretch IRA concept whereby payments to a designated beneficiary could be made over the beneficiary’s life expectancy.

With some limited exceptions, the life expectancy payout period has been eliminated by the SECURE Act and replaced with a much faster payout period requiring the account balance to be distributed by the end of the 10th calendar year following the account owner’s death (referred to as the 10-year rule). The payouts to be made under the 10-Year Rule result in an acceleration of income tax on the receipt of funds by the beneficiary of the account benefits.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE 10-YEAR RULE The SECURE Act provides five exceptions to the 10-year rule where the beneficiary may instead use the life expectancy method: • A surviving spouse can continue to use the life expectancy payout. For a surviving spouse as a designated beneficiary the rules have not changed.

However, on the spouse’s death, then the 10-year rule applies. A surviving spouse continues to be able to rollover a predeceased spouse’s IRA into the surviving spouse’s IRA. • A minor child of the account owner who has not attained age of majority may take payments under the life expectancy method; however, once the child attains the age of majority, the Ten-Year Rule applies.

• A disabled beneficiary, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code, can use the life expectancy payout method. The 10-year rule applies at the disabled beneficiary’s death.

• A chronically ill individual, as defined under the

Of Legal Minds Of Legal Minds is a new monthly feature that will highlight a timely and relevant legal subject. This week, Kyle Graham of McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman in Cleveland, discusses the SECURE Act. Internal Revenue Code, can also use the life expectancy period. The 10-year rule applies at the chronically ill individual’s death.

• Finally, the life expectancy payout method applies to a designated beneficiary who is not more than 10 years younger than the account owner.

CONCLUSION The foregoing is just a brief overview of the new provisions under the SECURE Act. All individuals should review their plan beneficiary designations in any event. Most importantly, those who were using the stretch IRA as a planning concept – depending upon who the designated beneficiary is – may no longer be able to do so in light of the 10-year rule. Given the complexity of these changes, it is recommended that any changes to an existing estate plan or the creation of a new one should be first reviewed with an estate planning professional.

Kyle Graham is an attorney with Cleveland-based McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman, whose practice focuses on estate planning and taxation.

A CASE TO REMEMBER

Lazarus has fond memories of Clemency Project SKYLAR DUBELKO | STAFF REPORTER @sdubelkocjn sdubelko@cjn.org |

F

ederal Public Defender Jeff Lazarus enjoys connecting with clients to find the best way to help them.

His only aversion to the job, said Lazarus, who specializes in indigent criminal defense, is “the number of cases that I have makes it difficult to

Lazarus

give 100% effort on every case.”

Asked his favorite case to date, Lazarus referenced the Clemency Project, a program former President Barack Obama initiated in 2014.

Noting the Clemency Project allowed federal inmates serving lengthy prison sentences to apply to have their sentences reduced, Lazarus said he was able to receive presidential commutation for four clients.

“Two of which were serving life sentences and had been in prison for over 20 years,” said Lazarus, a member of B’nai Jeshurun Congregation in Pepper Pike.

The attorney was also able to recruit local firms, advising them on how to handle clemency petitions for inmates the Office of the Federal Public Defender did not have the resources to handle.

“Through this collaboration,” Lazarus said, “we were able to receive presidential commutation for another seventeen inmates.”

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 43

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP celebrates 100 years of diversity McKENNA KENNA CORSON | STAFF REPORTER @McKenna8989 mcorson@cjn.org |

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ick of being excluded for their religion by top-tier law firms, five or six Jewish and Catholic lawyers joined forces in 1920 to create a law firm in Cleveland. Now, in 2020, Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP celebrates 100 years with six offices nationwide and 300 employees, including 130 lawyers, and the firm attributes Gorom III its building blocks of diversity and inclusivity to its century of success.

“There was a lot of discrimination for those two groups, so these guys came together expressly to create an environment where they could practice across all of the legal disciplines,” said Stanley R. Gorom III, Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP CEO and managing partner. “It was really exciting and it was something

that we cherish and talk about as a firm to this day. That attitude and spirit of inclusion that we were founded with really prevails here.”

The business law firm specializes in anything “a family that owns or planning for a business needs,” with practices in intellectual property, labor and employment, litigation, real estate and trusts and estates. The firm also has industries in numerous areas including automotive and aerospace, construction, gaming and nursing homes.

As the years went on and its success started to grow, Hahn Loeser spread its wings to include locations alongside its downtown Cleveland office in Columbus, Chicago, Fort Myers and Naples, Fla.; and San Diego. The firm also performs work internationally, and is one of the 500 largest law firms in the United States, according to the National Law Journal.

“It’s being nimble and recognizing opportunities where they exist and being willing to change direction – not getting too wedded to one path forward,” said Gorom, a Concord Township resident who

has been CEO since May 2019. “I think our being born out of that kind of religious diversity really helps us. It’s in our DNA to try and think outside of the box.

“We’ve always been a conservative firm in terms of our financial management, which has always held us in good stead when the market changes,” he said. “We try very hard to create an environment that will survive beyond us just as our forebearers did, and so it’s about being thoughtful about planning for the future.

We opened our offices very methodically.

We really have tried to not follow the trend but follow our clients.”

Gorom is excited to think about the future, such as moving into new spaces in Chicago in the coming months and Columbus in the next year.

“We’ll work hard for 200 (years),” Gorom said, laughing. “Right now, it’s about really filling out and making every office a full-service office, making sure it’s growing and is well-served. Then we’ll look to see what the next step is.”

To bring in a century of law practice, the firm plans to celebrate with a gala Oct.

23-24 in Cleveland for its entire staff. The firm is also giving back to the community through a yearlong 100 acts of kindness initiative across its six offices.

Through a committee of attorneys and staff at each office, the firm is working to identify organizations and nonprofits in the communities it engages to provide assistance, whether that’s doing legal pro bono work, collecting used eyeglasses for the Lions Club, taking part in the Northern Ohio chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation or ALS Association of Northern Ohio chapter.

“It’s been a great way to get our attorneys and staff together to identify organizations in our communities where we can give back,” said Erin Hawk, Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP director of development and marketing. “It goes beyond just all of the organizations that we support through sponsorships – it’s really how do we give back our time and personal efforts to some of these organizations that our attorneys and staff have really gotten behind?”

McDonald Hopkins celebrates 90 years of client-based service McKENNA KENNA CORSON | STAFF REPORTER @McKenna8989 mcorson@cjn.org |

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aw firm McDonald Hopkins LLC may have started modestly from one man’s passion for law in 1930, but gone are the days when the firm had only a handful of lawyers, few areas of expertise and a singular downtown Cleveland office.

This year, the business advisory and advocacy firm Riley celebrates 90 years with 145 lawyers, five offices across the country, and more than 50 service and industry teams.

“Our vision is to be a premier provider of legal and business counseling services,” said McDonald Hopkins President Shawn M. Riley.

“The way we accomplish that is that we use our expertise and our experience to provide meaningful value to our clients. We do not try to be all things to all people, but rather provide legal and business advice to our clients based upon our expertise and experience. We don’t try to practice in areas we don’t know much about, and we are always striving to provide best-in-class service.”

Thomas Frasier McDonald opened the practice in 1930. After slowly growing from three lawyers to about

six, to eventually peaking at about 35 in the 1980s during a period of expansion, Riley explained the firm merged with another to become McDonald, Hopkins, Burke & Haber in the 1990s. This merger served as a catalyst for the firm, and it continued to acquire small groups of lawyers around Northeast Ohio throughout the decade.

The firm changed its name to McDonald Hopkins in 2003, and in 2004 opened its first offices in Columbus and West Palm Beach, Fla. Its Detroit office followed in 2006, and the Chicago office in 2007.

The firm specializes in services and industries from business counseling to data privacy and cybersecurity to intellectual property to nonprofit law.

“What makes us unique is our commitment to our clients’ success,” said Riley, a Gates Mills resident who’s been president since 2016. “We view ourselves as more than legal technicians, but rather business partners with our clients. We do our best to understand what it is they’re trying to accomplish and offer them both legal and business solutions to answer to their goals and objectives.”

Riley attributes McDonald Hopkins’ 90 years to a set of core values the firm follows, which dip into integrity, client service, teamwork, entrepreneurship and quality of life, as well as the ability to always practice modern law.

“We’ve developed a culture over

the years that is supportive of our lawyers and their efforts to grow their practices and grow their relationships with clients,” Riley said. “By being supportive in working collaboratively, we build teams of lawyers and we very seldom use ‘I’ when describing work and opportunities; we use ‘we.’

A collaborative team-oriented culture allows us to avoid strong egos and superstars that need to be coddled.

“We’ve been innovative, and we’ve tried to get ahead of business and legal trends,” he said. “We always have to be thinking about what’s next. The moment one rests on one’s laurels or rests on one’s success is the moment competition passes by. We don’t want to be reacting to opportunity and growth – we want to be out in front of it.”

Looking to the future, Riley sees potential for McDonald Hopkins to add another national office in the coming years.

“We are now sort of entering a new growth phase where we anticipate expanding our size and current footprint into two or three other markets because we’ve had an incredibly good run over the past 10 years,” Riley said.

“I could envision us in the next year or two being in Nashville, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C.,; Atlanta; Austin, Texas; and maybe additional cities outside West Palm Beach in Florida. There’s significant business growth in all of those markets that now offers opportunities for law

firms that know how to take advantage of it.”

Regardless of potential to growth into additional markets, Riley knows for McDonald Hopkins to continue to survive, it’s going to have to do what it does best: adapt.

“We have a lot of internal goals with respect to growth, profitability, culture and innovation,” he said. “What we intend to do is to continue to grow our business and to remain as profitable as we have been, and use as many innovative practices and techniques as we can possibly to make that happen.

There’s a lot that’s going on in the legal industry, and there are a lot of pressures on professional services, particularly the practice of law, and if we want to maintain our law firm through the next 10 years, we’re going to have to make some changes to the way we operate.”

The firm will save the big cake and candles for its 100th, but to celebrate this year’s anniversary, McDonald Hopkins will highlight some of its clients on its website and throw several client-oriented events and receptions in each of its markets throughout the year.

“We’re celebrating our clients and our relationships with them,” Riley said. “We’re recognizing them for the role they’ve had in our success because we wouldn’t exist as a law firm, and we certainly would not have been as successful if we didn’t have such great clients.”

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LOCAL LAWYERS

Frantz Ward LLP celebrates 20 years McKENNA KENNA CORSON | STAFF REPORTER @McKenna8989 mcorson@cjn.org |

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n January 2000, 14 partners left a large national firm to create a law firm where they could provide legal services in a cost-effective and practical fashion. 20 years later, that law firm – Frantz Ward LLP – has grown into a full-service firm with about 70 attorneys and 27 practices in downtown Cleveland.

Frantz Ward serves a national clientele consisting of Fortune 500 companies and small and medium companies and individuals, according to its website.

The firm is a member and involved with ALFA International, a global network of law firms, granting it access to clients’ needs worldwide.

Its practices include bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, cannabis, family law, litigation, tax law and telecommunications among others. The firm is

led by managing partner Christopher G. Keim and management committee consisting of Michael J. Frantz, Joel R. Hlavaty and Keim.

“Today is a very special day for our firm,” Frantz Ward’s Facebook account posted on Jan. 20. “Twenty years ago on this holiday, 14 partners created Frantz Ward to practice law in a different way. We are so proud that the original mission and values are still core in the firm today.”

Seeley Law joins Buckley King SKYLAR DUBELKO | STAFF REPORTER @sdubelkocjn sdubelko@cjn.org |

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HAHN LOESER

PROUDLY SERVING THE LEGAL NEEDS OF BUSINESSES AND INDIVIDUALS IN CLEVELAND FOR 1OO YEARS As we celebrate our centennial year, we are honored to have earned the trust and confidence of our clients and friends in the Cleveland community. Originally formed out of a commitment to religious diversity, we continue our founders’ dedication to client and community service.

These values have helped us grow to more than 130 attorneys in six cities across the country.

We stand upon a proud legacy as we continue to help our clients meet the challenges and opportunities of the next 100 years.

HAHN LOESER & PARKS LLP | HAHNLAW.COM | 216.621.0150 200 PUBLIC SQUARE | SUITE 2800 | CLEVELAND, OHIO 44114 SOME PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE CLEVELAND PRESS COLLECTION

C L E V E L A N D | C O LU M B U S | N A P L E S | F O R T M Y E R S | S A N D I E G O | C H I C A G O

he Seeley Law Office is now part of Buckley King.

The deal enhances Buckley King’s service offerings to clients while providing Seeley’s client base with a broader range of legal services.

Matthew K. Seeley was previously a sole practitioner handling commercial and business litigation, employment law, workers’ compensation, landlord/tenant, and product and premises liability cases.

In a statement posted on Seeley’s Seeley website, Seeley said the decision to merge into Buckley King stemmed from a “desire to work with a firm that offers a broader range of legal services for my clients’ business and personal needs.”

Buckley King, which has offices in Cleveland, Atlanta and Phoenix, described Seeley as having “a sound reputation for advocating and protecting clients,” in a Jan. 23 press release.

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CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 45

JANUARY 31, 2020

Attorneys awarded at OACTA luncheon

The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys presented awards to recognize attorneys for their service to OACTA, the law profession and community at its Legal Excellence Awards Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting.

The Excellence in Advocacy Award was presented to James L. McCrystal, Jr. of Sutter O’Connell Co. in Cleveland. The Distinguished Contributions to the Profession Award was presented to Gretchen Koehler Mote of Ohio Bar Liability Insurance Co. in Columbus.

CONGRATULATIONS

Robert D. Boroff is seen with his Emerging Leader Award from the Trucking Industry Defense Association. | Photo / Gallagher Sharp LLP

Boroff receives leader award from TIDA

Robert D. Boroff, partner at Gallagher Sharp LLP in Cleveland, received the inaugural Emerging Leader Award from the Trucking Industry Defense Association during its annual conference in Tampa, Fla. The award will be given each year to an up-andcoming member of the trucking defense industry who is viewed as a future leader. It was presented by Sara Miemiec of Schneider National, president of TIDA, before more than 500 attorneys, experts and claims handlers.

Ohio Super Lawyers Top 100 List | 2020 OHIO TOP 100 | CLEVELAND TOP 50:

Andrew Zashin

Super Lawyers List | 2020 Deanna DiPetta, Michele Jakubs, Drew Piersall, Christopher Reynolds, Jonathan Rich, Patrick Watts, 10 YEARS: Jon Dileno, Jeffrey Wedel, Stephen Zashin, 15 YEARS: George Crisci, Jonathan Downes, Andrew Zashin

OACTA elects 2020 officers, trustees

Rising Stars List | 2020 Christopher Caspary, Amy Keating, David Vance, Kyleigh Weinfurtner

Best Lawyers | 2020

workplace & family law

The Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys elected new officers and trustees for 2020 during its annual meeting.

New officers include: president, Jamey T. Pregon of American Family Insurance in Columbus; vice president, Natalie M. E. Wais of Young & Alexander Co., LPA in Cincinnati; treasurer, Benjamin C. Sasse of Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland; secretary, David W. Orlandini of Collins, Roche, Utley & Garner, LLC of Dublin; and immediate past president, James N. Kline of Bonezzi Switzer Polito & Hupp, Co., LPA in Cleveland.

Trustees elected include: Alexander M. Andrews of Ulmer Berne LLP in Columbus; Susan M. Audey of Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland; Patrick S. Corrigan, Staff Counsel for the Cincinnati Insurance Company in Cleveland; Thomas F. Glassman of Bonezzi Switzer Polito & Hupp Co. LPA in Cincinnati; Melanie Irvin of Branch in Columbus; Mark F. McCarthy of Tucker Ellis LLP in Cleveland; Paul W. McCartney of Bonezzi Switzer Polito & Hupp Co. LPA in Cincinnati; Jill K. Mercer of Nationwide Insurance in Columbus; Michael M. Neltner, Staff Counsel for the Cincinnati Insurance Company in Cincinnati; David J. Oberly of Blank Rome, LLP in Cincinnati; Daniel A. Richards of Weston Hurd LLP in Cleveland; and Elizabeth T. Smith of Vorys Sater Seymour & Pease in Columbus.

Robert P. Rutter of Rutter & Russin in Cleveland received the Respected Advocate Award.

Benjamin C. Sasse of Tucker Ellis in Cleveland received the Outstanding Advocacy Award. The Outstanding Young Leader Award was given to Zachary B. Pyers of Reminger Co., LPA in Columbus.

The Committee Chair of the Year Award was given to Christopher F. Mars of Bonezzi, Switzer, Polito & Hupp LPA in Cleveland. Gary L. Grubler of Grange Insurance in Columbus received the Frank Seth Hurd Member of the Year Award.

ZAR_0083_ad_6.5x8_cjn.indd 1

Christopher Reynolds, Kyleigh Weinfurtner, 5 YEARS: Jon Dileno, Deanna DiPetta, Amy Keating, Jonathan Rich, Stephen Zashin, 10 YEARS: George Crisci, Jonathan Downes, 15 YEARS: Jeffrey Wedel, Andrew Zashin

cleveland 216.696.4441 | columbus 614.224.4411 | zrlaw.com

1/29/20 2:32 PM

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LOCAL LAWYERS

Lawyers, firms receive recognition The following attorneys received recognition from the 2020 Super Lawyers magazine:

Frantz Ward LLP SUPER LAWYERS Keith A. Ashmus, Brett K. Bacon, T. Merritt Bumpass, Jr., Michael N. Chesney, Gregory R. Farkas, Michael J. Frantz, Carl H. Gluek, Patrick F. Haggerty, Kevin M. Hinkel, Joel R. Hlavaty, Matthew F. Kadish, Stephen L. Kadish, Christopher G. Keim, Brian J. Kelly, Christopher C. Koehler, John F. Kostelnik, Margaret M. Metzinger, James B. Niehaus, Jenifer E. Novak, Mark L. Rodio, Dean M. Rooney, Marc A. Sanchez, Douglas B. Schnee, Daniel A. Ward, David G. Weibel RISING STARS Kaitlyn D. Arthurs, Klevis Bakiaj, Alan B. Dailide, Mia L. Garcia, Thomas G. Haren, Daniel P. Hinkel, Angela D. Lydon, Christina E. Niro, Michael C. Nunnari, Jr., Bradley D. Reed, Allison Taller Reich, Ryan T. Smith

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP SUPER LAWYERS Jeffrey A. Brauer, Erica L. Calderas, M. Patricia Culler, Rocco I. Debitetto, Daniel A. DeMarco, Christina D’Eramo Evans, Robert J. Fogarty, Stephen H. Gariepy, Steven A. Goldfarb, Joan M. Gross, Andrew J. Natale, Lawrence E. Oscar, Rob Remington, Dennis R. Rose, Christopher B. Wick RISING STARS Dana Marie DeCapite, Matthew K. Grashoff, Casey J. McElfresh, Christopher R. Mykytiak, Christopher W. St. Marie, Gregory A. Thompson

Reminger Co., LPA SUPER LAWYERS Bruce Fahey, Hugh J. Bode, Adam M. Fried, Marc W. Groedel, Gregory G. Guice, Daniel Haude, Thomas B. Kilbane, Frank Leonetti, III, Franklin C. Malemud, Clifford C. Masch, William A. Meadows, Russell J. Meraglio, Jr., Ronald A. Mingus, Jeanne M. Mullin, Richard J. Rymond, Christine Santoni, Joseph S. Simms, John B. Stalzer, Brian D. Sullivan, James J. Turek, Stephen E. Walters, Leon Weiss RISING STARS Adam J. Davis, Julian T. Emerson, Timothy J. Gallagher, Jonathan Krol, Bethanie Ricketts Murray, Brian P. Nally, Joseph T. Palcko, Paul R. Shugar

Roetzel & Andress LPA SUPER LAWYERS Susan S. Box, Anna Moore Carulas, Shane A. Farolino, Laura Faust, Terrence S. Finn, Stephen W. Funk, Erika L. Haupt, Edward C. Hertenstein, Michael J. Hudak, Paul L. Jackson, R. Mark Jones, Stephen D. Jones, Douglas M. Kennedy, Ronald S. Kopp, Nancy A. Noall, Thomas L. Rosenberg, Donald S. Scherzer, Bruce R. Schrader, II, Bradley L. Snyder, Douglas E. Spiker, David W. Woodburn, Bradley A. Wright, E. Mark Young

The following Cleveland firms were recognized in the 2020 “Best Law Firms” survey published jointly by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers:

Buckley King

RISING STARS Chris Cotter, Monica Frantz, Patrick M. Hanley, Jr., Jessica Lopez, Nathan J. Pangrace, Michelle Reese, Steven H. Roth, Philip M. Sarnowski, Jessica L. Sloan, Laura Wallerstein, Madison Lisotto Whalen

PRACTICES RECEIVING RECOGNITION: Banking and Finance Law, Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions/ UCC Law, Corporate Governance Law, Corporate Law, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Insurance Law, Litigation – Banking & Finance, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Litigation – Tax, Tax Law

Tucker Ellis LLP

Frantz Ward LLP

SUPER LAWYERS Ernest Auciello, Heather Barnes, Henry Billingsley, Stephen Ellis, Laura Hong, Irene Keyse-Walker, John Lewis, Rita Maimbourg, John McCaffrey, Mark McCarthy, Daniel Messeloff, Matthew Moriarty, Glenn Morrical, Carl Muller, Brian O’Neill, Anthony Petruzzi, Susan Racey, Keith Raker, Dustin Rawlin, Benjamin Sassé, John Slagter, Ronald Stansbury, Scott Stitt, Robert Tucker, Kevin Young

PRACTICES RECEIVING RECOGNITION Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate Law, Education Law, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law – Management, Health Care Law, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Insurance, Litigation – Intellectual Property, Litigation – Real Estate, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Real Estate Law

RISING STARS Zachary Adams, Brandon Cox, Madeline Dennis, Justin Eddy, Jonathan Feczko, Erica James, Jayne Juvan, Seth Linnick, Joseph Manno, Jennifer Mesko, Chelsea Mikula, Chelsea Smith, Christine Snyder, Seth Wamelink, Chaz Weber, Ryan Winkler

Ulmer & Berne LLP SUPER LAWYERS Jeffrey S. Dunlap, Frances Floriano Goins, Amanda Martinsek, Michael N. Ungar, Inajo Davis Chappell, Robert E. Chudakoff, Timothy J. Downing, William D. Edwards, Bill J. Gagliano, James A. Goldsmith, Manju Gupta, Richard T. Hamilton, Jr., Richard G. Hardy, Mark D. Katz, Joshua A. Klarfeld, David W. Leopold, Mary Forbes Lovett, Lori A. Pittman Haas, Harold “Kip” Reader, Patricia A. Shlonsky, Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau, Michael S. Tucker RISING STARS Brett C. Altier, Candice Musiek Capoziello, Michael J. Charlillo, Gregory C. Djordjevic, Daniel A. Gottesman, Trevor J. Hardy, Georgia Hatzis, Steven P. Larson, Ellesha M. LeCluyse, Daniela Paez, Stanley D. Prybe, Raymond D. Seiler

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP PRACTICES RECEIVING RECOGNITION IN TIER 1 Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Law, Litigation – Bankruptcy, Litigation – Construction, Litigation – Trusts & Estates, NonProfit/Charities Law, Real Estate Law, Trusts & Estates Law, Venture Capital Law PRACTICES RECEIVING RECOGNITION IN TIER 2 Health Care Law, Insurance Law, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Banking & Finance, Litigation – Real Estate, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants PRACTICES RECEIVING RECOGNITION IN TIER 3 Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Governance Law, Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Antitrust, Litigation – Real Estate

Information was submitted by law firms.

o w h c a e B • d i l c u SUPER ATTORNEYS E h t u • o S n • u r e u f i h L s t e s J r i u a h n B • ynd k r a P y h c a a r g o e n L e • M h • s a z z B p Bu Dive a r t s C t o rsity C o J • B C • r e e e nC f i terent L h CLUB OF c y n t i s r Lau e 0 91st v CLEVELAND i 0 D • 1 p Aa b S m u JOURNALISM l n R n C C C A i s v • s elebr ersar YE e e r r o P fi • ation y e e t n o llag M • e • l c s r i w e C s N ’ n h s e i B m w k e r J o A y t i •W C PLA S r t e • t n f l e a E c e H f s i l u e a n r t Th a C H m • T l E A e e E l a e D r p m e T • Gan Is t a • m u a ’ a a e r N u • B F s r N o J t i • s i V & n CNext o i t n e v n o • Manage, C n o d i t o a o d w n h u c o a F e s B i t i l d o o Design, o C w & h s c a e B • Crohn’ d i l c u Write, Sell, n • E h t u o S • u r e u f i h L s t e s J r i Print, Mail u a h n d B n • y L k r a P y h c a a r g o e n L e • M h • s a z z B p Bu a r t s C t o C o J • B • r e e t f i n L e h C c y n t i s r Lau e v i D • p b m u l a C C s • s e e r r o P fi • e e t n o M Villag • e • l c s r i w e C s N ’ n h s e i m w k e r J o y t i •ForW C t n l e E c your tribute event, anniversary, foundation and more! s u e n r a C m • l E e e l a r p s I m e n T a • G t a m u Contact Paul Bram for• more information a ’ a a e r N u B F s r N o J t i • s t i 216-342-5192 · pbram@cjn.org V & n ICNex o i t n e v n o n C o i d t o a o d n w Fou ach CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 47

JANUARY 31, 2020

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48 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

LOCAL LAWYERS

Robert D. Boroff Gallagher Sharp LLP

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obert D. Boroff, a partner at Gallagher Sharp in Cleveland who specializes in trucking and construction defense litigation, became an attorney due to his love for mentoring others.

Dean Lee Fisher and the faculty and staff of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law congratulate our C|M|LAW Super Attorneys.

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He defends national and international commercial transportation companies in crashes and cargo loss claims, as well as defends manufacturers and contractors in construction-related issues. He responds immediately to crash scenes to investigate and evaluate losses for clients.

With so much to balance at work, it only makes sense Boroff ’s secret talent is juggling.

CJN: What Jewish values do you reflect on in your work?

Boroff: A Jewish value that I think about and use on a daily basis is sh’mirat halashon, which to me means being careful with your words.

Words are powerful tools and, while lawyers have to be zealous advocates for their clients, I believe we can and should do so with civility, honesty and professionalism.

CJN: What do you enjoy most and least about your job?

Boroff: The best part of my job is helping clients navigate through the rigors of litigation from the start of a claim all the way through trial. I primarily represent trucking companies and truck drivers who have been involved in large scale and catastrophic accidents – which is very traumatic for those involved. I am usually hired at the scene of the incident within hours of the accident. I take pride in being a constant resource as both a counselor and staunch defender of my clients from the day of the accident through the conclusion of a case. One of the best parts of serving clients is the relationships and close friendships I have made along the way.

The least enjoyable part of my job is the administrative side of the business

About Robert

Age: 39 Residence: Orange Village Synagogue: Park Synagogue Family: Wife, Jen; children, Avery (5) and Brayden (2) Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law

that can sometimes pull me away from the best parts of the job.

CJN: In your biography on your firm’s website, it says you are a part of Gallagher Sharp’s rapid response team that immediately responds to crash scenes to investigate and evaluate loss for clients. What is that like?

Boroff: Being on Gallagher Sharp’s rapid response team involves assisting our trucking clients in managing and overseeing the investigation of large scale accidents. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days out of the year, and so it is not uncommon to receive a phone call in the middle of the night or on a holiday.

Once we receive a call informing us of an incident, we immediately take action to learn as much about the accident as possible, which includes going right out to the scene of the accident, identifying and interviewing witnesses, discussing the accident with law enforcement and retaining experts who can provide further assistance at the scene.

– McKenna Corson

My favorites ...

Jewish TV show: “Seinfeld” Jewish celebrity: Howard Stern Jewish food: Matzah ball soup Jewish holiday: Chanukah Jewish tradition: Coming up with clever places to hide the afikoman

SUPER ATTORNEYS

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 49

JANUARY 31, 2020

Adam Michael Brown

Zukerman, Lear & Murray Co., L.P.A

A

dam Brown grew up with a lawyer father who taught him how to think and act logically, and a mother who demonstrated to Brown how to use passion to create a persuasive position. However, it was in middle school when several of his friends suddenly faced minor legal trouble that Brown experienced his first criminal defense calling.

“I recalled wanting to be able to do something, anything, to try to help them,” said Brown, now an associate trial attorney specializing in criminal defense with Zukerman, Lear & Murray Co., LPA, in Cleveland. “That incident, and the feeling of helplessness, always stuck with me for some reason.”

Since that strike of inspiration, Brown has represented a variety of cases to guarantee each client receives a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to counsel.

About Adam

Age: 30 Residence: Cleveland Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law

CJN: Why did you want to focus on criminal defense?

Brown: I was – and am – always very intrigued, even as a little kid, by true crime, particularly organized crime and fraud. My dad had lots of history books, true crime books and other non-fiction books in the house, and I would read them when I was young.

The incident involving my friends inspired me to practice criminal defense as well. Criminal defense is not about defending an individual’s actions or alleged actions, it is about defending an

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Blazing Saddles” Jewish celebrity: Adam Sandler Jewish food: Matzah ball soup Jewish holiday: Chanukah Jewish tradition: Hava Nagila at weddings

individual’s rights under the state and federal constitutions. Criminal defense is also the most interesting practice area in my opinion; truth really is stranger than fiction, I promise.

CJN: How do you work with your clients to assist them in the best way possible, unique to them?

Brown: Each client is different and unique. Before I dig into the facts of a case, I try to put myself in my client’s shoes and relate to them on a personal level, if possible. I want them to understand that I don’t see them as just another client, but as an individual, and I genuinely want to produce the best result for them that I can under the circumstances.

CJN: What is the most common mistake your clients make?

Brown: Talking to the police.

CJN: What are you most proud of in your work?

Brown: Saving people’s lives.

There have been several cases where notwithstanding my hard work and dedication, alongside the hard work and dedication of my colleagues, people would be sitting in a prison cell for the

rest of their lives. On a more day-to-day level, it comes down to simply helping people resolve their legal conflicts in the most favorable way possible. I am most proud of helping clients.

CJN: If you could have dinner with any three people (living or dead), who would it be with and where would dinner be?

Brown: My parents and my brother.

Dinner would be at home in Beachwood.

– McKenna Corson

DAVID M. PARIS MANAGING PARTNER

JAMIE R. LEBOVITZ SENIOR PARTNER

WILLIAM S. JACOBSON PARTNER

JONATHAN D. MESTER PARTNER

KATHLEEN J. ST. JOHN PARTNER

PAMELA PANTAGES PARTNER

BRENDA M. JOHNSON ASSOCIATE

DANA M. PARIS PARTNER

JORDAN D. LEBOVITZ PARTNER

JEFFERY M. HELLER ASSOCIATE

50 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

Arthur Elk

Bryan Farkas

As a child, Arthur Elk dreamed of one day becoming a lawyer.

A

Elk & Elk Co. Ltd. It wasn’t until law school that his sights narrowed, Elk said, explaining, “I came to realize that I wanted to be a trial lawyer, advocating for my clients.”

He discovered the quickest path to achieve his goal was representing victims of crime as an assistant prosecutor. And after two years, Elk was elected Ashland County Prosecuting Attorney, a position he held for two successive four-year terms.

“It was important to me, in representing victims of crime, to bring courtroom justice to people who had experienced one of the worst moments of their lives,” Elk said.

Now managing member of Elk & Elk, a firm he founded with his brother, David Elk, the attorney added, “Having fought hard for victims of crime, it was a very easy transition for me to shift my focus to representing victims of personal injury thus allowing me to continue on my path as a trial lawyer.”

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Elk: Our standard is for every Elk & Elk client to receive the highest quality legal representation. I’m constantly thinking whether there’s anything more that my staff or I can do to make certain that every detail is covered while preparing each case.

There are times I wake up in the middle of the night and make notes on legal strategy and tactics with an eye towards aggressively advocating for whichever case is then on my mind.

CJN: What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?

Elk: It would be cool to be a race car driver. I have always had a need for speed, but if that didn’t happen I would probably really enjoy doing medical research.

CJN: What about your practice do you most enjoy?

Elk: I most enjoy being able to obtain recoveries for our clients which allow them to return to as normal a life as possible given the severity of their injury or loss.

These families are surviving the most unimaginable consequences through no fault of their own. I find it very satisfying to obtain justice for them by providing the highest quality of legal representation.

About Art

Age: 72 Residence: Moreland Hills Synagogue: Park Synagogue Family: Wife, Jody; children, Hillary, Lexy, Ryan, Jason Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

LOCAL LAWYERS

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP

CJN: What recent changes in law have most affected your clients?

Elk: The last several years have seen tort reform inclusive of economic caps passed as laws in legislatures throughout our country.

I cannot understand why our legislature would take the ultimate decision on damages away from a jury of the injured party’s peers. Juries decide life or death issues on criminal cases, and are certainly just as well-equipped in civil cases to determine just compensation for injury victims.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Elk: People often times misunderstand if they are adequately covered by their own insurance. I always tell my family, friends and clients that they need to carry uninsured and under-insured motorist coverage, not only on their auto and home policies, but also on any excess or umbrella policies.

The reason I give this advice is because unfortunately there are people driving on our roadways that either have no insurance or are grossly under-insured. God forbid if one of these people causes you injury and are either uninsured (has no insurance) and/or under-insured (low limits or not enough insurance) then you need to have uninsured and under-insured insurance to protect your family. When someone in an accident that is not their fault suffers a disabling injury they will need access to funds provided by their own uninsured or under-insured insurance coverage.

– Skylar Dubelko

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Fiddler on the Roof” Jewish celebrity: Adam Levine Jewish food: Matzah ball soup and chopped liver Jewish holiday: Chanukah Jewish tradition: Friday night services at Park with Rabbi Skoff

s a partner in Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP’s Cleveland office, Bryan Farkas practices financial services, creditors’ rights, real estate and business law.

Beyond representing financial institutions and servicers in workouts, restructurings, insolvency proceedings and litigation matters, Farkas serves as outside general counsel for several companies.

Prior to attending law school at Case Western Reserve University, the attorney completed a post-graduate program in Jewish philosophy and Talmudic law at the Heiden Torah Institute, Machon Shlomo. He continues to spend a significant amount of time in Israel.

Farkas is a member of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland’s community planning committee. He also serves on boards at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, Cleveland Chesed Center and Naaleh.

Asked what he would do if he weren’t a lawyer, Farkas laughed and said he would be a movie star.

He later changed his answer.

“Psychologist,” he said on a more serious note. “I’m fascinated by the human mind and it’s interplay with emotional health.”

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Farkas: My client’s problems are my problems. So, as a business lawyer, I try to stay on top of the latest legal trends and creative, but effective, solutions.

CJN: What initially drew you to your practice area?

Farkas: Challenging work; and helping people. I love people – as a

About Bryan

Age: 47 Residence: University Heights Synagogue: Beachwood Kollel Family: Wife, Kim; children, Shoshana, Jacob and Eliana (15) Undergraduate: University of California San Diego Law school: CWRU School of Law

lawyer, I’m afforded the opportunity every day to help businesses and their owners solve some of their most difficult challenges. When I accomplish that, it’s incredibly rewarding.

CJN: What about your practice do you most enjoy?

Farkas: Assisting entrepreneurs accomplish their goals.

CJN: What recent changes in law have most affected your clients?

Farkas: Consumer and employment laws.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Farkas: I try to encourage clients to look for the most effective and efficient resolution to a problem from the outset. Sometimes that means seeking compromise sooner rather then later.

– Skylar Dubelko

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Crossing Delancey” Jewish celebrity: Moses Jewish food: Everything Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Being part of such a special nation.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 51

Adam Fried

Reminger Co., LPA

R

eminger shareholder Adam Fried co-chairs the firm’s estate, trust and probate litigation practice group. Beyond his success as lead trial attorney in a multitude of estate and trust disputes, Fried is also active in academia. Having taught the wills, trusts and estate class at Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, it should come as no surprise that, if he weren’t a lawyer, Fried said he would likely be a teacher.

“The closest thing to lawyering, I think, is teaching,” he said. “Good advocacy, at its heart, requires good teaching skills: framing the subject, educating as to the legal implications, and explaining why the facts demand your prayed for result.”

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Fried: Many cases I am working on get my attention in the middle of

About Adam

Age: 50 Residence: Solon Synagogue: Solon Chabad Family: Wife, Sheri; children, Harrison and Hallie Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law

the night. While I am not generally an anxious person, our clients place their faith and trust in my ability to accomplish their goals. This is an awesome responsibility that commands nighttime attention.

CJN: What about your practice do you most enjoy?

Fried: I really enjoy the advocacy process of taking a huge, diverse, disconnected and disputed grouping of information and converting it into a

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “The Frisco Kid” Jewish celebrity: Seth Rogen Jewish food: Matzah brei Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Tzedakah

concise story.

CJN: What recent changes in law have most affected your clients?

Fried: Guardianship law has recently been impacted by the Ohio Supreme Court’s changes to Superintendence Rule 66. This is important to me and my guardianship clients, because the rule changes attempt to modernize the way we view and protect older adults who may require guardianship due to circumstances of cognitive impairment – especially when there is evidence of financial exploitation, elder abuse or selfneglect. The rules place at the center the humanity of the at-risk person by requiring person-centered decision making and attempting to preserve independence of the older person.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Fried: Legal problems cannot be efficiently solved if the lawyer and client cannot concentrate on the information meaningful to the problem. Think of a knot in your shoelaces, but instead of two strings, the client has many strings.

Within five minutes of discussion, the

client will typically pull on all strings at once, which essentially tightens the proverbial knot. My best legal advice is to first identify the problem for which the client needs assistance, then to separate the operative facts from the facts irrelevant to the problem. When the “fluff ” or “noise” is removed, a whole host of strategies come into the light and let the problem solving begin.

– Skylar Dubelko

52 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

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hen Ian Friedman, founding partner of Friedman & Nemecek, L.L.C., in Cleveland, goes to work every day, he looks forward to what challenges his work will bring him. Friedman’s work as a criminal defense attorney specializing in criminal, white collar and cyber defense has brought him across the country and to Europe, Asia and South America. He has tried more than 200 defendant cases to verdict in municipal, state and federal courts, and the clients he serve stand at a range of legal points, requiring diverse representation.

“I think the most important skills to being a criminal defense lawyer are the ability to listen and to see three moves ahead,” Friedman said.

His love for his work is not just of this generation, because if Friedman had the ability to go back in time, he says he would still be a criminal defense lawyer in the 1920s and 1930s.

CJN: What did you want to be when you grew up and why?

Friedman: I recall being very young and wanting to be an astronomical engineer or truck driver. From the fourth grade on, however, I wanted to be a courtroom lawyer. I felt the law was where I could speak up against injustice.

I was right and that is why I still do it today.

CJN: Why did you want to focus on criminal defense?

Friedman: My focus on criminal law just seemed natural. It was as if it chose me. It fulfills me as I get to give people a fair fight, help those at their lowest points and get to see the successes that are achieved after being given a chance. My favorite part of the work is formulating strategy. It feels like chess.

CJN: What Jewish values do you use in your work?

Friedman: The search for truth and justice is what drives me every day. The sense of fairness and need to protect the vulnerable is what I’ve been taught since my earliest age.

CJN: How do you work with your clients to assist them in the best way possible unique to them?

Friedman: We take a very comprehensive approach to assisting

About Ian

Age: 49 Residence: Bainbridge Township Family: Wife, Jamie; children, Madeline (12), Gabriel (4) and Emmitt (1) Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

our clients. We do not handle too many cases at once so that we can hand-hold from beginning to end. We go beyond just trying to get the client through their cases. We want to make sure that their issues are addressed so that they can move ahead successfully after the case has concluded.

CJN: What kind of cases do you enjoy most and why?

Friedman: The type of case I enjoy most involves a young defendant who can still be rehabilitated if given the chance.

CJN: What do you do in your free time?

Friedman: My free time is scarce, but between my professional obligations and travel, when possible, I just spend time with my wife and kids. Since time passes so quickly, I take every minute I can with them.

– McKenna Corson

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Schindler’s List” Jewish celebrity: Robert Downey, Jr. Jewish food: Potato latkes Jewish holiday: Chanukah Jewish tradition: Talking life with my children

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CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 53

JANUARY 31, 2020

Steve Gill

Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill

S

teve Gill, partner of Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA, has more than 25 years experience specializing in property tax appeals and related matters for large national clients, including national REITs and Fortune 500 companies.

With his experience, he’s successfully represented clients in complex legal issues related to the valuation of real and personal property. Some of his most recent successes include the representation of a casino, an airport mall and a major hospital system. Gill is also a member of the American, Ohio State and Cleveland Metropolitan bar associations, as well as a member of the

About Steve

Age: 53 Residence: Mayfield Heights Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Family: Wife, Lisa; children, Jessica, Claudia and Parker Undergraduate: OSU Moritz College of Law (1988) Law school: CWRU School of Law (1991)

Institute for Professionals in Taxation and the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Gill said he gained inspiration to study law from his late uncle, Morlee Rothchild.

“He was a labor lawyer and got me interested in studying,” he said. “He was a longtime partner here in Cleveland and a lot of people know him.”

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “A Serious Man” Jewish celebrity: Larry David Jewish food: Brisket Jewish holiday: Purim Jewish tradition: We all wear silly hats during Passover. Everyone brings their own silly hat every year.

Hobbies: Theater, movies, Cleveland and Ohio sports, and spending time with my family

CJN: How did your uncle inspire you to study law?

Gill: I was in college when that inspiration hit me. I mentioned to my uncle that I wanted to go to law school and he told me to go get a Yellow Pages and look up attorneys. He told me to count the pages and there were many. He asked me if I thought I would be a better attorney than any in the book and I replied yes. He then said he would recommend me to law school.

CJN: What specifically inspired you to practice real property tax law?

Gill: The valuation of real estate.

CJN: What was a major turning point in your career?

Gill: After graduating from law school, I spent the first four years litigating until I was offered a new position with the professional service firm Ernst & Young.

I spent 10 years at Ernst & Young as the national director of property tax services.

However, when offered the chance to get back into the practice of law 15 years later with Robert “Kip” Danziger and Todd Sleggs, I jumped at the chance. It was an important move in my career and I have enjoyed it very much personally and professionally.

CJN: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Gill: Making my clients happy. There have been many clients and cases where we had that outcome as well.

CJN: How does your career inspire you outside of work?

Gill: My job has helped me to be more organized both at work and within my personal life. I have found the need to organize because I’m so busy at work that I need to get organized there. It has helped me do the same outside of work.

CJN: What role does Judaism play in your work?

Gill: I think religion provides an opportunity to always take the high ground, both in and out of the office.

With the knowledge he has now, Gill has simple advice for aspiring lawyers.

“Continue to work hard, it will pay off,” he said.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

LOCAL LAWYERS

Robert A. Gilmore

Kohrman | Jackson | Krantz

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Robert A. Gilmore likens the process of litigation to a chess match.

“I enjoy looking at a case – and the evidence – and developing a strategy for the client to get the best possible result,” said the partner at Cleveland-based Kohrman Jackson & Krantz and chair of the firm’s labor and employment group. “I also enjoy the intellectual process involved in litigation – crafting arguments and finding the best way to persuade the judge or jury,” Gilmore frequently speaks for local and national conferences, and has been selected as a fellow at both The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America.

CJN: What recent changes in employment law have most affected your clients?

Gilmore: Wage and hour law changes have been significant. The “white collar” exemptions have changed – so that, for employees to be exempt from the minimum wage and overtime laws, they must make at least $35,568 and meet the duties test for the executive, professional or administrative exemption. Also, the #MeToo movement has had a significant impact on employment law. There has been a rise in lawsuits and administrative charges alleging sex discrimination and sexual harassment.

Companies should review their policies, procedures and training to make sure that they are acting in a preventive way to avoid these issues. And, if issues do arise, it is critical that companies take immediate action to investigate and determine the facts, and decide if disciplinary action should be taken.

CJN: What skills do you think are most important in terms of being successful in your practice?

Gilmore: This is a people business; as a lawyer, you are often thrusted into a highly charged situation, with emotions running high on both sides. It is critical to be able to communicate effectively with your client in plain English, not legalese. I also must have a firm understanding of the company’s/ individual’s business. Legal skill alone is not enough. Finally, negotiation skills are paramount, as much of my practice consists of finding the best resolution to the dispute.

CJN: What is the most common mistake your clients make?

About Rob

Age: 58 Residence: Pepper Pike Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Family: Children, Samantha, Julia and Andrew Undergraduate school: University of Cincinnati

Gilmore: Not regularly reviewing their employment/HR policies, handbook and procedures. It is important to stay up to date on labor and employment law issues, as they change often. It is also important to determine if certain policies should be changed or discarded, either because they are not being used, or they are no longer necessary. I also find that the performance review process at times is not handled as well as it should be. It is important to advise an employee of performance issues, rather than “sugar-coating” things, so as not to have a difficult conversation. This can be counter-productive and lead to issues if the company wants to terminate an employee later.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Gilmore: Call first before taking action that may lead to legal issues. An ounce of prevention is often worth a pound of cure.

It is far less expensive to handle a potential issue on the front end before it leads to litigation.

CJN: What do you least like about dealing with your opponents?

Gilmore: I don’t enjoy fighting about discovery issues that are not critical to the merits of the case. I prefer working in a civil way with my opponents to reach a compromise on issues, and avoid having an expensive fight that can be prevented.

I find that this makes for a more efficient representation.

– Jane Kaufman Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1986)

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Schindler’s List“ Jewish celebrity: Jerry Seinfeld Jewish food: Latkes Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Seder

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Judge Francine B. Goldberg

A FULL SERVICE LAW FIRM

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A

lthough she has served as both prosecutor and judge, Francine B. Goldberg counts her greatest accomplishment and most rewarding experience as raising her four children, together with her husband, David Geduld.

Since December 2014, she has presided over hundreds of domestic relations cases. For more than 24 years, she was an assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecuting Attorney. A three-term University Heights City Councilwoman, Goldberg also served four years as vice mayor. The Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations judge was named public servant of the year for the city of University Heights in 2013.

CJN: What key Jewish values are reflected in your position as a judge?

Goldberg: Tzedek, tzedek tirdof – Justice, justice, you shall pursue – Parashat Shoftim (Judges), Devarim (Deuteronomy) 16:20. I strive for justice that is rooted in kindness, equality, civility, caring, compassion, inclusion and family. This unyielding pursuit of justice is my approach and guidepost.

CJN: Have you introduced any innovations in your court?

Goldberg: In 2019, I spearheaded the development of CourtConnect, a free mobile app designed for litigants and attorneys in Domestic Relations Court.

CourtConnect is the first app that gives Cuyahoga County families instant, 24/7 access to their cases. Hopefully it will be a prototype for other courts.

CJN: What do you love about your job?

Goldberg: I meet with many families, and have learned each one has distinct issues that must be resolved uniquely to ensure the future integrity of that family. I have performed over 100 marriages. I have also had high school, college and law school students intern with me.

Arthur E. Dombek & Leonard Ehrenreich

EHRENREICH & ASSOCIATES

Court: Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Title: Judge Residence: University Heights Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue and Jewish Family Experience Family: Husband, David Geduld; children, Noah, Orly, Koby and Sophie, (16); and granddaughter, Maya Undergraduate school: The Ohio State University

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CJN: Tell us an interesting story from your days on the bench Goldberg: The first week I was on the bench a couple was set for a divorce hearing and they were smiling, holding hands and giggling. After asking a series of questions, I told them I didn’t want to divorce them – that they were happier than 95% of my married friends. They told me they couldn’t live with each other anymore and wanted to move forward with the divorce. They also said they were going to celebrate their divorce by going out to dinner that night. I requested a picture with them since I didn’t think I would come across another “happy” divorced couple.

This provided the genesis to the “Wall of Happiness” – hundreds of photos of litigants satisfied with the court process even in the divorce setting – to acknowledge how couples can solve contentious issues during difficult times.

– Jane Kaufman

About Frankie

Tough & Bold With Over 30 Years Experience

Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

My favorites ...

Jewish movie:”The Ten Commandments” Jewish celebrity: Judge Judy Jewish food: Falafel Jewish holiday: Sukkot Jewish tradition: Lighting Shabbat candles and connecting with family and friends on Jewish holidays and Shabbat

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“Liability of Council Members Under 42 U.S.C. 1983,” The Practical Lawyer 83-88 (Mar. 1987) Contributor: ANTITRUST CONSENT DECREE MANUAL, American Bar Association (1980) Witness Engagements 56 Expert | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

Standards of Professional Care for Lawyers and Law Firms: Resolution Trust Corporation v. Alexander and Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Case No. 5:93-cv-00832.

Estate of Jason Scribben v. Jonathan W. Winer, et al., Court of Common Pleas for Ashtabula County, Ohio, Case No. 2001 CV 00671 Joseph H. Weiss v. Albert Dattilo, Court of Common Pleas for Geauga County, Ohio, Case No. 01 M 0638 A-Best Products, Inc.Civil v. Brian Dunbar, Court of Common for Under Cuyahoga County, “Federal Rights Liability of Local Governments and TheirPleas Employees Section 1983,” OHIOOhio MUNICIPAL LAW, Chap.

41A,etGotherman and of Babbit, ed. 1986 (co-author) Ervin L. Smith v. Joseph P. Kearns, Jr., al., Court Common Pleas for Ashland County, Ohio, “Liability of Council Members Under 42 U.S.C. 1983,” The Practical Lawyer 83-88 (Mar. 1987) Case No. 05-CIV-273 Contributor: ANTITRUST CONSENT DECREE MANUAL, American Bar Association (1980) Watson v. Chapin Logic Solutions, Inc. v. James Aussem, Brouse & McDowell, LPA, et al., Court of Expert Witness Engagements Common Pleas for Lorain County, Ohio, Case No. 06CV147451

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Standards of Professional Care for Lawyers and Law Firms:

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Resolution Trust Corporation v. Alexander and Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, U.S. District lawyers the District country handling cases Court forin the Northern of Ohio, Casein No. 5:93-cv-00832. and class actions involving securities, 01 M 0638 ERISA, accounting and County, auditor A-Best Products,antitrust, Inc. v. Brian Dunbar, Court Common Pleas for Cuyahoga Ohio Impact of Environmental Laws, Statutes and Regulations on Rightsof of Lower Riparian Property Owners: Ervin L. Smith v. Joseph P. Kearns, Jr., et al., Court of Common Pleas for Ashland County, Ohio, Case No. bankruptcy, 05-CIV-273 liability, director and offi cer Watson v. Chapin LogicU.S. Solutions, Inc. v. James Brouse & McDowell, LPA, etof al.,Ohio, Court of Bettis v. Ruetgers-Nease Chemical Corp., District CourtAussem, for the Northern District Common Pleas for Lorain County, Ohio, Case No. 06CV147451 liability, corporate investigations and Case No. 4:90-cv-0502 Standards and Requirements for Class Certification: white-collar defense, intellectual property Attorneys’ Fees in Complex or Class Actionv. Northeast Litigation: Mel Murphy Ohio Regional Sewer District, Court of Common Pleas for Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Case No. CV 13 814862 and other “bet-the-company” claims and Estate of Carrie SueImpact Foster, Debtor v. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Ohio, U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Environmental Laws, Statutes and Regulations on Rights of Lower Riparian Property Owners: for the Southernissues District ofin Ohio, Case No. 94-cv-52856 theChemical financial services, capital Bettis v. Ruetgers-Nease Corp., U.S.Pleas Districtfor Court for the NorthernCounty, District of Ohio, Brookover v. Flexmag Industries, Inc., Court of Common Washington Ohio, Case No. 4:90-cv-0502 Case No. 98 TRmarkets, 277 health care, high-tech and Attorneys’ Fees in Complex Class Action Litigation: Pleas for Erie County, Ohio, Case Landis v. Grange Mutual Insurance Co.,orCourt of Common industries.

No. 88-CV-360manufacturing Estate of Carrie Sue Foster, Debtor v. Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Ohio, U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Jason Scribben v. Jonathan W. Winer, et al.,of Court of Common Pleas for County, Mel Murphy v. Northeast Estate OhioofRegional Sewer District, Court Common Pleas forAshtabula Cuyahoga Ohio, Case No. 2001 CV 00671 County, Ohio, Case No.H.CV 814862 Joseph Weiss13 v. Albert Dattilo, Court of Common Pleas for Geauga County, Ohio, Case No.

for the Southern District ofCo., Ohio,Court Case No.of 94-cv-52856 Holman v. Keegan and West American Insurance Common Pleas for Erie County, Brookover v. Flexmag Industries, Inc., Court of Common Pleas for Washington County, Ohio, Ohio, Case No. 97-CV-696 Case No. 98 TR 277 Michele Radzdrh, Guardian, etc. vs. Mary Brown, Trustee of thePleas William BrownOhio, Trust, Landis v. Grange MutualAnn Insurance Co., Court of Common for Erie County, Case et al., 88-CV-360 Lorain County Probate No. Court, Case No. 2005 PC 00022 Holman v. Keegan and West American Insurance Co., Court of Common Pleas for Erie County, Joseph L. Pikas v. The WilliamsOhio, Companies, Inc., et al., U.S. District Court for the Northern District Case No. 97-CV-696 Michele Guardian, etc. vs. Mary Ann Brown, Trustee of the William Brown Trust, et al., of Oklahoma, Case No. Radzdrh, 4:08-cv-0101-GKF-PJC Lorain County Probate Court, Case No. 2005 PC 00022 William J Schumacher v. AK Steel Corporation U.S. Inc., District Court forCourt the for Southern District Joseph L. Pikas v. The Williamsetc., Companies, et al., U.S. District the Northern District of of Oklahoma, Case No. 4:08-cv-0101-GKF-PJC Ohio, Case No. 1:09-cv-794-SB William J Schumacher v. AK Steel Corporation etc., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Arthur Lavin, M.D. v. Jon Husted, etc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Ohio, Case No. 1:09-cv-794-SB Case No. 1:10-cv-01986-DCN-NAV and Case No. 1:10-cv-01986-BYP-NAV Arthur Lavin, M.D. v. Jon Husted, etc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio,

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LOCAL LAWYERS

Andy Goldwasser

Ciano & Goldwasser, LLP

A

s a founding partner of Ciano & Goldwasser, LLP, in Woodmere, Andy Goldwasser’s life is anything but boring, especially as a trial lawyer, and the president of the No Pain No Gain Foundation, which was created following the death of a classmate due to cancer.

Goldwasser said he didn’t always think he would be a lawyer.

“I happened upon it when I enrolled in a program to get my master’s degree to teach English,” he said. “I had a semester to kill before the master’s program started, so I got a job doing clerical work in a firm.

I enjoyed what I saw and that led me on the path to becoming a lawyer. I de-enrolled in my English program and quickly enrolled in law school.”

CJN: What drew you into practicing law and what did the journey look like?

Goldwasser: My father was a trial lawyer, I enjoyed the action of litigation and enjoyed its competitive nature. I enjoy learning about all types of different things, which is what happens when you’re a litigator. If you have a brain-damaged baby case, you learn about child brain damage. If there is a construction accident, you learn all about construction law, etc.

CJN: What was a major turning point in your career and how did it affect you?

Goldwasser: It started in law school.

I went to school at night and worked throughout. And during law school, I was a claims adjuster investigating truck accidents. My job was to go out in the middle of the night and investigate truck crashes, where people were severely injured. From that, I decided I wanted to represent people who were catastrophically injured.

My first truck accident was actually a car that went under a tractor-trailer and a woman was decapitated. As crazy as it sounds, I found it interesting. My job was to secure the evidence, interview the witnesses and photograph the scene – gathering information lawyers would use later. I really learned about my practice of law from the ground floor up.

CJN: How did you become involved with the No Pain No Gain Foundation?

Goldwasser: In 1985, I was a sophomore in high school and my closest friend died of bone cancer. From that and many years

About Andy

Age: 50 Residence: Solon Family: Wife, Lisa; sons, Zack (18) and Nick (16) Undergraduate: University of Akron (1992) Law school: CSU’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1997) Hobbies: Outdoor activities, especially boating, as he loves Lake Erie

later, we developed a foundation in his honor where we raise money and do direct giving to the cause. That kind of thing sticks with you forever, but good things come from it.

CJN: What role does your Jewish heritage play?

Goldwasser: In my house, Judaism was a sense of community. Not in the proverbial way, but in a very profound way. My mother, in particular, was very active in NCJW. She was president. So, she instilled in us the sense of community that all of us in my family try to pass on to others by helping within the community in general.

CJN: What advice would you give to your younger self ?

Goldwasser: First, have a passion for what you do. Second, have a drive to achieve your goals, and third, don’t be afraid to ask for help from people who know more than you.

Goldwasser said his success goes back to his involvement with his firm and colleagues.

“My success has really been driven from the familial relationship that I have with my law partner and our entire firm,” he said.

“We have a special place at the firm that believes in giving and everyone here has a real passion to help people.”

– Becky Raspe

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “The Frisco Kid” Jewish celebrity: Larry David Jewish food: Potato latkes Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Celebrating Chanukah early every year because we have all of our family in for Thanksgiving. It’s the day after Thanksgiving where we make a big meal.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Daniel Gottesman Ulmer & Berne LLP

F

or Daniel A. Gottesman, the Jewish values of honesty and integrity come to play in his practice of corporate, real estate and health care law.

Gottesman, a partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP in Cleveland, represents private equity funds, family offices, and long-term care investors and providers in structuring, negotiating, documenting, and closing complex real estate acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, leases, and private placements. He assists owners, operators, and managers of skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the United States.

He studied advanced rabbinical

About Daniel

Age: 37 Residence: Beachwood Synagogue: Congregation B’nai Torah Family: Wife, Aliza; children, Aviel (12), Shai (10), Sori (8), Sruly (6), and Tehilla (4) Undergraduate school: Yeshiva University Law school: Fordham University

studies at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary prior to pursuing a J.D. at Fordham University, where he served on the staff of the Fordham Environmental Law Review and was a recipient of the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award.

CJN: How have your Judaic studies contributed to the way you approach your work?

Gottesman: My Judaic studies have contributed to my approach to work

My favorites ...

Favorite Jewish movie: I do not have a favorite Favorite Jewish celebrity: How do you define celebrity Favorite Jewish food: Cholent Favorite Jewish holiday: I don’t play favorites Favorite Jewish tradition: I don’t play favorites

both from an intellectual standpoint as well as a moral/ethical standpoint.

Nothing is quite as intellectually challenging and rewarding as delving into the depths of the Talmud, and I hold myself to an extremely high moral/ ethical standard set by Jewish tradition.

CJN: What kinds of transactions do you most enjoy and why?

Gottesman: I tend to enjoy transactions that involve complex structuring or drafting or that present a unique set of problems that need to be solved, as that is where I believe I can add the most value.

CJN: What skills do you think are most important in terms of being successful in your practice?

Gottesman: A combination of technical skills such as drafting and negotiating, and social skills such as communicating clearly, being responsive and genuine, engendering trust, and the ability to read people and situations.

It is critical to always focus on the objectives of the client and not to allow ego to get in the way.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Gottesman: Without giving away any trade secrets, probably advising my clients as to how to mitigate risk, whether it is the risks that arise prior to closing on a transaction or the risks that can arise following the closing of a transaction.

– Jane Kaufman

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LOCAL LAWYERS

Peter Hardin-Levine Hardin-Levine Co., LLC

P

eter Hardin-Levine considers himself fortunate to have had a “thrilling and diverse” legal career.

Having worked for the federal government litigating cases on behalf of employees who faced discrimination due to their race, religion, sex, age or medical condition, Hardin-Levine later served as a business lawyer for Clevelandheadquartered TRW Inc..

Starting as counsel at the company in 1990, Hardin-Levine had risen to vice president and assistant general counsel by the time he left to join the partnership at Baker & Hostetler LLP in 2002.

Fifteen years ago, he hung his own shingle, starting Hardin-Levine Co. to represent victims of sexual abuse, harassment and workplace discrimination.

Now semi-retired, Hardin-Levine has added authorship to his varied roster.

In 2018, he self-published “Sanctioned,” which he described as “a true-to-life legal thriller addressing some of the most pressing issues of our times.”

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Hardin-Levine: I always fret about my clients, worrying about them getting a fair outcome for their legal issues.

Fortunately, the matters I am handling are not keeping me up at night, but the legal, constitutional, political, and environmental challenges we currently face certainly are.

CJN: What initially drew you to your practice area?

Hardin-Levine: Most of my legal practice consists of representing individuals who are the victims of illegal discrimination. I’m drawn to this area because these issues are so fundamental and vital for employees who have lost their jobs for inappropriate reasons. It’s gratifying to be able to help these folks address illegal discrimination and get a fair resolution for them.

CJN: Were there any other practice areas you considered?

Hardin-Levine: In my career, I have also been a law professor and a business

About Peter

Age: 61 Residence: Chagrin Falls Family: Wife, Carolyn; children, Matthew, Katie, Rachel, Evan and Daniel Undergraduate: Northwestern University Law school: University of Michigan School of Law

lawyer. I have thoroughly enjoyed just about everything I have done as a lawyer. I have found that if you work with wonderful people, it’s a wonderful profession. And when you work with less than wonderful people, it’s not so wonderful. So the trick, as with just about everything, is to surround yourself with the right people.

CJN: What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?

Hardin-Levine: I am also a published author. I love writing, and just completed my first novel, “Sanctioned,” which is available on Amazon, at the Cuyahoga County libraries and at most local bookstores.

CJN: What about your practice do you most enjoy?

Hardin-Levine: My clients.

CJN: What recent changes in law have most effected your clients?

Hardin-Levine: Permitting employers to mandate arbitration to resolve disputes has significantly hindered employees’ ability to get a fair result.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Hardin-Levine: Do the right thing.

Treat others the way you would hope to be treated.

– Skylar Dubelko

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Annie Hall” Jewish celebrity: It’s a tie: Rod Carew, Sandy Koufax and Martin Buber Jewish food: Chicken noodle soup Jewish holiday: Chanukah, of course Jewish tradition: Questioning and discussing rules and practices

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 59

Jill Friedman Helfman Taft/

J

ill Friedman Helfman helps people traverse difficult territory in their personal lives.

“My practice involves helping people navigate from what might arguably be one of the lowest points in their lives to a place that will be their new normal,” said Helfman, co-partner in charge at Taft/. “That new normal often involves a change in their finances, the time they spend with minor children, and a change in their day-to-day routines. I most enjoy teaming up with my clients to find a ‘big picture’ solution that they can realistically embrace, and then feel confident about (and sometimes even look forward to) in the future. By partnering together to find creative solutions they understand and can embrace, clients feel empowered and more confident of their future.”

Her practice focuses on family and divorce law, particularly in high net worth cases. She is certified by the Ohio State Bar Association family law specialty board as a specialist in the field of family law in Ohio and as an arbitrator through the AAML Matrimonial Arbitration Training Institute.

Her experience ranges from analysis and litigation of complex business valuation issues to property division, support and difficult custody matters.

CJN: How are high net worth divorce cases different or more complicated from those where a family’s assets aren’t as broad?

Helfman: For high net worth cases, I liken the divorce lawyer to a transactional lawyer, since the analysis of assets and income is generally more complex than merely addressing equity in a house, retirement account and liquid assets such as in bank accounts. Analysis of the assets in a high net worth case requires a sophisticated analysis, an experienced divorce lawyer and potentially experts such as accountants and business valuation experts on the team. Transactional divorce lawyers are often dealing with valuation of a spouse’s interest in a closely-held business (or businesses), analysis of assets that are

About Jill

Age: 57 Residence: Solon Synagogue: Park Synagogue Family: Husband, Brad; children, Jared, Lindsey and Justin Undergraduate school: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU Law School (1987)

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not ERISA qualified, complex trust and family gifting issues and assets that have not vested (and may never vest).

CJN: What skills do you think are most important in terms of being successful in your practice?

Helfman: A successful divorce lawyer should be, first and foremost, empathetic and a good listener. These two skills are especially important in understanding the client’s goals. In addition, it is helpful to utilize the services of a divorce lawyer who limits his or her practice to this area of law, so that a client is comfortable knowing that his/her attorney knows the law, the likely outcome, and the court personnel.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Helfman: Don’t focus on minutia; instead, think about the big picture. What are you trying to accomplish and what’s the best way to get there? Think about where you want to be.

CJN: You were named a Cleveland Jewish News 18 Difference Maker in 2015. How does Judaism inform your practice?

Helfman: No matter how difficult a case (or even opposing counsel) may be, be kind.

– Jane Kaufman

2019

55 Public Square • Suite 1200 • Cleveland, OH 44113

216-861-0111 kleincarneylaw@gmail.com

www.kleinandcarney.com

David Steiger My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Fiddler on the Roof” Jewish food: Kugel – yum!

Jewish tradition: Dancing the hora at bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings

David Steiger has had the privilege of representing injured people throughout Ohio for over 27 years. His focus is on helping the injured with their personal injury and workers’ compensation claims. David’s ultimate goal with every client is to level the playing field against insurance companies, employers, and the State of Ohio. David’s client base is cultivated mostly through word of mouth from satisfied clients, referring attorneys and treating physicians. His clients, his peers and the doctors trust that David will do everything he can to help his clients. David has also been selected by his peers as a Super Lawyer for the past six years. A Super Lawyer is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

East Side Location ETON Tower • 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 250 Beachwood, OH 44122 Phone: (216) 696-3515

Downtown Location 2344 Canal Road, Cleveland, OH 44113 Phone: (216) 696-3515

Life • •Estate Planning LifeCare CarePlanning Planning• •Elder ElderLaw LawEstate Estate Planning Planning The difference Medicaid • Medicare • VA Benefits Medicaid • Medicare Benefits is care.

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May all of our clients and their families be inscribed for a sweet and healthy new year.

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We protect more than We protect more than We protect more than Rachel Kabb-Effron 216.991.5222 (KABB) Certified Elder your loved one’s assets, we your loved one’s assets, we your loved one’s assets, we Law Specialist www.kabblaw.com protect their dignity. protect their dignity. protect their dignity.

The difference is care.

Rachel Kabb-Effron Certified Elder Law Specialist

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Achieving Solutions for Families in Transition Experience, Reliability, Compassion

Family Law, Custody, Support, Guardianship, Adoption 25700 Science Park Drive, Suite 160 Beachwood, OH 44122-7317

David Hopkins

216.991.5222 (KABB) www.kabblaw.com Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Life Care Planning • Elder Law • Estate Planning Medicaid • Medicare • VA Benefits

Ellen S. Mandell, Esq.

LOCAL LAWYERS

JANUARY 31, 2020

(216)771-7080

www.ESM-LAW.com esmandell@earthlink.net

H

ahn Loeser & Parks LLP associate David Hopkins handles civil litigation matters for financial institutions and other corporate clients in the technology and food production industries. He often defends clients against claims involving breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, negligence, securities actions and other business torts.

The attorney is also active in pro bono work and volunteers with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.

Hopkins did not always plan on attending law school, however, and said early on he imagined himself becoming a physician.

“When I was younger, I was almost certain I wanted to be a physician,” Hopkins said. “As I got older, I discovered that I loved rhetoric and argumentation. Soon after that, I changed the course of my education and career entirely.”

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Hopkins: Any matters that have pressing legal issues involving my clients keep me up at night as those issues come to a head. Specifically, legal matters involving contract deadlines keep me up at night as it is incredibly important to make sure that our clients stay compliant with all of their contractual obligations.

CJN: What drew you to litigation?

Hopkins: I have always enjoyed using persuasive arguments to help people. The fact that words on a piece of paper can persuade judges in cases involving millions of dollars or substantial individual rights has always fascinated me. I am incredibly lucky that I have an opportunity to be paid for it.

CJN: What about your practice do you most enjoy?

Hopkins: I enjoy being able to solve difficult problems in order to make sure that my clients can sleep easier at night.

Litigation can be incredibly taxing on clients, and we are always here to make

The difference isiscare.

The difference care.

The difference is care.

Rachel Kabb-Effron 216.991.5222 (KABB) Rachel Kabb-Effron 216.991.5222 (KABB) Rachel Kabb-Effron (KABB) Vorys, Sater, Seymour 216.991.5222 and Pease LLP is an AmLaw 200 industry leading full-service Certified Elder Law Specialist www.kabblaw.com Certified Elder Law Specialist www.kabblaw.com Certified Elder Law Specialist www.kabblaw.com corporate law firm that provides business and legal counsel to sophisticated public and private companies, public and private universities, large health care systems, and non-profit companies during all stages of company lifecycle.

To learn more about our firm’s capabilities, please contact Bryan J. Farkas at bjfarkas@vorys.com

About David

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease llp 200 Public Square | Suite 1400 Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2327 Bryan J. Farkas | bjfarkas@vorys.com | 216.479.6156

Age: 29 Residence: University Heights Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah Family: Wife, Erin Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: University of Michigan Law School

sure that the process is as painless as possible.

CJN: What recent changes in law have most affected your clients?

Hopkins: Certain changes to the rules of civil procedure have affected the ability of our clients to have the last word on some of their most pressing motions. Specifically, a party that files a motion now has the right to file a reply brief in support of that motion even after the opposing party files a brief against that motion. That used to vary from court to court in Ohio, so this is a major change that can affect the course of a case significantly.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Hopkins: Make sure you are telling us everything. If you do not think it is important, it is better for us to make sure now than to find out it was important later.

– Skylar Dubelko

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Eight Crazy Nights” Jewish celebrity: Jon Stewart Jewish food: Latkes Jewish holiday: Purim Jewish tradition: Eating apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah

SUPER ATTORNEYS

Matthew F. Kadish Frantz Ward LLP

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 61

JANUARY 31, 2020

Reducing Real Property Tax Assessments Reducing Real Property Tax Throughout Ohio And Across The United Assessments Throughout Ohio AndState

Across The United States

JANE KAUFMAN | STAFF REPORTER @jkaufmanCJN jkaufman@cjn.org |

A

s a tax attorney, Matthew F. Kadish often advises his clients to plan carefully.

He said his most frequently given piece of advice is this: “Never plan based on ‘who’s going to catch me.’ Plan to your best advantage, but only do things that will look good when the lights come on (and not just in the dark or shadows).”

Kadish’s practice covers tax-related areas, including estate planning and business succession, foreign bank account reporting and related issues, entity taxation, exempt organizations, and representation of clients before the IRS and U.S. Tax Court.

The partner at Frantz Ward LLP in Cleveland is a fellow of both the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the American College of Tax Counsel.

CJN: What about tax practice do you most enjoy?

Kadish: I like getting paid to think, but the best part of my job is listening and understanding my clients real issues and goals, then helping to advise them to protect their family’s financial future and minimize future family discord.

CJN: What recent changes in tax law have most affected your clients?

Kadish: The increase in the estate and gift tax exemption has allowed many clients to focus more on their family and philanthropic goals, and less on tax-based gymnastics. The elimination of itemized deductions is also a big deal, but it may be years before we see how much it really affects behavior.

CJN: What skills do you think are most important in terms of being successful in your practice?

Kadish: A good tax and estate planning attorney needs a combination of technical knowledge, common sense, empathy, and the ability to communicate clearly.

Also something I learned from my time practicing in Hawaii and living overseas – it also helps not to assume what anyone does (or doesn’t) know or understand, especially not based on outward appearances. In Honolulu, a person wearing a rumpled aloha shirt could be poor, or could be a billionaire. In France, despite being

Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co., LPA

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Each client is directly represented at all levels by a principal of the firm with a combined 75 years of experience. No pyramid, no associates, no on-the-job training.

Our clients deserve the very best representation, so we structured our firm to allow each client, throughout the entire process, to work directly with Messrs. SLEGGS, relatively fluent, I was the one who spokeDANZINGER and/or GILL. Our philosophy is to work cooperatively with school district and County officials to ensure that our clients pay the lowest possible real property tax with a foreign accent. Whether it’s gender, minorities, national background or otherobligations. If a fair resolution requires litigation, SLEGGS, DANZINGER & GILL have religious perspectives, don’t make unfair the depth of trial and appellate experience to handle the most complex valuation issues.

assumptions about people. You don’t like it if someone does a shortcut evaluation of Whether the valuation relates to large industrial plants, apartments, shopping you; others won’t either. centers, warehouses, office buildings, vacant land or any other type of commercial CJN: What advice do you have for property, the faces above will ensure that you receive the best counsel, legal advice young attorneys trying to succeed in and litigation expertise. your field?

Kadish: Many years ago, I taught Todd W. Sleggs, Esq. Robert K. Danzinger, Esq. Steven R. Gill, Esq. swimming at a summer camp. I had Each client is directly represented at all levels by a principal of the firm with a combined 75 years of experience. No pyrami tsleggs@sdglegal.net rdanzinger@sdglegal.net sgill@sdglegal.net associates, beginning students swimming laps in the no on-the-job training. shallow “kiddie pool” who were Our afraid clients deserve the very best representation, structured our firm at to allow each by client, throughout the entire process, to Each client so is we directly represented all levels to move to the deep end. I explained the with Messrs. SLEGGS, DANZINGER and/or GILL. Our philosophy is to work cooperatively with school district and County offici directly principal of the firm with a combined 75 years ensure that real property tax obligations. If a fair resolution requires litigation, SLEGGS, DANZING trick – always swim on the top. That way it our clients pay the lowestapossible of experience. pyramid, no associates, no on-issues.

GILLtalent have the depth of trial and appellate experience toNo handle the most complex valuation doesn’t matter how deep it is. While training.

(216) and personality varies and is important, Whether the valuation relates to largethe-job industrial plants,771-8990 apartments, shopping centers, warehouses, office buildings, vacant land or the most controllable difference other between type of commercial property, the faces above will ensure that you receive the best counsel, legal advice and litigation expertis sdglegal.net average and excellent is effort. Just Our clients deserve the very best representation, so we Todd W. Sleggs, Esq. Robert K. Danzinger, Esq. Steven R. Gill, Esq. showing up counts, but won’t make your structured our rdanzinger@sdglegal.net firm to allow each client, throughout the tsleggs@sdglegal.net sgill@sdglegal.net job satisfying. Always look for new things entire process, to work directly with Messrs. SLEGGS, to learn and master. Depending on your DANZINGER and/or(216) GILL. 771-8990 Our philosophy is to work skill set, writing or speaking is a good sdglegal.net Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill cooperatively with school district and County officials way to force yourself to master something Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill Member Firm to ensure that our clients pay the lowest possible 820 Westreal Superior Ave. new, and helps others get to know you to 820 West Superior Ave. property tax obligations. If a fair resolution requires see whether they’d like to see more. Find Seventh Floor Seventh Floor mentors, and listen to and value their advice. litigation, SLEGGS, DANZINGER & GILL haveCleveland, the depth OH 44113 Cleveland, OH 44113 And whenever possible, do the right thing. of trial and appellate experience to handle the most It’s not complicated. It may not be easy, but complex valuation issues. over time, it pays back more than you can imagine.

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No pyramid, associates,office no on-the-job training. apartments, shopping centers, no warehouses, buildings, vacant land or any other type of commercial

About Matthew

Age: 57 Residence: Hudson Family: Wife, Barbara; children, Melissa and Zachary Undergraduate school: Williams College Law school: CWRU School of Law (JD); NYU (LL.M., Taxation)

Our clients deserve the verythe best representation, weyou structured our firm to allow property, faces above will ensuresothat receive My favorites ... the best counsel, legal advice and litigation expertise. each client, throughout the entire process, to work directly with Messrs. SLEGGS, Favorite Jewish movie: “Cabaret” Favorite Jewish celebrity: Paul Simon DANZINGER and/or GILL. Our philosophy is to work cooperatively with school district Favorite Jewish food: Lox (Nova) Todd W. Sleggs, Esq. Robert K. Danzinger, Esq. Steven R. Gill, Esq. to ensure that our clients pay the lowest possible real property tax Favorite Jewish holiday: Yom Kippur and County officials tsleggs@sdglegal.net rdanzinger@sdglegal.net sgill@sdglegal.net Favorite Jewish tradition: Anonymousobligations. If a fair resolution requires litigation, SLEGGS, DANZINGER & GILL have Member Firm Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill philanthropy (216) 771-8990 West Superior Ave. the depth of trial and appellate experience to handle the most 820 complex valuation issues. sdglegal.net

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Whether the valuation relates to large industrial plants, apartments, shopping

62 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

LOCAL LAWYERS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Doron M. Kalir

Donald H. Messinger

A

D

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Thompson Hine LLP fter growing up in Israel and serving in the Israel Defense Forces, Doron M. Kalir left the service wanting to study law.

Now a clinical professor of law at Cleveland State University’s ClevelandMarshall College of Law, Kalir focuses on a wide array of practice areas from Jewish law to LGBTQ rights. But his journey always loops back to influential experiences while starting out.

“On my first day at Hebrew University, I took a class with professor Gabriela Shalev (later Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N.) and I immediately knew I was in the right place,” he recalled. “The intellectual feast was simply too temping to resist.

After graduating, I clerked for then-judge (later Supreme Court of Israel’s chief justice) Miriam Naor, and that sealed the deal.”

CJN: Why did you decide to practice so many areas of law?

Kalir: The LGBTQ fight to gain equal rights is the civil rights struggle of our time. After recognizing that same-sex intimacy is not a criminal violation, the Supreme Court gradually began recognizing several of those rights, culminating with the right to marry.

But the fight still remains. In Ohio, today – January 2020 – a gay person may show his colleagues pictures from his constitutionally protected wedding ceremony, only to be fired minutes later for that reason alone. That is simply incomprehensible to me.

CJN: Why is educating the community important to you?

Kalir: I loved teaching from the first day of law school. I adored – and now try to emulate – many of my own law professors.

While the saying goes, “if you can’t practice, teach,” I do believe that the most important

About Doron

Age: Would not reveal Residence: Pepper Pike Synagogue: Teaches monthly Shi’ur class on portion of the week at B’nai Jeshurun Congregation, and attends Congregation Shaarey Tikvah Family: Partner, Shiri Katz; children, Gabi (13) and Michael (10) Undergraduate: Not really, in Israel, where I was born and raised, you serve in the military between ages 18 to 21.

Law school: Hebrew University; Columbia Law School Hobbies: Playing sports with the boys, including tennis, pingpong, basketball, yoga, rock climbing and all things mountain

onald Messinger, a partner with Thompson Hine LLP in Cleveland specializing in corporate and business law, considers the fact he’s still with the same firm he started with in 1968 his greatest accomplishment. He’s provided counsel and represented numerous publicly and privately owned businesses, and handled mergers and acquisitions, public offerings and securities, and finance. He’s also leveraged buyouts and represented nonprofits, but said the greatest skill he’s learned is listening.

“As a lawyer, you have to listen to your clients and understand what they’re all about,” Messinger noted. “Everybody has a story, and it helps to be sensitive to what their motivations are, what their objectives are and so on. A lot of lawyers like to quote cases and use Latin names for this-that-and-the-other, and that goes in one ear and out the other. You need to speak the language of the people you’re working with and listen to them.”

task we have, as adults, as Clevelanders, and as educators is to prepare the next generation. And by the next generation, I do not only mean jurists. ... When I teach class today, I never know if I am talking to the next Carl Stokes, Ohio chief justice or leading social advocate. It’s truly humbling.

Kalir said all of his work is inspired by a simple guiding philosophy: be kind to others and yourself.

“Over the years, I’ve come to realize that criticizing my students, as well as my sons, is important, but praising them is yet much more important,” he said. “The same is true for friends, colleagues and loved ones. Indeed, all positive feedback is way more beneficial, instructive and efficient than criticism. ... Thus, I never try to spare kind words from others. And the same is true for one’s self. ... Be kind to yourself – you are the first line of defense, always.”

– Becky Raspe

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “When Harry Met Sally” Jewish celebrity: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Jewish food: Hummus, although here I intentionally conflate “Jewish” and “Israeli.” I can survive on a lonely island on hummus alone.

Jewish holiday: While Sukkot, Purim and Passover are serious candidates, Chanukah takes the cake Jewish tradition: In Israel, the voluntary non-driving on Yom Kippur.

It was always amazing to me, as a young child, to ‘own’ the streets and highways for a day with our bikes and skateboards. We were free to roam without a car in sight.

CJN: What inspired you to enter law?

Messinger: I dated a young lady during college and we had similar jobs in Washington, and, as one tends to do, we talked about our goals and aspirations. Being in Washington, you’re around lawyers and the political scene, so she encouraged I take the LSAT and Graduate Record Exam. I scored well in both. I figured I knew what graduate school would be like in history, but law school would be a different experience, so if I didn’t like it, I could always fall back on graduate school. But from day one, I really did enjoy law school. I enjoyed the challenge and the method of teaching. That young lady’s idea was so good that I married her – she is my wife, Sally.

CJN: Why did you want to focus on corporate/business?

Messinger: At that time at Thompson Hine in 1968, newly minted lawyers tried a number of different areas of practice, because the LSATs tended to be general back then. So I was in a pool and was fortunate to work on some major corporate transactions, really starting – fortunately – day one, and I enjoyed it. I liked being a strategic thinker, and I’d written all kinds of practice, but I had some affinity for

About Donald

Age: 75 Residence: Shaker Heights Family: Wife, Sally; children, David, Rob and Dan Undergraduate: Colgate University Law school: Duke Law School

this type of work. My personality is one where I enjoy developing longer term relationships, and I found that my skills and interests aligned with helping for-profit and nonprofit organizations achieve their objectives.

CJN: What Jewish values do you use in your work?

Messinger: I’m reliable, meaning I do what I say I’ll do; I’m honest, meaning I don’t deceive or cheat; and I’m respectful, meaning I treat others with respect.

CJN: What is a memorable moment from work?

Messinger: In the mid-1980s, I led a team that enabled a startup client to acquire a closed steel mill in Cleveland, resulting in the creation of hundreds of new, well-paying jobs.

CJN: When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing?

Messinger: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

– McKenna Corson

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Schindler’s List” Jewish celebrity: Jerry Seinfeld Jewish food: Matzah ball soup (as made by my wife) Jewish holiday: Yom Kippur Jewish tradition: Tzedakah

SUPER ATTORNEYS

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 63

JANUARY 31, 2020

Steven Nobil

Fisher Phillips, LLP

B

eyond his duties as regional managing partner of Fisher Phillips’ Cleveland office, Steven Nobil devotes his practice to representing public and private sector employers in the manufacturing, retail, logistics, higher education, sports, municipalities, health care and service industries in all areas of traditional labor law.

Nobil has served as chief negotiator for employers in hundreds of collective bargaining agreements involving bargaining units of five to more than 10,000 employees. He has also had success representing unionized employers in strikes, arbitrations, contract administration, acquisitions and downsizing, mergers, as well as plant closures and relocations, reductions in force, independent contractors and joint employer issues and related litigation.

“Achieving outstanding results for any client will make any day of mine better,” Nobil said. “Especially when they have taken my advice even though they disagreed with it.”

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Nobil: Legal matters don’t keep me up at night. However, trying to create innovative strategies to accomplish a client’s objective without violating the law can cause me restless nights.

CJN: What would you do if you weren’t a lawyer?

Nobil: Having played college football and attending all Cleveland Browns’ home games, both college and professional football have been my overriding passion. If not an attorney, I would love to be a college or a professional football coach ... or better yet, the general manager of the Cleveland Browns. In fact, ever since 1979, I have been “on the clock” with the Browns during every NFL Draft and

About Steven

Age: 72 Residence: Aurora Synagogue: Temple Beth Shalom Family: Wife, Laura, and children, Lori Parrino, Amy Nobil, Jeff Degyansky and Jodi Degyansky Undergraduate: Baldwin Wallace University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1972)

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love to compare the choices I have made versus the choices they have made.

CJN: What recent changes in law have most affected your clients?

Nobil: The recent changes to the overtime exemptions under the Fair Labors Standards Act has caused almost every one of my clients to reassess who is exempt from being paid overtime and how many salaried (verses hourly) employees they want to employ.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Nobil: I’d suggest we conduct a thorough investigation before you take that action. Otherwise your legal expenses may be a pittance of the ultimate cost you’ll pay for doing that.

– Skylar Dubelko

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My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Fiddler on the Roof” is a close second to “Schindler’s List.”

Jewish celebrity: Billy Crystal is a close second to Adam Sandler.

Jewish food: Lox, bagel, cream cheese, tomato and onion right after I polish off a bowl of kneidel soup.

Jewish holiday: The High Holy Days because they give me perspective and time to reflect on all aspects of my life.

Jewish tradition: Lighting the candles at Chanukah and eating the traditional foods with family and friends. We love to share our traditions with different faiths.

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RICK D. SONKIN SONKIN & KOBERNA, LLC 3401 Enterprise Parkway Suite 400 Cleveland, OH 44122 Tel: 216-514-8300 Fax: 216-514-4467 Rsonkin@sklawllc.com www.sklawllc.com REAL ESTATE

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.

JANUARY 31, 2020

LOCAL LAWYERS

Abbie R. Pappas

Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA

A

bbie R. Pappas loves many facets of her job as an associate attorney at Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA, where she specializes in trusts and estates. She has experience in both domestic and international tax and estate planning, is licensed to practice law in Ohio and New York, and is also a member of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland.

And unless Pappas could convince someone to pay her to become a movie critic, she said being an attorney in her field is a dream come true.

CJN: What did you want to be when you grew up? Why? Pappas: A movie critic. I could watch movies all day every day.

CJN: What inspired you to enter law?

Pappas: I realized that there isn’t really a market for movie critics. I also thought law school would be extremely interesting, and I was right – that was probably my favorite three years of my life.

CJN: Why did you want to focus on estate planning and administration of trusts and estates?

Pappas: It’s a great combination of law and personal family counseling – you really get to know your clients as individuals.

CJN: What Jewish values do you use in your work?

Pappas: Giving tzedakah – one of the things I like most about estate planning is helping others find the best ways to meet their charitable goals.

CJN: What do you enjoy most and least about your job?

Pappas: Most: Meeting with clients, but also getting “quiet time” to myself when I’m drafting their estate planning documents. Least: Billable hours.

CJN: What mistakes do you most frequently see your clients make?

Pappas: Thinking that they can do estate plans themselves online or by using software. “DIY” estate planning is a terrible idea – you don’t know what you don’t know, and the software or

About Abbie

Age: 31 Residence: Beachwood Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue and Cleveland Partnership Minyan Family: Husband, Jeremy; children, Yoni (3) Undergraduate: OSU Law school: Columbia Law School

online forms don’t take into account your family’s particular needs or goals.

You need to engage a professional to help you.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Pappas: Don’t be penny wise but pound foolish. You’ll spend less money engaging a lawyer to do things right at the outset than you will having them fix problems later on.

CJN: How do you use your knowledge as a lawyer outside of work?

Pappas: I use my organizational skills, interpersonal skills and attention to detail in my capacity as a lay leader at various Jewish organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

CJN: If you could take a threemonth sabbatical from work, how would you spend it?

Pappas: Living in Jerusalem.

– McKenna Corson

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Inglourious Basterds” Jewish celebrity: Ina Garten Jewish food: Lox Jewish holiday: Pesach Jewish tradition: Shabbos naps

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Jamie Price

Walter Haverfield LLP

A

s a trial lawyer at Walter Haverfield LLP in Cleveland, Jamie Price represents clients in situations from business disputes to trust and estate litigation.

Though her work can be complex, Price said her inspiration to become a lawyer was simple: she wanted to help others.

“But, I was unsure whether I wanted to be a lawyer or go into the medical/scientific field like my dad,” Price recalled. “It wasn’t until college, after taking sociology and political science courses and volunteering with a social justice nonprofit that I realized that I could best help others and live out my passion by becoming a lawyer.”

Price is also involved with the Anti-Defamation League and the Cleveland

About Jamie

Age: 35 Residence: Shaker Heights Undergraduate: Northwestern University (2005) Law school: CWRU School of Law (2008) Hobbies: Traveling, running, music, cooking and baking

Metropolitan Bar Association’s Ethics and Professionalism committee.

CJN: What drew you to trial and litigation law?

Price: I was drawn to litigation and becoming a trial lawyer because going to trial can be the best way to help clients and vindicate those who are wrongly accused.

I also enjoy being in the courtroom and having to think on my feet.

CJN: How did you get involved with the ADL?

My favorites ...

Jewish TV show: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Jewish celebrity: Jon Stewart Jewish food: Bagels Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Making hamentaschen with mom

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 65 Price: I have always been passionate about social justice, particularly working to combat bias and bigotry. This is in large part due to the values instilled in me by my parents and growing up in a very small Jewish community in Alabama where I saw so many instances of anti-Semitism and racism.

After moving to Cleveland for law school, I decided I wanted to get involved with a social justice-related nonprofit that not only provided educational programming to help combat racism and anti-Semitism, but also worked in the civil rights arena. ADL fit, and continues to fit, perfectly.

CJN: How do you use your law and professional skills with the bar association’s ethics and professionalism committee?

Price: I spent years defending lawyers in legal malpractice lawsuits and in grievance proceedings. I saw firsthand the importance of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct that governs lawyers’ behavior and how detrimental one mistake or violation could have on a career. I therefore decided to get involved with the committee to help educate other attorneys on the importance of the rules and provide practical insight into how they apply.

CJN: Where does Judaism fit in?

What role does it play?

Price: The basic tenets and values of Judaism, particularly tikkun olam and treating others (how) you want to be

treated, shape how I try to live my life, both personally and professionally. It also provides me with a sense of community and tradition.

Along with her busy schedule both in and out of the courtroom, Price said both professional and volunteer activities help her be more rounded.

“I believe it is important to live a healthy and balanced life,” she explained. “While I enjoy my work as a lawyer, I have many other interests that I want to pursue. I also value spending time with friends and family. Additionally, taking time for myself, whether to volunteer, exercise, or see friends and family, allows me to be better and more focused in my career.”

– Becky Raspe

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JANUARY 31, 2020

LOCAL LAWYERS

Julie Rabin

Rabin & Rabin Co., LPA

G

raduating college with a journalism degree, Julie Rabin had every intention of being a journalist. But, after holding an internship at a small newspaper in Binghamton, N.Y., she decided it wasn’t where she wanted to be. That was when she turned her eyes to law.

Howard D. Mishkind, Esq.

David A. Kulwicki, Esq.

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Wishing you peace, prosperity and good health in the New Year!

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Now a partner at Rabin & Rabin Co., LPA in Cleveland, Rabin practices bankruptcy law. She is also a member of local and statewide bar associations and is a lecturer for the Ohio State Bar Association’s bankruptcy seminars. But, deciding to focus in this area was a choice that evolved, she said.

“I started my career at a large law firm that needed help in the commercial bankruptcy area,” she remembered. “Once I had my first child, I joined my mother who had gone to law school later in life, worked at a firm doing consumer bankruptcy and then opened her own office. It was a good firm. I worked part time until my children were in school.”

CJN: Why is bankruptcy law an important part of the community?

Rabin: Financial difficulties cut across all segments of society, including the Jewish community, with devastating effects.

Bankruptcy allows for a financial fresh start, a way for someone to begin to rebuild his or her life in a relatively short period.

The results can be dramatic.

CJN: What about your job makes you a good advocate for your clients?

Rabin: At this point, I’m realistic and not afraid to tell clients when their goals are not realistic. I have lots of favorite things, one of which is interacting and finding common ground with people from all walks of life with all sorts of life experiences. Our country is truly a melting pot. Another is doing pro bono bankruptcies on behalf of the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Many people don’t have a safety net and need a helping hand.

CJN: What would you consider a major turning point in your career?

How did that shape the lawyer you are today?

About Julie

Age: 63 Residence: Pepper Pike Synagogues: Solon Chabad and Cleveland Partnership Minyan Family: Husband, Joel; children, Josh and Sam Undergraduate school: Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism Law school: NYU School of Law (1981) Hobbies: Studying Hebrew. I love the Hebrew language and the fact that the language of Tanach is still in use today, albeit in a somewhat different form. Also playing the piano.

Rabin: No one particular thing. I graduated from law school in 1981. I note the great strides that women have made in the profession since then and how my viewpoint of family and career has changed over time.

I now think that you can have it all but that you cannot have it all at once.

CJN: What role does your relationship to Judaism play in your work?

Rabin: Judaism’s ethical underpinnings inform my sense of social justice. I’m proud to be Jewish and of my heritage, traditions and customs.

As she continues on in her professional journey, Rabin said she hopes to leave a legacy for both her professional and personal life.

“Professionally, I have always worked to help my clients obtain a financial fresh start,” she said. “I hope my legacy is that my clients – and at this point, there are many of them – are better off having worked with me. Personally, my legacy is my children.

They are, of course, the best legacy one can have. I have tried to be present when needed but to allow them to chart their course.”

– Becky Raspe

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Fiddler on the Roof” Jewish celebrity: Bette Midler Jewish food: Chicken soup with matzah balls made from whole matzahs, according to my mother-in-law’s recipe, passed down from her mother who escaped Nazi Germany in 1939 Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Passover seder. “We have hosted the second seder for many years and the extended family looks forward to it.”

SUPER ATTORNEYS

Julia German Radefeld McDonald Hopkins LLP

For Julia German Radefeld, there was no straight line to law school.

Prior to pursuing a career in intellectual property law at McDonald Hopkins LLP in Cleveland, she worked as a metallurgical engineer at The Timken Co. and The TimkenSteel Corp. Her roles included application development, failure analysis, quality, and advanced product and process development with a focus on automotive applications.

Radefeld earned her J.D. from The University of Akron with a certificate in Intellectual Property and the CALI Excellence Award for business planning law.

CJN: How does an engineer become a lawyer?

Radefeld: I think it’s every engineer’s

About Julia

Age: 31 Residence: Hudson Synagogue: Temple Beth Shalom Family: Husband, Doug; children, Gwen (5), Oscar (3) Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: The University of Akron School of Law (2017)

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 67

JANUARY 31, 2020

dream to attend law school after completing an engineering degree. In all seriousness, law school was never on my radar. I knew very little about intellectual property (IP) law prior to working as an engineer. My introduction to IP law occurred when I met the Timken Co. in-house IP attorney while I was researching a new steel grade. He had a great sales pitch for law school, and I was fascinated by his role within the company.

A huge attraction for me was the ability to work with inventors and businesses across a wide variety of technical fields. I spent my first two years of college in the biomedical engineering department, switched to the materials science department, worked for a liquid crystal company, then worked

My favorites ...

Favorite Jewish show: “Schitt’s Creek” Favorite Jewish celebrity: Paul Rudd Favorite Jewish food: Rye bagel with lox Favorite Jewish holiday: Tu b’Shevat Favorite Jewish tradition: Eating in a sukkah during Sukkot

in the steel industry where I focused on metallurgy. As much as I enjoyed my job, I wanted to be involved in a wide range of emerging technologies as well as the transactional side of business. Plus, steel toe boots just weren’t my thing.

CJN: Are there synergies in your current and past work that help you in your current practice?

Radefeld: Absolutely. Working in a manufacturing environment provided me with a lot of insight about how an idea becomes a product and the wide range of legal issues that arise in manufacturing a product, including licensing, trade secret information and confidentiality, patentable material, and contract negotiation. Further, the ability to understand engineering drawings has been very advantageous when collaborating with inventors to establish what they wish to protect.

CJN: How well does law keep up with changing technology?

Radefeld: Our judicial system struggles to maintain consistency when it comes to patent eligibility (i.e. what is “worthy” of receiving patent protection). The U.S. Code states that any useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof is patent eligible. While that sounds simple, and typically is for a straight-forward mechanical or tangible invention, it gets tricky when the invention is more “abstract” in nature. Not surprisingly, many

patent applications today incorporate some form of artificial intelligence or software component. The courts are not clear regarding what is considered an “abstract idea”, but are clear that abstract ideas are not eligible for patent protection.

CJN: What is your most commonly offered piece of advice to your clients?

Radefeld: Talk to an IP lawyer before investing in your idea. You don’t want to become financially and emotionally attached to your business idea before realizing that your brand name is already in use and thus not eligible for trademark protection, that you are statutorily barred from receiving patent protection because of your prior public disclosure, or that you are infringing another person’s IP. – Jane Kaufman

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68 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

Jonathan A. Rich

Niki Schaefer

J

I

Zashin & Rich Co., L.P.A. onathan A. Rich followed his father’s footsteps into the practice of family law.

“My father and his firm had a busy family law practice so that is the work that I fell into,” Rich said of his father, Lawrence Rich, who also practices with the firm.

A partner at Zashin & Rich Co., L.P.A, in Cleveland, he has represented clients in state and federal courts regarding international child custody matters implicating the 1980 Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Enforcement Act. He has done trial work and appeal work regarding financial misconduct, spousal support and child support for high income persons, child custody, separate versus marital property division issues, business valuation, prenuptial agreements, and division of retirement benefits.

He joined Zashin & Rich in 1993. Prior to becoming an attorney, he managed residential and industrial real estate.

CJN: How does the current legal climate affect child custody cases?

Rich: Although the law has been that parents start out on equal footing when they approach a court to determine child custody issues, the courts have more recently actually started to implement the law when it comes to allocating parenting time and parental rights. More judges are now approaching cases with the attitude that parents should have a shared parenting plan with equal decision making and, depending upon the age of the children, allocate parenting equally. In addition, many courts are relying upon guidelines published by the Supreme Court regarding the allocation of parenting time. The guidelines contain a rubric of criteria that should lead to a particular outcome when determining the allocation of parenting time. For example, the allocation of time is less equal for very young children and equal for older children if criteria are met such as distance between the parents’ homes and whether each parent is equally involved in their child’s life.

CJN: What kind of outcomes give you the most satisfaction as a lawyer?

About Jonathan Age: 53 Residence: Solon Synagogue: Park

Synagogue Family: Wife, Mindy, and children, Whitney, Douglas, Samantha and Harrison Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland Marshall College of Law

LOCAL LAWYERS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Eaton Corporation n an alternate reality, Niki Schaefer said she might own a clothing and accessory boutique. In this one, she serves as electrical sector and litigation counsel at Eaton Corporation.

Noting the global power management company in Beachwood is divided into two sectors, electrical and industrial, Schaefer said her electrical sector designs, manufactures and sells products and services involving power generation, transmission and distribution process to make sure they are reliable, efficient and safe.

“In other words,” Schaefer explained, “we make and do things that help keep the lights on, run buildings and power neighborhoods.”

Or how do you measure your success?

Rich: A good settlement is the best outcome and the best measure of success.

Settlement is usually better than a trial because the parties have control over the outcome. We can be much more creative than a court can be.

CJN: What is the most common mistake your divorce clients make?

Rich: Some clients underestimate the complexity of the matter. Many times they will see the divorce as a simple matter and have in mind how it should be resolved. But, their spouse may have completely different goals that prevent a quick resolution. Often, this leads to frustration with the process.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Rich: To take my advice. I know it is the client’s spouse and the client’s life, but frequently I know best how to approach the situation. Whether that means what to offer, when to settle, I am usually right.

CJN: What do you least like about dealing with other lawyers?

Rich: Some lawyers take actions performed in the scope of representation of a client personally and cannot separate our roles as advocates for a client. It is very difficult to accomplish a settlement when an attorney places that impediment in the working relationship.

– Jane Kaufman

My favorites ...

Favorite Jewish movie: “Blazings Saddles” Favorite Jewish celebrity: Adam Sandler Favorite Jewish food: Lox Favorite Jewish holiday: Chanukah Favorite Jewish tradition: Celebrating with family

CJN: Have the legal challenges of the business evolved since you arrived?

Schaefer: I think legal challenges are always evolving, and my past (four and a half) years at Eaton have been no exception. The complexity of e-discovery and the demands that places on corporations certainly affect my job, as well as the importance of cybersecurity from a legal perspective.

The nature of the relationship between outside counsel and in-house counsel is another important recent evolution, as we have strategically whittled down the number of firms we engage to create stronger partnerships and track our use of outside counsel in a much more rigorous way.

CJN: Do you have any pet peeves regarding outside counsel?

Schaefer: I get very frustrated when outside counsel just hands me a list of options I could pursue in a given situation without weighing in on the best one. I want that list of my options ... and then I want to know the option you would choose if you were in my shoes and why – that’s why I’m paying you.

CJN: Are there any legal matters keeping you up at night?

Schaefer: I have tried very hard in

About Niki

Age: 39 Residence: Chagrin Falls Synagogue: The TempleTifereth Israel Family: Husband, Brian; children, Noah Harvey (10) and Lane Willa (8) Undergraduate: Cornell University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2005)

the last year not to let anything work related keep me up at night. I am the daughter of a general surgeon, and when peoples’ lives are in your hands, I can see how it would be impossible to let that go at night. But I’m not saving lives for the most part (unless it is a safety related issue, which is rare) so I try to maintain the perspective that work belongs at work. I have children to raise and family and friends to love and a community to get involved in – that’s what should keep me up at night, if anything.

CJN: What about your practice do you most enjoy?

Schaefer: I love that people come to me to help solve problems they can’t solve themselves. Many of them are legal problems, but many are also business or personal issues that people are having difficulty working through, and I love being looked at as a problem solver.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Schaefer: Don’t speculate. Stick to the facts you know.

– Skylar Dubelko

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Schindler’s List” Jewish celebrity: My husband said I should put Jesus (the OG Jew), but I think it is Ruth Bader Ginsburg – she counts as a celebrity now, right? She’s a brilliant and strong lawyer, and she went to Cornell like me (we were even in the same sorority).

Jewish holiday: Yom Kippur, only because break fast is my favorite meal next to Thanksgiving dinner.

Jewish food: Everything served at breakfast Jewish tradition: My innate ability to “Jewish mother” everyone in my life

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Michael Solomon

SOLOMON, STEINER & PECK, LTD

M

ichael L. Solomon, managing member in the law firm of Solomon, Steiner & Peck, Ltd.,says he enjoys solving problems.

His field of expertise includes estate planning, corporate and business law, tax law, and employee benefits.

“I enjoy dealing with a variety of people and trying to solve their problems,” said Solomon. “A significant portion of my practice deals mostly with individuals who own their own businesses. There are always interesting issues that pop up with these sorts of clients. The issues might involve selling the business and negotiating the best deal and tax consequences or how to transfer the business to the next generation of family

About Michael

Age: 68 Residence: Beachwood Family: Wife, Margaret; children, Jennifer and Meredith Undergraduate school: Purdue University Law school: Georgetown University Law Center

members and all of the family dynamics involved with that.”

A frequent speaker both locally and nationally on tax and business related topics, Solomon has co-chaired American Bar Association National Institutes on Pension Issues. Additionally, he has been the president of the Ohio Venture Association and was a member of the board of directors of the Cleveland Area Development Finance Corp.

CJN: What recent changes in business and acquisitions law have had

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “Fiddler on the Roof” Jewish celebrity: “Seinfeld” Jewish food: Lox and bagels Jewish holiday: Chanukah Jewish tradition: Breaking the fast after Yom Kippur. The least favorite is the fast.

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 69 the most impact on your clients?

Solomon: The reduction in the federal estate tax law have changed the costs of transitioning family businesses to the next generation. Additionally, the major changes in taxation of businesses has led to new planning for many of my clients.

CJN: What is the most common mistake your clients and their families make?

Solomon: With my business clients, the older generation sometimes will delay succession planning and just put off facing the issue. In particular, if there are children in the business, the parents are reluctant to make a decision that might seem preferential to one child, such as naming one child the leader of the organization going forward. Then when the older generation passes, they leave a mess for the next generation.

CJN: What is your most frequently given piece of legal advice?

Solomon: Address your legal issues early on. Procrastination does not solve the problem.

CJN: What do you most dislike about dealing with other lawyers?

Solomon: Fortunately for me, most of the time when I deal with lawyers, the dealings are professional even if we disagree. I have had very few situations where I have felt the other lawyers are hostile or reacting irrationally. In a business transaction, I have been fortunate

that the other side usually does not consider the negotiation a zero-sum game.

CJN: Should someone go online to prepare their legal documents?

Solomon: Most people should not just go online to find a form document.

When you hire an attorney, you are not just buying a document, you are buying advice and counsel. If your attorney has experience, he or she will know the right questions and help you consider different contingencies. Also, the attorney can give you good advice on what is practical and what may be too complicated for your situation. For example, just because you can buy a trust form online does not mean you should use a trust.

– Jane Kaufman

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The Goldberg Law Firm has been engaged solely in protecting the rights of the accused for nearly 30 years. We will put our trial experience and reputation to work for you. We have tried hundreds of cases to verdict in federal and state courts. To arrange a consultation with one of our Cleveland-based criminal law attorneys, call The Goldberg Law Firm today at 216-696-4514 or contact us online.

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70 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

Laurel G. Stein

Congratulations to our colleague

Nee Law Firm

Steve Nobil,

Laurel Stein always had a sneaking suspicion she’d grow up to be a lawyer.

“My strengths have always been writing and research,” Stein said. “Even when I was in high school, my English teacher was like, ‘You’re going to write excellent legal briefs when you’re older.’

When I was deciding what to do after college, I just thought I wanted to go to law school.”

Stein, now a domestic relations and adoption attorney with Nee Law Firm in Westlake, fights to bring clarity to people attempting to bring families together – or apart.

She’s dealt with hundreds of divorce, dissolution and post-decree cases. She also handles custody disputes and child support issues.

But with domestic relations law, Stein knows there’s a struggle to find a balance between parties when emotions are involved.

“A good settlement agreement means that neither party is 100% happy, but both parties have participated in the process instead of leaving it to a third-party magistrate or judge,” Stein said.

A 2020 CJN Local Lawyer/Super Attorney

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About Laurel

Age: 45 Residence: Solon Synagogue: The TempleTifereth Israel Family: Husband, Richard; children, Lindsay (16) and Zachary (13) Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis Law school: University of Memphis A X School of Law

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CJN: Why did you want to focus on domestic relations and adoption?

Stein: I fell into this type of law after law school. I mostly do divorce law and there are so many emotions tied to that. Emotions and court don’t always go together, so I think part of my job is to help people navigate the realities of what the court can and cannot do. I think I have a personality that’s good for being patient, being calm and explaining what to expect in court to people to help them get through difficult situations.

CJN: What is a memorable moment from your work?

Stein: I won temporary custody for my client of his 4-year-old son after the mother had taken the child out of state without his permission. The parties were not married, but they had been sharing custody of the child after they broke up. My client, the father, had

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LOCAL LAWYERS

the child for the majority of the time, and one day, he fought with the mother and she picked up the child and moved out of state. We had to file emergency motions to have the child returned to Ohio, and we actually had a full hearing on it. The magistrate announced that the child should be returned to Ohio until we determined the rest of the case.

Both parties burst into tears. It was the right thing, but it was an emotional thing.

CJN: What skills do you think are most important in terms of being successful in your practice?

Stein: My work is part lawyer, part therapist because you have to empathize with the clients. A lot of these domestic relations situations are abusive or somebody committed infidelity, and so there are a lot of emotions. You have to be a good listener to figure out what is bothering them and what they think the problem is, especially because some of the stories are years old and you’re listening to everything that happened.

You also need to be organized and responsive, because people like to know they’re being heard and involved in their cases.

– McKenna Corson

My favorites ...

Jewish celebrity: Adam Sandler Jewish food: Potato latkes Jewish holiday: Rosh Hashanah Jewish tradition: Bar/bat mitzvah

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Jeremy Tor

Spangenberg, Shibley & Liber LLP

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rowing up, Jeremy Tor already had regular exposure to the local legal community through watching his father practice.

Now, a partner at Spangenberg, Shibley & Liber LLP in Cleveland, Tor said his father’s work clearly left an impression on him. Watching his father focus on personal injury law, Tor said the cases interested him, “which is probably why I ended up in that area of law.”

“His cases always intrigued me,” he noted. “I also participated in mock trial in high school and college – with some success – so I got a good taste of the courtroom. I was, by then, more or less hooked.”

About Jeremy

Age: 35 Residence: Shaker Heights Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Family: Wife, Shira; children, Ariella (5), Dahlia (3) and Leora (1) Undergraduate: University of Arizona Law school: University of Virginia (2011) Hobbies: Playing piano, racquetball,

CJN: What made you to want to represent injured clients and wrongful death victims?

Tor: I represent people who are often at their lowest point, either because they’ve been catastrophically injured or because their loved one has been killed. That is both a privilege and a great responsibility, which can, at times, feel daunting. But, it is extremely motivating and always gives me a deep sense of purpose.

CJN: What makes you a good reading and spending time with his wife and daughters

My favorites ...

Jewish movie: “The Pianist” Jewish celebrity: Groucho Marx Jewish food: Latkes Jewish holiday: Passover Jewish tradition: Passover seder

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 71 advocate for your clients?

Tor: I am constantly thinking about my cases, which keeps my mind sharp and focused, and helps me outthink my adversary. And, I always keep my eye on the end game: trial. All the work I do on a case is geared toward trial.

CJN: Looking back at your cases, what would you say was your biggest win?

Tor: Probably the most significant case I’ve worked on involved the death of a 43-year-old utility lineman in southwest Ohio, who left behind a wife and three children. I think I came into my own as a trial lawyer working that case. I worked on every aspect of the case, from discovery to jury trial to arguing the case in the court of appeals – all the way up to the (Ohio) Supreme Court.

CJN: What would you consider a major turning point in your career?

Tor: During my last semester of law school, I tried (under the supervision of a practicing lawyer) a wrongful eviction case to a jury. Shortly after I finished cross examining the defendant, and while we were awaiting the verdict, my supervisor turned to me and said, “I think you chose the right profession.”

Another major turning point happened (recently) when I was chosen to become a partner at my law firm.

CJN: What legacy do you hope to leave, both in your personal life and

as a lawyer?

Tor: I hope I can look back and know I made a meaningful difference in the lives of my clients while also making our community safer. And I hope to lead a life my daughters will find honorable and be proud of.

With all of his experiences in mind, Tor said his guiding principle is his connection to religion.

“I’m guided in my personal and professional lives by the overarching question, rooted in the Jewish mandate tikkun olam,” he noted. “How can I make our community a better, safer and more just place?”

– Becky Raspe

PROMINENT LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS WELCOME BACK TO CLEVELAND H. JEFFREY SCHWARTZ, BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING AND REORGANIZATION ATTORNEY "Jeffrey Schwartz helped me lead a multibillion-dollar bankrupt company into a very profitable NYSE-listed company. He wanted the company to thrive as much as I did and worked constantly and creatively to make it happen. In a situation like this, that level of commitment is a must."

"When the outlook was grim for our debt-ridden, publicly held healthcare company, we called on Jeffrey Schwartz for thoughtful and creative guidance. The result was a remarkably favorable recovery for all stakeholders. I am forever indebted to Jeffrey and glad he's back in Cleveland."

~ Boake A. Sells, former Chairman and CEO, Revco, D.S., Inc.

~ Jon H. Outcalt, Sr., former Chairman, NCS HealthCare, Inc.

“Jeffrey Schwartz was instrumental in helping me navigate a complex Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.

His keen, savvy insight and counsel were invaluable to me while I was the Revco general counsel learning on the fly about Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings for the nation’s first failed major LBO. Jeff f is a true trusted advisor and friend, and we are fortunate ff fortun r rtun ate to have him back in Northeast North r east Ohio.” rth ~ Jack A. Staph, former Senior Vice President, Secretary & General Counsel, Revco, D.S., Inc. “I have had the opportunity to collaborate with Jeffrey Schwartz in many challenging situations in the real estate, steel, and mass aviation services staffing industries.

Invariably, his focus was on preserving and growing enterprise value. He has repeatedly demonstrated an uncanny ability to chart and flawlessly execute a critical path to achieve optimal—and in some cases remarkable—successes beyond reasonable expectations. I wholeheartedly and fraternally embrace his return to Cleveland.” ~ Mark D. D. T Thompson, hompson,, President hompson President & C COO OO , Arhaus Arhaus,, LLC; LL L LC; Director, Dirrector, P Di PTC TC Alliance Holdings C Corp. orp or p. and Investors Diversified R Realty; ealty; former CE CEO, International Total Services, Inc.; former EVP and CFO, Lexford Residential Trust (Reorganized Cardinal Industries, Inc.)

©2020 Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP. P All Rights Reserved. ADVERTISING MATERIAL P. MATERIAL. A ATERIAL .

Past outcomes do not predict future results. 1405 East Sixth Street, Cleveland, OH 44114.

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72 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

LOCAL LAWYERS

Local Lawyers / Super Attorneys Name: Fred J. Arnoff Firm: Weston Hurd LLP Specialty: General business law, commercial law, real estate law, employment law, creditors’ rights, bankruptcy and estate planning Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: University of Akron’s School of Law (1975) Synagogue: Park Synagogue Name: Steven Baden Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Business, corporate and cannabis law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1984) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Traveling to several bucket list locations (Israel, Thailand, Costa Rica, French Riviera).

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Empress Court, Bainbridge Township across from movie theater. Combo plates are tasty, plentiful and good value, combined with $5 Monday movie makes for a winner.

• Other dream job: Landscape designer.

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Name: Richard M. Bain Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Corporate and business litigation Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1979) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: A sabbatical from my law practice would find me at Pepper Pike City Hall continuing in my role as mayor. Any time off, I would be visiting with my new granddaughter, working around the house, driving my wife a bit nuts and then making up by exploring and traveling with her.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “You’re My First, My Last, My Everything” (think Ally McBeal and Barry White).

• What was your first car: ‘68 VW Kharmann Ghia.

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Name: Stacy L. Bauer Firm: BauerGriffith, LLC Specialty: Business law and small business Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: GWU’s Law School (1987) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “The Bitch is Back” by Elton John.

• What do you enjoy most about your job: I truly enjoy helping people. It is gratifying to know that clients come to me for their various business needs and that I am able to solve most of their legal concerns. I am also pleased to help my clients even if the issue is not in my wheelhouse by giving them recommendations of who can help. As a small business owner myself, I know how important it is to get recommendations from those we trust.

• Most prized possession: Although definitely not a possession, my most prized anything is my daughter. I have told her a million times that she is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

Name: GiGi Benjamin Firm: Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP Specialty: Public law and finance Undergraduate: Smith College Law school: Boston University School of Law (1976) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “My Girl” by the Temptations.

• Other dream job: Already doing it – I am a co-owner with two other women of a spice store, Spice for Life, at Van Aken Market Hall. Our mission is to encourage healthy eating and cooking. We donate our profits to organizations that fight human trafficking so we can eat well while doing good.

• Most prized possession: My great grandparents, Eugene S. Benjamin and Miriam Guttman Benjamin, bought antique furniture during a grand tour of Europe in 1897. I have it in my dining room. A portrait of my great-grandmother hangs on the wall above one of the pieces. I also have a secretary that was a gift to my greatgrandfather on his 70th birthday from his employer, the Baron de Hirsch Fund, where he served as executive director.

Name: Joshua Berggrun Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate, M&A, and banking and finance Undergraduate: Ithaca College Law school: Elon University School of Law (2016) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Playing tennis at the most exotic tennis clubs around the world; traveling with friends and family to Africa to safari, shark dive and climb mountains, New Zealand and Australia to scuba the Great Barrier Reef, watch the Australian open and play with kangaroos; and reconnecting with friends from college and law school.

• What do you enjoy most about your job: Helping business owners, entrepreneurs or family-owned businesses buy and sell companies. these are people who have worked their entire lives to build these businesses or have dreams of owning a company. We make a difference in their lives and our community when we negotiate and facilitate these types of deals.

• Most prized possession: U.S. Open tennis ball used by Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic in Lleyton’s last ever U.S. Open before he retired and a walking stick from climbing Mt. Fuji in Japan.

Name: Hugh Berkson Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Securities litigation Undergraduate: University of Texas at Austin Law school: CWRU School of Law (1994) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: I usually simply hear circus music in my head, but something more dignified would be much appreciated. I’d welcome any decent suggestions.

• Other dream job: Travel agent.

• Most prized possession: While I don’t place much stock in things, I’ll admit that I very much enjoy my copy of the Codex Seraphinianus. It’s an encyclopedia of an imaginary world, written in a nonsense language. It’s an amazing work of art.

Name: David Bernstein Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: Washington University School of Law (2015) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Protect Ya Neck” by Wu-Tang Clan.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Every morning brings new experiences. Least: When federal judges send me court orders on Shabbat.

• Other dream job: Labor organizer.

Name: Michael Robert Blumenthal Firm: McGlinchy Stafford Specialty: Environmental law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1986) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would love the opportunity to work for The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development in Israel. ICSD is an organization in Israel that raises awareness about ecological and environmental issues and uses religion to support their arguments.

• Most prized possession: My kidney. After struggling from a life-threatening kidney disease, I received a kidney from a stranger on Facebook in 2015 and each day I wake up feeling gratitude, awe and love.

• What’s your hidden talent: Helping people to recover from alcoholism.

Name: Cathleen Bolek Firm: Bolek Besser Glesius, LLC Specialty: Employment law Undergraduate: Syracuse University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1992) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year: fire food & drink.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 73

JANUARY 31, 2020

Name: Robert Boroff Firm: Gallagher Sharp LLP Specialty: Trucking and construction defense litigation Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: Loyola University Chicago School of Law (2003) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Drive around the country with my family visiting every Major League Baseball stadium.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: My family and I seem to find ourselves on a continual loop – Winking Lizard, Corky & Lenny’s, Geraci’s and Jack’s Deli, which are all convenient, family-friendly and serve great food.

• Other dream job: General manager of the Cleveland Browns. A few more front-office overhauls and I may have a chance.

Name: Ken Bossin Firm: Bossin Law Specialty: Traffic/OVI and business consultation Undergraduate: University of Missouri Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1970) Synagogue: Temple Israel Ner Tamid • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Tequila.”

• Other dream job: A rabbi! They also can make a significant impact on peoples lives.

• What’s your hidden talent: I have always enjoyed dancing. Started when I was 12 and did jitterbug, Latin American and ballroom.

Name: Abby Botnick Firm: Shapero & Roloff Co., LPA Specialty: Plaintiff’s medical malpractice, nursing home neglect and personal injury Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2004) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Working out at the Mandel JCC, reading and being outdoors.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1988 Chevy Sprint. My parents bought it for $800 and I paid them back monthly.

• Most prized possession: My health.

Name: Seth P. Briskin Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Labor and employment law Undergraduate: Cornell University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1995) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Probably SoHo on West 25th Street. Great fried chicken with a fabulous bourbon selection.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: To get psyched up for a meeting or a negotiation, there is nothing better than Rage Against The Machine’s “Renegades of Funk.” On friendlier occasions,

Widespread Panic’s “Surprise Valley.”

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: The first car that I bought was a maroon Toyota Camry from a car salesman who I helped when he was wrongfully terminated from one dealership and landed at another one. I was his first sale at the new job.

Name: Peter D. Brosse Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Business and corporate, energy law, business succession, real estate, M&A finance, construction, intellectual property and blockchain/ cryptocurrency Undergraduate: OSU Law school: University of Toledo Law School (1984) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Name: Harry M. Brown Firm: Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, LLP Specialty: Health care law Undergraduate: Yeshiva University Law school: NYU’s School of Law (1972) Synagogue: Congregation Zichron Chaim • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel to Israel and immersion in study.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Arova – kosher and close to Israeli cuisine.

• Most prized possession: Torah scroll.

Name: James Mitchell Brown Firm: James Mitchell Brown LPA Specialty: Social security disability Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1973) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “This Land is Your Land.”

• Other dream job: Book reviewer for a newspaper.

• Most prized possession: My wedding ring. I’ve been wearing it 49½ years.

Name: Lori E. Brown Firm: Gallagher Sharp LLP Specialty: Professional liability Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1999) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Volunteering in a foreign country (teaching).

• Other dream job: Travel writing.

• Most prized possession: Hard copy pictures (prior to having a cellphone).

Name: Sandra J. Buzney Firm: Sandra J. Buzney Co., LPA Specialty: Elder law, estate planning, Medicaid and probate Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati Law school: CWRU School of Law (1999) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Thank You For Being My Friend.”

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Long-term relationships with clients and their families.

Least: Dealing with irrational requirements of bureaucratic agencies.

• Most prized possession: My two cats.

Name: Morgan R. Caruso Firm: Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office Specialty: Criminal law Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2012) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Eye of The Tiger” by Survivor • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I most enjoy fighting for true justice. Least. Inherently, whether representing defendants or victims (I’ve done both), criminal law is a tough area meant for tough personalities like myself.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: MercedesBenz, super cool yet bittersweet, left to me when my mom passed away in ninth grade.

Name: Robert E. Chudakoff Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Intellectual property litigation Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1987) Synagogue: Oheb Zedek Cedar Sinai Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: The Basement in Sagamore Hills. Great place to watch big games.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Let It Be” by The Beatles.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Moral advocacy. Least: Written discovery.

Name: David R. Cohen Firm: David R. Cohen Co. LPA Specialty: Special master, mediator and arbitrator Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law (1991) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: In a submarine in the Pacific Ocean with Cher. And some ducks. I love ducks and I bet Cher does, too.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Definitely McDonalds, for their filet-o-fish. I like to mix a little ketchup in the tartar sauce, you have not lived until you’ve eaten this secret concoction.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Let’s Get Physical” by Olivia Newton-John.

74 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Howard M. Cohn Firm: Howard M. Cohn & Associates Specialty: Intellectual patents and trademarks Undergraduate: University of Maryland Law school: American University Washington College of Law (1969) Synagogue: Waxman Chabad Center • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Studying to be a rabbi in Jerusalem.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

• What’s your hidden talent: Song writer and musician.

Name: Deborah A. Coleman Firm: Coleman Law LLC Specialty: Arbitration, mediation and legal ethics Undergraduate: Harvard Law school: Harvard Law School (1976) Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah and Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I’ve been considering spending three months living in a Spanishspeaking country to improve my Spanish language skills.

But I want to be politically active in the U.S. during 2020.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Sasa. Food is great and the owners have become our friends.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: To get to my USY adviser job 25 miles from my college, I drove a 1965 Dodge Dart that had been my mother’s car.

Name: Brandon Collier Firm: Collier & Associates, Inc. Specialty: Transactional and tax law limited to doctors Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: NYU’s Law School (2001) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Problem solving with clients. Least: Overseeing office management.

• Other dream job: Starting third baseman for the Cleveland Indians.

• Most prized possession: My inherited Swiss watch.

Name: Margaret E. Cooper Firm: Margaret E. Cooper, LLC Specialty: Real estate, collections and lemon law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1999) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: The Giovanni’s lounge in the winter is so cozy and intimate, and M Italian restaurant in the summer has a great outdoor seating area.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Superwoman” by Alicia Keys.

• Other dream job: Actress.

JANUARY 31, 2020 Name: Gary Cowan Firm: Elk & Elk Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: University of Ottawa (Canada) Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1987) • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Enjoy meeting and representing new clients. Least: Dealing with inexperienced insurance adjusters.

• Other dream job: Archeologist.

• Most prized possession: Family, closely followed by my fantasy football championship trophy.

Name: Marc Dann Firm: Dann Law Specialty: Consumer litigation Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law (1987) Synagogue: Beth Israel-The West Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Hiking.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Don’t Back Down.”

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1972 Malibu from my grandfather.

Name: Robert K. Danzinger Firm: Sleggs, Danzinger & Gill, Co. LPA Specialty: Property tax Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1992) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Riding my bike through Israel and finding a few spots to play golf along the way.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” by Journey.

• Most prized possession: Ironman medal.

Name: Charles Daroff Firm: Walter Haverfield, LLP Specialty: Real estate transactions and finance Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1988) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would spend more time with my parents; visit my children, siblings and father-in-law; and spend time in Israel visiting my lone solider niece and working with the FIDF. • Other dream job: Working for the FBI or some other intelligence agency.

• Most prized possession: A chair signed by all of the coaches and players of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to go undefeated (17-0).

LOCAL LAWYERS

Name: Gerry Davidson Firm: Fanger & Davidson, LLC Specialty: Family law (divorce, dissolution, separation, custody, prenuptial agreements) and personal injury Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1972) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would travel and spend time with my 23 grandchildren • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Fratello’s Italian Restaurant in Avon Lake. The ambiance is wonderful, the owners and employees are superb and friendly and the food is absolutely delicious.

• Other dream job: I always wanted to be a cowboy.

Name: Gary S. Desberg Firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law (1985) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Crumb & Spigot, it’s a local establishment with great food and service.

• Other dream job: Naturalist.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Buick Electra 225, it was a hand-me down from my father.

Name: Steven M. Dettelbach Firm: BakerHostetler Specialty: White collar, investigations and securities enforcement and litigation Undergraduate: Dartmouth College Law school: Harvard Law School (1991) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Send in the Clowns.”

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping clients through difficult times. Least: The effect that legal problems have on good people.

• Other dream job: High school history teacher and basketball coach.

Name: Carly Deutch Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: DePaul College of Law (2013) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “I’ll Be There For You” by The Rembrandts (The “Friends” theme song).

• Other dream job: Personal stylist.

• What’s your hidden talent: Finding online designer shopping bargains.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 75

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Name: Steve Dlott Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Workers’ compensation Undergraduate: NYU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1985) Synagogue: Young Israel of Greater Cleveland and Green Road Synagogue Name: David Dreschsler Firm: McDonald Hopkins Specialty: Business, real estate and inheritance controversy litigation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1989) Synagogue: Solon Chabad • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Satisfied clients. Least: Very unreasonable clients.

• Other dream job: Stand-up comedian.

• Most prized possession: My family.

Name: Stanley M. Dub Firm: Law Office of Stanley Dub Specialty: Franchise law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1975) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Living in Israel with my son and four grandchildren.

• Other dream job: Wine merchant.

• What’s your hidden talent: Holocaust instruction, competing in bridge competitions around the world and teaching at CWRU Law School.

Name: Brandon Duber Firm: Bentoff & Duber Co., LPA Specialty: Workers’ compensation, personal injury and criminal defense Undergraduate: Skidmore College Law school: CWRU School of Law (2005) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Skiing the globe.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Sara’s Place – the Beans & Greens and other amazing comfort food.

• Most prized possession: My daughter, Scarlett.

Name: Rob Dubyak Firm: Dubyak Nelson, LLC Specialty: Business litigation Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1992) Synagogue: Park Synagogue

Name: David M. Dvorin Firm: Lieberman, Dvorin & Dowd, LLC Specialty: Business litigation and real estate Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1996) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: The answer to both is dealing with people. I really enjoy when I’m able to help someone solve a problem. I really don’t enjoy when someone is unnecessarily combative or unrealistic.

• Other dream job: NBA basketball player – but I’m too old and short and I was not even good enough to be on my high school team.

• What’s your hidden talent: Sarcasm.

Name: Mark Edelman Firm: McGlinchey Stafford Specialty: Consumer financial services and regulatory compliance Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1986) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Name: Daniel Ehrenreich Firm: Ehrenreich & Associates Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: Yeshiva College Law school: Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (1998) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Synchronicity” by the Police.

• What do you enjoy most about your job: Most and least: Researching.

• Other dream job: Speechwriter.

Name: Leonard Ehrenreich Firm: Ehrenreich & Associates Specialty: Personal Injury Undergraduate: Yeshiva University and University of Akron Law school: CWRU School of Law (1973) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Winning. Least: Statutes of limitations.

• Other dream job: Supreme Court Justice.

• Most prized possession: My veiled chameleon.

Name: Rochelle Prashker Ehrenreich Firm: Ehrenreich & Associates Specialty: Disability law and elder law Undergraduate: Brooklyn College Law school: Fordham University School of Law (2005) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: In Israel, living in a place where I am part of the majority of the population.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Gonna Fly Now” – The Theme from “Rocky.”

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping people get what they need. Least: Keeping time sheets.

Name: Brian Eisen Firm: The Eisen Law Firm Specialty: Medical malpractice, birth injury and wrongful death Undergraduate: Harvard College Law school: Harvard Law School (1992) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Month 1 – very, very long nap. Month 2 – Visiting the Galapagos Islands and Hiking the Inca Trail (my trip last year ended abruptly due to an illness in the family). Month 3 – Back to work; I cannot fathom three full months off • What was your first car, and how did you get it: It was a very used Jeep CJ-7. I got it by saving up $1,100 and, I suspect, by being the only guy willing to spend that amount on that car. I thought it was cool, but it refused to run in the rain and stopped running altogether about a year after I bought it (just like my father predicted it would).

• What’s your hidden talent: My superpower is identifying food smells. I can walk in the door and identify whatever is cooking in the kitchen, entrée, side dish, dessert, and even beverage. OK, maybe not beverage, but you get the idea.

Name: Michael L. Eisner Firm: Elk & Elk Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: Hobart College Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1995) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now.” • Other dream job: Back country ski guide.

• Most prized possession: My great-great-grandfather’s pocket watch.

Name: Arthur M. Elk Firm: Elk & Elk Specialty: Personal injury and medical malpractice Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1973) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Capital Grille, know what I like and always have it waiting for me – service is the best.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Helping clients get their lives back on track after an injury and working with attorneys/staff who are both ambitious and professional about what we do at Elk & Elk; Least?

Nothing.

• Most prized possession: ’09 Ducati monster 1100S Motorcycle – love the open road feeling and the rush I get from the speed generated as I shift through the gears.

76 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: David J. Elk Firm: Elk & Elk Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CWRU School of Law Graduation year: 1964 Synagogue: Park Synagogue • Other dream job: Professional baseball player or law school professor teaching torts.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1957 Plymouth, my dad owned a used car lot and he always had a car for me to drive.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can do tricks with a yo-yo that I learned when I was a kid.

Name: Mindy Elk Firm: Elk & Elk Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: Arizona State University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1998) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Feel this Moment” by Pitbull.

• What do you enjoy most about your job: I enjoy working with my father and learning from him, and I also enjoy helping people get fairly compensated for their injuries.

• Other dream job: Judge on a food network cooking show.

Name: Aaron S. Evenchik Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks Specialty: Construction and real estate Undergraduate: OSU Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2001) Synagogue: Waxman Chabad Center • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would play with a pit orchestra for a favorite musical, or perhaps be on stage signing, traveling Europe and the world with my family and performing shows.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Kantina, because it’s great and centrally located.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: A 1976 Fiat 124 Spyder. My father bought if for himself and I grabbed it when I turned 16. It had a wood steering wheel, leather seats, red paint and looked awesome.

I wish someone in my family would buy me a new version. I keep dropping hints – maybe someone will read this.

Name: Adam M. Fried Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Estate, trust and fiduciary litigation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1995) Synagogue: Solon Chabad • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would write a book on the subject of practical methods to protect our vulnerable population from financial exploitation, abuse and neglect.

JANUARY 31, 2020 • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: When I boxed at OSU fight night, put on by Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, the intro was “Hells Bells”

by AC/DC. • Most prized possession: My dad’s American flag.

Name: Ronald P. Friedberg Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Commercial litigation Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law (1991) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Land of Hope and Dreams” by Bruce Springsteen • Other dream job: Being in a rock band (which means I need to learn to play guitar a lot better than I play now).

• What’s your hidden talent: I have the ability to know and remember movie lines and insignificant pieces of pop culture trivia.

Name: Ian N. Friedman Firm: Friedman & Nemecek, L.L.C. Specialty: Criminal, cyber and white collar defense Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1997) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Stomp” by the Brothers Johnson.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Clients succeeding after their cases. Least: Injustice.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Mercury Capri, I worked in the steal yards on the holiday breaks and summer.

Name: Susan L. Friedman Firm: Ziegler Metzger LLP Specialty: Estate planning and administration Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis Law school: CWRU School of Law (1966) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “That’s What Friends Are For” by Stevie Wonder.

• Other dream job: Musician.

• Most prized possession: It’s not fancy, but a watch that was my dad’s.

Name: Joshua Fuchs Firm: The Fuchs Firm LLC Specialty: Civil litigation Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: Duquesne University School of Law (2010) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • Other dream job: Ornithologist.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Mercury Grand Marquis – nobody else wanted it.

• Most prized possession: My time.

LOCAL LAWYERS Name: Robert Fuerst Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: University of Colorado Law school: CWRU School of Law Graduation year: 1979 Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel

Name: Sarah Gabinet Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Domestic relations and family law Undergraduate: Oberlin College Law school: CWRU School of Law (1982) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Anatolia Café. I love Middle Eastern food.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: No two days are the same and clients really need someone to give them a sense of security in a time of personal upheaval; I dislike the stress that comes from how some lawyers behave toward one another.

• What’s your hidden talent: I retired from ice hockey and became a competitive ballroom dancer.

Name: Michael B. Gardner Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Business counsel, environmental law Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1992) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Working on my farm.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Subway, convenient stop off after golf.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Flexibility which allows me to things I like to do more. Least: isolation Name: Danielle G. Garson Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate, banking and corporate Undergraduate: University of Maryland Law school: John Marshall Law School (2010) Synagogue: Grew up at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple; children attend preschool at Temple Emanu El • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would take the kids out of school, spend a month on a kibbutz in Israel, a month in an Italian villa and the other month traveling around Europe with my family.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Marble Room is my favorite restaurant for any special occasion, Ginko and Zhug are great on a Saturday night and Jack’s Deli is the best place with my family. Cleveland has some great spots.

• Other dream job: Food and travel writer.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Name: Michelle Gearity Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: M&A, business taxation and tax controversy Undergraduate: University of Miami Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2016) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would move to Israel, live in Tel Aviv, enjoy the beach, and take classes in Hebrew and Jewish studies.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Dewey’s Pizza in Cleveland Heights. My stepsons love eating there and we enjoy watching the pizza making through the window.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can recite the elements on the periodic table by heart. In my middle school science class, we were taught the elements by singing them to the tune of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” I’ve never forgotten it.

Name: Alex Gertsburg Firm: Gertsburg Law Firm Specialty: Business law and litigation Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2000) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: The theme song from “Greatest American Hero.”

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping people solve the most stressful problem in their lives. Least: Losing.

• Most prized possession: My Harley V-Rod. Name: Robert S. Gilmore Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Labor and employment Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1986) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Swirl Wine Bar in Solon. The delicious wine, dinners and the great service bring us back.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Adventure of a Lifetime” by Cold Play.

• What’s your hidden talent: I love playing competitive tennis.

Name: Michael A. Glazer Firm: Law Office of Michael A. Glazer Specialty: Social security disability Undergraduate: Kenyon College Law school: CWRU School of Law (2007) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Winking Lizard because it’s great for kids.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: When I can break the good news to a client that they won their case and witnessing their elation/relief.

Least: Using snail mail.

• Other dream job: Dentist.

Name: Rob Glickman Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Trial attorney Undergraduate: University of North Carolina Law school: CWRU School of Law (1992) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • Other dream job: Start-up CEO. • What was your first car, and how did you get it: Renault Fuego with money earned teaching tennis and some help from my parents.

• Most prized possession: Letter of thanks from the family of a victim I received when I was a prosecutor.

Name: Ira S. Goffman Firm: Rolf Goffman Martin Lang LLP Specialty: Health care law Undergraduate: SUNY Binghamton Law school: University of Toledo College of Law (1981) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Spending time visiting out-of-town grandchildren.

• Other dream job: Sports announcer or a general manager of a sports team.

• What was your first car: 1975 Plymouth Duster.

Name: Michael J. Goldberg Firm: The Goldberg Law Firm Specialty: State and federal criminal defense Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1988) Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah and Jewish Family Experience • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I love the preparation for and the battle of trial. I wish I was not dealing with such possible life altering results so often.

• Other dream job: Coaching any sport.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: My dad gave me a ‘77 Old Cutlass which I wrecked pretty quickly.

Name: Steven M. Goldberg Firm: Goldberg Legal Co., LPA Specialty: Litigation involving personal injury, medical/hospital malpractice, product liability, nursing home abuse/neglect and asbestos cancer mesothelioma Undergraduate: Arizona State University Law school: Capital University’s School of Law (1989) Synagogue: Solon Chabad Name: Warren Goldenberg Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Specialty: Business and intellectual property Undergraduate: State University of New York at Albany Law school: University of Michigan School of Law (1981) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

•What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Corky and Lennys.

I just can’t help myself.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

• Most prized possession: Shaker Heights home.

Name: Steven A. Goldfarb Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1985) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel to all of the Great Lakes with my wife on our boat (obviously, the three months must be in the summer).

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: fire food & drink on Shaker Square. Great food, service and ambiance.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Buckeye Battle Cry.” Name: James A. Goldsmith Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Trust and estate planning, and administration and tax Undergraduate: University of Denver Law school: CWRU School of Law (1980) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I most enjoy the people I get to interact with inside our firm, clients, and counsel at other firms. My least favorite activity at work is dealing with administrative issues and not legal ones.

• Other dream job: Professional hockey player.

• Most prized possession: Memorabilia from my time at the University of Denver.

Name: Andy Goldwasser Firm: Ciano & Goldwasser, LLP Specialty: Civil litigation Undergraduate: OSU/University of Akron Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1997)

Name: Alan I. Goodman Specialty: Employment and labor law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1969) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: The clients. Least: The self-fulfilling nature of the profession.

• Most prized possession: My family.

78 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Brian Green Firm: Shapero & Green LLC Specialty: Business litigation Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: Washington University School of Law (1994) Synagogue: Congregation JFX • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Touring Israel and Europe.

• Other dream job: Owning a jet ski rental company in Aruba.

• Most prized possession: Family photo albums.

Name: Bradley L. Greene Firm: The Life Care Planning Law Offices of Bradley L. Greene Specialty: Elder Law, estate planning and Medicaid planning Undergraduate: Bowling Green State University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1989) Synagogue: Jewish Family Experience • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar at Eton Chagrin Boulevard. I love the food and the vibe.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Because I’m Happy” by Pharrell Williams.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can make great animal sounds.

Name: Howard Groedel Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Securities law Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: The George Washington University Law School (1982) Synagogue: Romemu (New York City) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would paddle the full length of the Mississippi River.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Flour, because my wife and I love the food there and the comradery between the diners and the servers.

• Other dream job: A U.S. Forest Service ranger working in Monument Park in Utah.

Name: Todd Gurney Firm: The Eisen Law Firm Specialty: Medical malpractice, birth injury and wrongful death Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2005) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Zhug (Doug Katz’s new restaurant on Cedar Hill). The food is terrific and it’s a great place to go with friends because most of the plates are made to share.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “I am a Real American” (Hulk Hogan’s intro song – it gets me pumped up every time).

• Most prized possession: My license to practice law. It took a lot of hard work and perseverance to earn it, and I use it every day to help other people.

JANUARY 31, 2020 Name: Barry Guttman Firm: Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP Undergraduate: NYU Law school: Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (2013) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Prejudice” by Tim Minchin.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Our clients, the work we do for them and the people on our team are all what I enjoy most. All of them are top-notch, and I couldn’t ask for better. Least: There’s not more time in the day.

• What’s your hidden talent: Impersonating cartoon characters after I’ve had a few drinks.

Name: Thomas I. Hausman Firm: The Law Office of Thomas I. Hausman, LLC Specialty: Tax, business and estate planning Undergraduate: University of Colorado Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law; NYU School of Law (1973) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Take A Chance on Me” by ABBA. • Other dream job: Yoga instructor.

• Most prized possession: My dog, Bebe.

Name: Jill Friedman Helfman Firm: Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP Specialty: Domestic relations Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law (1987) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What do you enjoy most about your job: I most enjoy teaming up with my clients, taking them from one of the most difficult periods of their lives to their new normal and giving them the confidence they need to make that adjustment.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: My first car was a Ford Maverick, given to me, my sister and brother in high school, and put together by our neighbor who owned a junk yard. It was the best car, all the way down to the hole in the ground on the floor in the back.

• Most prized possession: My amazing children.

Name: Jeffrey M. Heller Firm: Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy Co., LPA Specialty: Personal injury and medical malpractice Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (2011) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Watching a baseball game in every stadium in the country.

• Other dream job: Pro golfer or poker player.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Honda Accord. My dad got it for my brother, which was then passed down to me so my parents did not have to schlep us to all of our extracurriculars.

LOCAL LAWYERS

Name: Matthew Henoch Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Specialty: Trusts and estates Undergraduate: Washington University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2005) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Enter Sandman” by Metallica.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: The clients of course. Least: We will definitely be the last profession to go paperless.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Honda Civic, bought with my lucrative Camp Wise counselor salary.

Name: Evan Hirsch Firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate and business Undergraduate: Boston University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2006) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Traveling the country and seeing games at all of the major league baseball stadiums.

• Other dream job: President of the United States.

• What’s your hidden talent: Knowledge of ’80s and ’90s era sports cards and memorabilia.

Name: Toby Hirshman Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Medical malpractice, personal injury and some false claims act litigation Undergraduate: University of Vermont Law school: California Western School of Law (1978) Name: Alan N. Hirth Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: CCNY Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1973) Synagogue: Temple Israel Ner Tamid.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Thunder Road” by Bruce Springsteen.

• Other dream job: Owner of a store selling any mysteries.

• What’s your hidden talent: My memory.

Name: D. Peter Hochberg Firm: Walter Haverfield LLP Specialty: Intellectual property attorney Undergraduate: Cornell University Law school: Georgetown University Law Center (1969) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel to Turkey, Israel, Chile, Peru, Italy, Tanzania and Kenya.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: EDWINS for the excellent food and fine social programs.

• Most prized possession: Art collection.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Name: Alan Hochheiser Firm: Maurice Wutscher LLP Specialty: Bankruptcy, financial service defense and commercial collections Undergraduate: State University of New York at Albany Law school: CWRU School of Law (1988) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra.

• Other dream job: Emergency room doctor.

• Most prized possession: My father’s chai.

Name: Yosef “Joe” Hochheiser Firm: Domestic violence docket of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Division of Domestic Relations Specialty: Domestic violence docket Undergraduate: Touro College Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2010) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Alone at my desk. I enjoy the company.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem.

• Other dream job: I am a JAG in the U.S. Air Force Reserves and a magistrate in the domestic violence department, I am living my dream.

Name: Michael Davis Hoenig Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: New York University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2008) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Move to Israel, eat at all the best restaurants, play on the beach with our kids, and spend time in the wilderness relaxing.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “O Fortuna” by Carl Orff, from Carmina Burana.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: I get to work with great people. Least: Sometimes I come across an opposing attorney who is unpleasant.

Name: Gary Hoffman Firm: Gary Hoffman, Attorney at Law Specialty: Personal injury and workers compensation Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania Law school: CWRU School of Law (1976) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would spend my time in Israel.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

• What’s your hidden talent: Great singing voice, but don’t ask anyone who’s heard me sing.

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 79

Name: Mark L. Hoffman Firm: Law Offices of Mark L. Hoffman Specialty: Estate planning and probate Undergraduate: George Washington University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1976) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Playing klezmer music and jazz around the world.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Meeting interesting people. Least: Long hours.

• Other dream job: Jazz musician.

Name: Bret Jordan Firm: Bret Jordan Co., LPA Specialty: Criminal defense Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1992) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Semi-Charmed Life” by Thrid Eye Blind.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I enjoy that it is different every day. I do not like late night calls.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can tie a knot in a cherry stem using just my mouth.

Name: David M. Hopkins Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: University of Michigan Law School (2015) Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tivkah • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I most enjoy being able to design creative solutions to complicated. legal issues.

The thing I enjoy the least is knowing that no matter how hard you work and how prepared you are, a court could find against your client. We do everything we can to minimize the chances of that happening, but the risk is always there.

• Other dream job: Supreme Court Justice.

• Most prized possession: My and my wife’s ketubah.

Name: Rachel Kabb-Effron Firm: Kabb Law Firm Specialty: Elder law Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1998) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would visit each of my exchange students who have lived with us. Germany, Japan, Italy, Belgium and Brazil.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Our go-to restaurant is EDWINS. We love the food and the atmosphere but even more than that, I love the mission of helping formerly incarcerated people gain skills they need for life on the outside.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can do improv. I have worked to sing with Chorale Arts Cleveland, take classes at Beck Center and do a recital with Cleveland Dance Project trying to get back into the arts.

Name: Ari H. Jaffe Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Business litigation Undergraduate: Brandeis University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1986) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Cleveland is not yet known for its kosher restaurant cuisine, though Fishstix makes a great fish and chips with cod, Sushi Bar has a wide variety of choices for its poke bowls, Kinneret has good pizza, and Kantina does a great burger.

• Other dream job: Artist, architect, doctor, scientist and glass blower.

• Most prized possession: Most stuff is replaceable. It is my family who make me proud every day.

Name: Barbara Bellin Janovitz Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Estate planning Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania’s The Wharton School Law school: NYU’s School of Law (1983) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Visiting my children, who live in Seattle, Boston and Philadelphia. I don’t see them often enough. My husband and I would also take a long vacation out of the country.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: What I enjoy most is developing relationships with my clients and knowing that I am helping them make good, important decisions regarding their families and their finances. What I enjoy the least is handling the administrative aspects of my practice.

• Other dream job: Working with dogs.

Name: Matthew F. Kadish Firm: Frantz Ward LLP Specialty: Tax and estate planning Undergraduate: Williams College Law school: CWRU School of Law and NYU (1987, 1988) • Other dream job: Something involving mentoring and playing guitar.

• Most prized possession: Happy to say none. I enjoy things, but they’re just things.

• What’s your hidden talent: Songwriting; guitar.

Name: Stephen L. Kadish Firm: Frantz Ward LLP Specialty: Tax and estate planning Undergraduate: Williams College Law school: Columbia University Law School; Georgetown University Law Center (1965, 1966)

Name: Charles I. Kampinski Firm: Kampinski and Roberts, LPA Specialty: Medical malpractice and catastrophic injury Undergraduate: OSU Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1974) • Other dream job: Professional golfer.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Dodge Dart, I bought it with the money I saved from my paper route.

• What’s your hidden talent: Singing and bowling.

80 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Daniel Karon Firm: Karon LLC Specialty: Plaintiffs’ and defense class-action litigation Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1991) Synagogue: Jewish Family Experience • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: The Fairmount. Great good, vibe and patio. Dogs love it there, too.

• Other dream job: Law professor by day, bestselling author by night.

• Most prized possession: Mezuzah and chai necklace.

Name: Steven S. Kaufman Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Complex and “bet the company” business litigation Undergraduate: Colgate University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1975) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Solving seemingly unresolvable problems with clients who are happy with the result and appreciate what it took to obtain it. Least: The deteriorating quality of opposing advocates.

• Other dream job: Third base, New York Mets.

• Most prized possession: Collection of rocks from Normandy Beach (Omaha Beach), Mount Etna (Italy), Greek ruins in Sicily and the Jordan River (Israel).

Name: S. Lee Kohrman Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Family succession Undergraduate: Harvard Law school: Harvard Law School (1953) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Voter registration in PA. • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: fire food and drink and L’Albatros; good food, good service, good owners.

• Most prized possession: Picture of my family.

Name: Lee Korland Firm: Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP Specialty: Commercial real estate Undergraduate: Brandeis University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2008) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Brassica in the new Van Aken District. The food is incredible, and we love spending time walking around the District.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Ford Taurus (thanks Dad).

• What’s your hidden talent: Try to beat me in Super Mario Kart.

JANUARY 31, 2020 Name: Brett Krantz Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Commercial litigation Undergraduate: Dartmouth College Law school: University of Chicago’s Law School (1990) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Throwing on a backpack and going with my family on a tour of Southeast Asia.

Name: Donald E. Lampert Firm: Calfee Specialty: Workers’ compensation Undergraduate: University of Pittsburgh Law school: CWRU School of Law (1986) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 7.”

• Other dream job: I have it – Adjunct Professor at CWRU School of Law teaching workers’ compensation.

• Most prized possession: My father’s Wedgwood Collection.

Name: Jack Landskroner Firm: The Landskroner Law Firm Specialty: Personal injury, wrongful death and insurance claims Undergraduate: Boston University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1992) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Playing music and writing fiction.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping clients find solutions to insurmountable problems. Least: Too many hours.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can cook.

Name: Kenneth M. Lapine Firm: Miller Goler Faeges Lapine LLP Specialty: Real estate, finance and consumer credit Undergraduate: Dartmouth College Law school: University of Michigan’s Law School (1967) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel to Israel, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

• What’s your hidden talent: My hidden talent is not so hidden. I have been The Great Kabuki, a children’s magician, since I was 8 years old, performing for thousands of youngsters in Cleveland, Hanover, New Hampshire and Ann Arbor, Mich.

LOCAL LAWYERS

Name: Jeff Lazarus Firm: Office of the Federal Public Defender Specialty: Indigent criminal defense Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2005) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Baba O’Reilly” by The Who. • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Getting to know my clients and finding out the best way I can help them. Least: The number of cases that I have makes it difficult to give 100% effort on every case.

• What’s your hidden talent: Immense amount of trivia knowledge about sports, “Star Wars” and “The Simpsons.”

Name: Anthony Lazzaro Firm: The Lazzaro Law Firm, LLC Specialty: Employment, overtime and minimum wage law Undergraduate: Vanderbilt University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2004) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • Other dream job: I would like to work as a tour guide in an art museum. I can easily spend hours in museums. When I studied in Italy I would often lead impromptu tours through the Uffizi Museum in Florence.

• Most prized possession: My most prized possession is my espresso machine. It’s a La Marzocco GS3 from Florence, Italy, which I’ve owned for 6 years. I’ve been to the factory in Florence where it’s made.

• What’s your hidden talent: Finding four-leaf clovers. I find them all the time. I’ve found hundreds of them. Now I’m working on passing this talent down to my children.

Name: Jordan D. Lebovitz Firm: Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy Co., LPA Specialty: Personal injury involving truck crashes, negligent security actions and other catastrophic injury/ death litigation Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: Chicago-Kent College of Law (2013) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel. Read. Eat. Repeat.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Being able to help regular people, not big corporations.

Least: The unpredictable schedule of a trial lawyer.

• Most prized possession: My 25-to 30-plus-year friendships.

Name: Jeffrey A. Leikin Firm: Jeffrey A. Leikin, LLC Specialty: Personal injury litigation Undergraduate: University of Colorado Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1984) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.”

• Other dream job: High school history teacher and coach.

• What’s your hidden talent: My sense of humor.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Name: Kevin Lenson Firm: Elk & Elk Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Law school: University of Toledo (1996) • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Meeting all types of people. Least: Dealing with insurance companies.

• Other dream job: Sportscaster.

• What’s your hidden talent: Imitations.

Name: David W. Leopold Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Immigration law Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law (1985) Synagogue: Solon Chabad • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Doing photography; mostly street and landscape.

I’d also work on my video editing skills.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Mind Your Own Business” by Delta 5.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Fighting the government. Least: Fighting the government.

Name: Dustin S. Lewis Firm: Lieberman, Dvorin & Dowd, LLC Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: University of Delaware Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2007) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Gimmie Shelter” by the Rolling Stones.

• Other dream job: Guitar player in a band.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1997 Pontiac Grand Am, bought it with my own money saved from giving tennis lessons.

Name: Scott M. Lewis Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Mergers and acquisitions, corporate and franchising Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: University of Chicago’s Law School (1984) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Getting into a car, driving to a part of the country that I haven’t spent much time in before, and enjoying nature through walks and short jogs with my dogs and the occasional golf game, reading on a variety of topics both related and (mostly) unrelated to the legal profession; sampling new activities that will stimulate the mind and body without clashing with my innate risk aversion; visiting with my out-of-town adult children until I have worn out my welcome.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: A lesser-known Frank Sinatra classic, “Let Me Try Again.”

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1972 Plymouth Duster, Olive Green (nicknamed “Sherman” because it was dented in several spots and looked like a tank); the car was a gift of sorts from my father and his wife.

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 81

Name: Mordechai N. Lichtenstein Firm: Guardian Connection LLC Specialty: Legal guardianship, probate and elder law Undergraduate: Yeshiva College Law school: University of Maryland School of Law (2003) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Taking off three months from work may be a dream for some, but I honestly enjoy my work and building the business.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: More noise?! Instead, how about a literal rendition of “The Sound of Silence.”

• Most prized possession: My wife, Vicki, and kids, Eitan, Sara and Rachel.

Name: Seth Linnick Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Specialty: Business litigation Undergraduate: George Washington University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2008) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Truth Hurts” by Lizzo.

• Other dream job: NBA point guard, preferably for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but I’m open to other teams that are interested.

• What’s your hidden talent: My kids tell me that I make great pancakes. My secret? I found a really good pancake mix at Trader Joe’s.

Name: Gary Lieberman Firm: Lieberman, Dvorin & Dowd, LLC Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1981) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Being in my mid-60s, I would spend my time pursuing a healthy lifestyle. I would exercise more, eat well and reduce stress.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: My first car was a 1939 Oldsmobile 4 door sedan. I saw it sitting in a neighbor’s garage, knocked on the door and asked if he would sell it. I paid $75 for the car. I was 15 years old at the time.

• Most prized possession: I value my family more than any material thing. I do not have a prized possession.

Name: Lauren Lipsyc Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Specialty: Generalist with particular interest in corporate, real estate, healthcare, finance and other transactional and regulatory fields Undergraduate: Barnard College of Columbia University Law school: University of Virginia School of Law (2019) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • Other dream job: Country music radio show host.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: “Mystic” was a deep blue Jeep Compass that I shared with my sister. I found it online.

• What’s your hidden talent: I easily memorize full song lyrics and know thousands by heart.

Name: Kenneth B. Liffman Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co. LPA Specialty: Real estate, corporate, banking and transactional law Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1979) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Giovanni’s – I admire quality and over 40 years of consistency.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping people and making a difference. Least: Unnecessary angst.

• What’s your hidden talent: My drive and tenacity. Being a child of the Holocaust and recognizing my blessings and how lucky I was to have my parents meet in Cleveland.

Name: Michael Liner Firm: Liner Legal, LLC Specialty: Social Security disability Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CWRU School of Law Synagogue: 2010 • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would be a roadie for the upcoming Justin Bieber world tour.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Can’t Knock the Hustle” by Jay-Z. • Other dream job: I would love to design pocket squares.

Name: Lisa Arlyn Lowe Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Financial services, real estate and commercial transactions Undergraduate: University of Florida Law school: University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law (1979) Synagogue: Temple Emanu El • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Live in Israel and learn the country as a resident, not a tourist.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel.

• Most prized possession: My great-grandmother’s candlesticks.

Name: Michael Makofsky Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co., LPA Specialty: Corporate/business transactions Undergraduate: University of Connecticut Law school: CWRU School of Law (1999) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Imperial March” from “Star Wars.”

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Plymouth Laser. I bought it with money saved from my bar mitzvah.

• Most prized possession: Hand-made gifts from my children.

82 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Franklin C. Malemud Firm: Reminger Co. LPA Specialty: Trust and probate litigation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1997) Synagogue: Kol HaLev • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year: Larder Delicatessen and Bakery and Spice Kitchen.

• Other dream job: Musician or DJ. Name: Jack S. Malkin Firm: Jack S. Malkin, Esq Specialty: Business law Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: University of Akron’s School of Law (1981) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: 56 Kitchen in Solon – good food, atmosphere and service.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1965 Buick Wildcat from my uncle in 1971.

• Most prized possession: My watch and baseball card collection.

Name: Ellen S. Mandell Firm: Law Office of Ellen S. Mandell Specialty: Family law Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1977) • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I enjoy helping my clients navigate the difficult circumstances they are experiencing.

I least enjoy when people are invested in hurting their current/former spouse.

• Other dream job: Chef or movie critic.

• Most prized possession: My schnoodle, Charlie.

Name: Dale H. Markowitz Firm: Thrasher Dinsmore & Dolan Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1975) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple

Name: Daniel Messeloff Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Specialty: Business litigation and wage and hour litigation Undergraduate: Washington University in St. Louis Law school: Fordham University School of Law (2001) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • Other dream job: Before I was a lawyer, I worked as a sportswriter for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, ESPN The Magazine and other publications. That was my dream job and I’d go back to it if I could.

JANUARY 31, 2020 Name: Donald H. Messinger Firm: Thompson Hine LLP Specialty: Corporate/business Undergraduate: Colgate University Law school: Duke Law School (1968) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Take our seven grandchildren on a trip to Israel to visit the Western Wall.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Nighttown – good food, great service, and a terrific owner in Brendon Ring.

• What’s your hidden talent: Doing laundry on Sundays, while my wife, Sally, is out selling real estate.

Name: Anne L. Meyers Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Business/construction Undergraduate: OSU Law school: Capitol University Law School (1977) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel and Beth El Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Driving across the country visiting family, friends and seeing America • Most prized possession: Family pictures and kids childhood notes.

• What’s your hidden talent: So deeply hidden I’m not sure what it is.

Name: David S. Michel Firm: Law Office of David S. Michel Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: Case Western Reserve School of Law (1983) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: With the political season starting to get into high gear, I would take the time to work on a political candidate’s campaign.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Helping the underdog attain satisfaction against the big companies is what I like most. I really don’t care for the business side of owning my own practice.

• What’s your hidden talent: I love to bake a good cake and I find it very relaxing.

Name: Barry J. Miller Firm: Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP Specialty: Construction law Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU College of Law (1983) Synagogue: Celebrating Jewish Life and The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Visiting the U.S. National Parks.

• Other dream job: Architect.

• What’s your hidden talent: Photography.

LOCAL LAWYERS

Name: Aaron Minc Firm: Minc Law Specialty: Internet defamation Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2010) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC. • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: One answer for both questions, the people.

• Most prized possession: Rumble Roller, amazing device under $50 for muscle knots.

Name: David Minc Firm: David Minc, Attorney LLC Specialty: Corporate law Undergraduate: Hofstra University Law school: Cornell Law School (1972) Synagogue: Temple Israel and Beth El Congregation • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Aladdin’s in Akron. It is casual, easy, the food is always freshly made, and it offers just a bit of a break from the typical routine.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I most enjoy connecting with clients, addressing and solving one of their problems. I least enjoy litigation. It is a huge waste of resources and the process is unpleasant.

• What’s your hidden talent: I cook Chinese food.

Occasionally, we host Asian dinners.

Name: Howard Mishkind Firm: Mishkind Kulwicki Law Co. LPA Specialty: Plaintiff personal injury and medical malpractice Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1980) Synagogue: Temple Emanu El • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Hiking and riding horses in Arizona.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year: Six Restaurant in Kirtland.

• What’s your hidden talent: Can’t say. It is still hidden.

Name: Suzann Moskowitz Firm: The Moskowitz Firm Specialty: Trademark, copyright and technology transactions Undergraduate: Cornell University Law school: Standford Law School (2003) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I’d love an immersive volunteer program where I could work with my hands, master a foreign language, and maybe eat delicious local cuisine.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Market Hall at Van Aken as often as possible because there are so many great food choices.

• What’s your hidden talent: Functioning on very little sleep.

SUPER ATTORNEYS

JANUARY 31, 2020

Name: Susannah Muskovitz Firm: Muskovitz & Lemmerbrock, LLC Specialty: Labor Undergraduate: McGill University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1984) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Working with union leaders to resolve workplace disputes.

Least: Opposing counsel when they are unnecessarily confrontational.

• Other dream job: When I was little, I wanted to be a plumber, just like my dad (who was a plumber for 15 years, before he became a lawyer at the age of 41).

Sometimes I still think it would have been a good profession for me.

• What’s your hidden talent: I am a very good designer (I take after my mom).

Name: Richard A. Naegele Firm: Wickens Herzer Panza Specialty: Employee benefits and ERISA Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1979) Synagogue: Oheb Shalom Temple • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Solving complex problems and assisting clients with retirement plan issues. Least: My commute to and from my office • Other dream job: University professor.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: A Chevy Impala convertible. The car belonged to my parents.

Name: David Neumann Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Corporate restructuring Undergraduate: Tufts University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1997) Synagogue: Beth Israel-The West Temple • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: Midnight at the Oasis

by Maria Muldaur.

• Most prized possession: My youngest daughter and I have a collection of Muppet action figures that were made by a now bankrupt toy manufacturer called Palisades Toys. We expand – I mean – she expands the collection every year.

• What’s your hidden talent: I am a master of trivial activities.

Name: Steve Nobil Firm: Fisher Fillips Specialty: Management side of labor and employment Undergraduate: Baldwin Wallace University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1972) Synagogue: Temple Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Reviewing, revising and expanding my book of “Nobilisms” for publication.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Roll Me Away” by Bob Seeger and the Silver Bullet Band.

• What’s your hidden talent: I am a self-taught pianist.

Name: Tod Northman Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Specialty: Transactional aviation and artificial intelligence technologies Undergraduate: Portland State University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1994) Synagogue: Green Road Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Study at a yeshiva in Jerusalem. Sabbaticals are a thing in the Pacific Northwest, so my family did just that in 2008 and it was fantastic. We rented an apartment in Bakka and each learned for two months, one month on either side of a month of touring. This time, I’d be able to learn with my older son, who is already studying in Israel for the year.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: Theme song to “The Incredibles” – not because I’m particularly special but because I’ve spent so much time watching it.

• Most prized possession: Wrangler fleece-lined jeans.

They are so comfortable and cozy that I look forward to winter so I have an excuse to wear them. I wish my family understood that they really are stylish.

Name: Andrew November Firm: Linger Legal, LLC Specialty: Disability litigation Undergraduate: University of Cincinnati Law school: CWRU School of Law (2009) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I am not sure where I would go, but I know I would be without my smartphone and computer.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Good as Hell” by Lizzo.

• Other dream job: Snowplow driver.

Name: Brad Ortman Firm: Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper Specialty: Immigration law Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: George Washington University School of Law (1995) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Baby I’m a Star” by Prince.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: I love working with people from different cultures, helping them to realize the American dream. Least: Government bureaucratic problems.

• Other dream job: Batting cleanup on a World Series champion.

Name: Lawrence E. Oscar Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Specialty: Corporate, M&A, insolvency and Chapter 11s Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania– Wharton School Law school: NYU School of Law (1981) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 83 would you spend it: 30 days visiting family, 30 days tracking family history in Europe and 30 days to try to improve my golf game.

• Other dream job: Culture reviewer and critic for large newspaper.

• Most prized possession: My late father’s bar mitzvah ring that I wear every day.

Name: Miriam Pearlmutter Firm: Walter Havefield LLP Specialty: School law Undergraduate: Barnard College/ Columbia University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2011) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Wild Thing” by The Troggs.

• Other dream job: I’d love to be in advertising.

• Most prized possession: Keurig Coffee Maker – it’s the reason I wake up every day.

Name: Elizabeth L. Perla Firm: The Perla Law Firm, LLC Specialty: Estate planning, probate, elder law and family law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2007) Synagogue: Beachwood Kehilla • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would travel the world. I enjoy places of natural beauty and would steer clear of cities.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I enjoy meeting with people and helping solve their problems. I don’t enjoy driving to and from work. I am looking forward to self-driving cars.

• Most prized possession: This year my husband and I were blessed with a baby boy. We now have four wonderful children. My family is the most important part of my life.

Name: Jeffrey A. Perlmutter Firm: Frantz Ward LLP Specialty: Employee benefits Undergraduate: Tulane University Law school: American University Washington College of Law; Georgetown University Law Center (1975, 1979) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Name: Robert B. Port Firm: Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Specialty: Commercial litigation Undergraduate: Drexel University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2004) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Israel, I’ve never been.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “It Takes Two” by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock.

• Most prized possession: Complete set of 1966 Topps baseball cards.

84 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: David A. Posner Firm: Zashin & Rich Co., LPA Specialty: Employment law and litigation, representing management Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1989) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Working at All City Candy.

• Other dream job: To own a major sports team.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1979 Mercury Capri, surprise gift from my parents.

Name: Howard Rabb Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co., LPA Specialty: Estate planning and bankruptcy Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1986) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “I’m Alright.”

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Toyota Celica, which I saved for working part time.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can stay very cool in an emergency.

Name: Julie E. Rabin Firm: Rabin & Rabin Co. LPA Specialty: Bankruptcy Undergraduate: Northwestern University Law school: NYU Law School (1981) Synagogue: Solon Chabad and Cleveland Partnership Minyan • What was your first car, and how did you get it: Buick LaSabre – it was my training car – I recall backing it into a number of garage posts. I bought it very used from my dad and then, when I wanted to upgrade, he “bought” it back from me.

• Most prized possession: Steinway Grand Piano.

• What’s your hidden talent: For family occasions I fete the honoree with a song about them (lyrics I write set to a known tune – both the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and “The Frozen Logger” song work well).

Name: Alan M. Rauss Firm: Kohrman, Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Employment law and corporate transactions Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School Law school: University of Michigan Law School (1972) Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Traveling the world with my wife, Marcie Bergman, seeing great art, meeting interesting people, eating wonderful food and drinking great wine.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: The best part of the job is using my experience and expertise to help people succeed in their businesses. The worst part of being a lawyer is that it is stressful. Clients do not call when everything is going perfectly well. We are often dealing with critical issues and they often need to be addressed without delay. While that is inherently stressful, assisting in the successful resolution of those issues is very rewarding.

JANUARY 31, 2020 • What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1967 Blue Mustang convertible. It was brand new and beautiful. Then, on the evening of the third day that I owned the car, a driver coming the other way on Cedar Road fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the center line and hit me head on. Fortunately, no one was injured and the car was repaired.

Name: Carole S. Rendon Firm: BakerHostetler Specialty: White collar, investigations and securities enforcement and litigation Undergraduate: Northwestern University Law school: Northwestern University School of Law (1987) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would rent an apartment in Jerusalem and spend the time traveling throughout Israel.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Three Palms. My husband loves the lasagna and I love the pizza. The fact that it is my brother Michael Schwartz’s restaurant is an added bonus.

• Most prized possession: A pearl necklace that all of the women in my family own. My cousin had individual matching necklaces made for all of us from a string of my great grandmother’s pearls.

Name: Jodi B. Rich Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: George Washington University Law school: CWRU School of Law (2000) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Manic Monday.” Sometimes, all the days of the week feel like Monday.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I have an inside scoop on the comings and goings in the local retail market. What I like the least is the loss of some great retailers over the past decade.

• Other dream job: Rabbi.

Name: Stephen D. Richman Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: University of Miami Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1985) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Volunteering to help my friend, Michael Green, save the planet.

• Other dream job: Teacher or owner/director of a summer camp.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can do some voice impressions, and a “spot on” Louis Armstrong and Big Bopper on karaoke night.

LOCAL LAWYERS

Name: Barbara K. Roman Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Divorce and family law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1977) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Like most, helping families move to their chapter in life; like least, billing and timekeeping.

• Other dream job: Photojournalist for National Geographic • What’s your hidden talent: Writing. I have written nearly 80 travel journals with a combined word count far greater than “War and Peace.”

Name: Sandra J. Rosenthal Firm: Sandra J. Rosenthal Attorney at Law Specialty: Employment and appellate law Undergraduate: Syracuse University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1988) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “We Are The Champions” by Queen.

• Other dream job: Working for the foreign service.

• What’s your hidden talent: I make a great Caribbean curried chicken.

Name: Irving Rosner Firm: Dworken & Bernstein Co. LPA Specialty: Employment and workers compensation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1979) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • Other dream job: Sportscasting.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: An Oldsmobile Cutlass. I worked two part time jobs while going to school.

• What’s your hidden talent: My ability to find the silver lining in the most adverse circumstances.

Name: Alan G. Ross Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Labor, management Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1975) Synagogue: Waxman Chabad.

• If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Canoe tripping in the Canadian wilderness.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping clients is my source of satisfaction. Least: Frustration over the speed of legal process • What’s your hidden talent: I am a musician.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

Name: Marc D. Rossen Firm: Petronzio Schneier Co., LPA Specialty: Startup law and internet law Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1994) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • Other dream job: Lead guitarist for Weezer.

• Most prized possession: My iPhone. I can’t seem to put it down.

• What’s your hidden talent: My ability to convince people that I am the best lawyer in Cleveland. Is it working?

Name: Richard Rymond Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Medical/dental liability defense Undergraduate: Macalester College Law school: CWRU School of Law (1982) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Self-imposed boot camp consisting of exercise and diet.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Impacting an outcome to the advantage of my clients. Least: Billing.

• Most prized possession: My next motorcycle.

Name: Larry Rothenberg Firm: Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1978) Synagogue: Beachwood Kehilla • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would spend the time in Israel learning and visiting friends.

• What was your first car: My first car was a beat up Ford Maverick. It would stall at 35 mph and I would have to shift to neutral and restart it quickly, without slowing down.

• What’s your hidden talent: I am a Shotokan karate instructor. I’ve been teaching karate for 40 years.

Name: Jeremy Rzepka Firm: McGlinchy Stafford Specialty: Consumer financial services compliance Undergraduate: OSU Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (2016) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Exploring Cleveland with my son, Graham. My wife and I recently moved back to Cleveland and it would be great to explore all of the new things that Cleveland has to offer now that I’m back in town. Plus, Graham just turned 1 and I love watching him discover the world.

• Other dream job: Astronaut. I’ve always found space interesting and I have a real connection to that human desire for exploration.

• What’s your hidden talent: I’ve been playing drums for more than 20 years.

Name: Karen E. Rubin Firm: Thompson Hine LLP Specialty: Litigation, professional responsibility and legal ethics Undergraduate: CSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1985) Synagogue: Beth El-The Heights Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Touring Israel.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “My Attorney Bernie” by Dave Frishberg; lyric: “Bernie tells me what to do, Bernie always lays it on the line. Bernie says we sue, we sue; Bernie says we sign, we sign.”

• What do you enjoy most about your job: I love helping lawyers stay on the right side of our ethics rules, and also co-editing our firm’s legal ethics blog.

Name: Joy B. Savren Firm: J.B. Savren Law Specialty: Family law, estate planning and probate Undergraduate: University of Wisconsin Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1982) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I love that I can make a difference in people’s lives. Some clients can be unreasonably demanding. I also dread dealing with slow paying clients.

• Other dream job: Director of a large foundation where I can solicit and award grants.

Name: Bruce Rutsky Firm: Petronzio Schneier Co. LPA Specialty: Plaintiff’s personal injury and criminal defense Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1982) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Centerfield” by John Fogerty.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: The people I meet answer both questions.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can whistle loudly with my fingers.

Name: David A. Schaefer Firm: McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman Co. LPA Specialty: Litigation/alternative dispute resolution Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping others resolve their disputes. Least: When the others are unreasonable.

• Other dream job: Football coach.

• Most prized possession: Star sapphire ring.

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 85 Name: William E. Schonberg Firm: Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff, LLP Specialty: Debtors’ and creditors’ rights Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1979) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple Name: Douglas B. Schnee Firm: Frantz Ward LLP Specialty: Labor and employment Undergraduate: Tulane University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1994) Synagogue: Park Synagogue

Name: H Jeffrey Schwartz Firm: Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP Specialty: Business restructuring and insolvency Undergraduate: CSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1979) • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year: Gramercy Tavern.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Reaching value and creating solutions with constructive counterparties.

Name: Neal E. Shapero Firm: Shapero & Roloff Co., LPA Specialty: Plaintiff’s medical malpractice, nursing home neglect and personal injury Undergraduate: KSU Law school: The University of Akron’s School of Law (1984) Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “I’ve Gotta Be Me” by Sammy Davis Jr. • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I most enjoy helping individuals and families who might not otherwise have a voice to right a wrong. When I am unable to help people is what I like least about my job.

• Other dream job: Teacher.

Name: Patricia A. Shlonsky Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Employee benefits Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: OSU Moritz College of Law (1984) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Starting to write the great American novel.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “What I Like About You” by The Romantics.

• Most prized possession: Toss-up between my framed Jack Benny autograph and my autographed copy of Linda Ronstadt’s album “Heart Like a Wheel.”

86 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Marvin A. Sicherman Firm: Marvin A. Sicherman, Attorney Specialty: Bankruptcy and commercial law Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1990) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Touring Israel and visiting friends and relatives.

• Other dream job: I’ve got it. For the past 10 years I’ve been an adjunct professor teaching bankruptcy law at CWRU. • What was your first car, and how did you get it: A black 1949 Chevy convertible I bought in 1953 for $1,000 cash.

Name: Marc Alan Silverstein Firm: Jones Day Specialty: Real estate and construction Undergraduate: Brown University Law school: Harvard Law School (1980) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would rent an apartment in Boston’s Back Bay and use it as a base for sailing on the Charles and take various short trips throughout New England and sit on courses and lectures at Harvard University.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Cleveland Rocks.”

• Other dream job: Host on “Jeopardy” (when Alex Trebeck retires).

Name: Joseph S. Simms Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Financial services, professional liability, securities litigation, and trust and probate litigation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1996) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Working in animal shelters.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Helping business owners solve problems. Least: Getting bogged down in discovery disputes.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can eat an entire sleeve of Oreos in one sitting.

Name: Paul J. Singerman Firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Specialty: Real estate, banking and business Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1983) Synagogue: Temple Israel Ner Tamid • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I enjoy helping clients solve complex problems and get real estate and business deals done.

My least favorite aspect of the job is probably the same as most other lawyers in private practice, that is, keeping track of billable hours.

• Other dream job: I think I have my dream job. I enjoy the practice of law and can’t think of anything I would rather do. However, if I had to pick another job, it would be the president of a major airline. My father was in the airline

JANUARY 31, 2020 business, I learned to fly as a teenager and I have always loved aviation.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1967 Buick Electra 225. It was my grandmother’s and she gave it to me.

Name: Roni Sokol Firm: Sokol Law Firm Specialty: Personal injury Undergraduate: UCLA Law school: Southwestern Law School (1995) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “This Girl Is On Fire” by Alicia Keys.

• What do you enjoy most your job: I love helping people in need.

• What’s your hidden talent: Putting furniture together.

Name: Robert E. Somogyi Firm: Kuenzi/Somogyi, Attorneys Specialty: Family law Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1993) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I enjoy the freedom of making my own hours and choosing what cases I wish to accept. However, practicing primarily in the area of family law, there are not many rewarding days. This is because most people are not satisfied with getting half of the marital property (as they view it as giving away half of their “stuff”) and most are not pleased with seeing their children approximately half of the time.

• Other dream job: Professional golfer, sports broadcaster or anything not related to arguing about how to divide children and money could be considered a dream job.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: My first car was a 1982 Dodge Charger that my father had given to me. Although, the first car that I purchased was a 1984 Chevy Monte Carlo. Growing up in Mayfield, it had to have large chrome rims and racing stripe upgrades for Mayfield Road street credibility.

Name: Loren M. Sonkin Firm: Loren M. Sonkin, Esq. Specialty: Estate planning, and probate and elder law Undergraduate: Purdue University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1989) • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Cowell & Hubbard.

Great choices for vegetarians and great wine program.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: Beethoven’s 5th Symphony. No particular reason, but that would be fun.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1984 Convertible Mustang. Bought in 1984. Saved up for it and paid cash.

Name: Scott Spero Firm: Bentoff & Spero Co., LPA Specialty: Personal injury and litigation Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1986) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month

LOCAL LAWYERS

sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Having completed seven Ironman triathlons, I would use the time to train to obtain a qualifying time for the Hawaii Ironman.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I enjoy the opportunity to help others and make a difference in their. lives. What do I least enjoy? What’s there not to enjoy.

• What’s your hidden talent: Playing percussion at The Temple-Tifereth Israel.

Name: David Steiger Firm: Karp Steiger Specialty: Workers’ compensation and personal injury Undergraduate: OSU Law school: Capital University’s Law School (1992) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “The Tonight Show” theme.

• Other dream job: Forest ranger.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: Toyota Corrola, purchased from a friend’s mother.

Name: Laurel G. Stein Firm: Nee Law Firm Specialty: Domestic relations Undergraduate: Washington University-St. Louis Law school: University of Memphis’ Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (1999) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Shuhei, excellent sushi.

• Other dream job: Magistrate or judge.

• What’s your hidden talent: Cleaning and organizing.

Name: Stanley E. Stein Firm: Stanley E. Stein Specialty: Debtor/Creditor & General Practice Undergraduate: CWRU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1962) Synagogue: Formerly Temple Emanu El • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “The Impossible Dream.”

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: A 1939 Chevrolet, I bought in when I was in college with money I saved up from the G.I. Bill.

• Most prized possession: My great-granddaughter.

Name: Marc Stolarsky Firm: Marc L. Stolarsky Law LLC Specialty: Estate planning, probate, family law and pet trusts Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1995) Synagogue: Temple Israel Ner Tamid • Other dream job: Writing books and, this is important, making money at it.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: I bought a Dodge Dart in 1977. I called it the “deathmobile.”

• What’s your hidden talent: My hidden strength powerlifting massive amounts of weights.

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Name: Susan Stone Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Student and athlete defense/Title IX Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: Case Western Reserve School of Law (19910 Synagogue: Jewish Family Experience • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, but sung by Idina Menzel.

• Other dream job: Lobbyist for disabled students.

• What’s your hidden talent: I make a mean chicken soup.

Name: Roger Synenberg Firm: Synenberg & Associates, LLC Specialty: White collar criminal defense Undergraduate: American University Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1976)

Name: Ronald J. Teplitzky Firm: Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., LPA Specialty: Commercial lending and business transactions Undergraduate: Ohio University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1987) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Golf lessons.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “You’ve Got A Friend In Me.” • Other dream job: General counsel at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Name: Michael S. Tucker Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Bankruptcy and creditors’ rights Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1986) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation Name: Peter Turner Firm: Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis Specialty: Civil litigation Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1981) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: With family, particularly as much time as possible with my two grandchildren, organizing personal matters, read a few books, some travel with my wife.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: We have so many excellent local restaurants I spread it around as much as possible. Consistently good food and service keep me coming back.

• Other dream job: I’m living the dream.

Name: Michael N. Ungar Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Litigation Undergraduate: Boston University Law school: Boston University’s School of Law (1984) Synagogue: Temple Israel Ner Tamid • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Volunteering to help people through Legal Aid. • Other dream job: Fishing boat captain.

• Most prized possession: Zeus, our wonderful Bernese mountain dog.

Name: Mark I. Wachter Firm: Wachter Kurant, LLC Specialty: Arbitration and mediation of business, construction and real estate disputes Undergraduate: University of Michigan Law school: American University’s Washington College of Law (1976) Synagogue: Beachwood Kehilla • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Travel and study in Israel.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Touch of Grey” by the Grateful Dead.

• Other dream job: Orchestra conductor Name: Mark I. Wallach Firm: Walter Haverfield LLP Specialty: Business litigation Undergraduate: Wesleyan University Law school: Harvard Law School (1974) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Solving complex problems and helping people navigate the justice system. Least: Dealing with courts that don’t try to follow the law.

• What’s your hidden talent: I sing in the Western Reserve Chorale.

Name: David Waxman Firm: McGlinchey Stafford Specialty: Real estate development and finance, environmental Undergraduate: OSU Law school: University of Toledo’s College of Law (1986) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Working with AJC to combat anti-Semitism around the country through education and bridgebuilding.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Voodoo Child” by Jimi Hendrix.

• Other dream job: Playing keyboards for the Stones.

Name: Joseph “Jake” Weinberg Firm: McDonald Hopkins Specialty: Commercial finance Undergraduate: OSU Law school: University of Miami School of Law (2013) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would spend a 3-month sabbatical from work traveling the world with my wife and daughter.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Hang on Sloopy” by OSU marching band • Most prized possession: My family and basset hound, Tress.

Name: Jerome F. Weiss Firm: MediationInc Specialty: Mediation Undergraduate: Syracuse University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1971) Synagogue: Congregation Shaarey Tikvah • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Try to See it My Way.” • Other dream job: Chef in a great restaurant where nobody is allowed to be critical.

• Most prized possession: A nice 20-year vertical collection of Dehlinger and Rochioli pinot noir.

Name: Leon A. Weiss Firm: Reminger Co., LPA Specialty: Trust and probate litigation Undergraduate: Bucknell University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1963)

Name: Robert B. Weltman Firm: Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA Specialty: Creditors rights and collections Undergraduate: OSU Law school: CWRU School of Law (1965) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would spend my time globetrotting in hopes of catching as many major sporting events as possible: the World Cup, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the World Series – I would love to be a part of it all.

• Other dream job: Working as a statistician or analyst for a major sporting team would be my alternative dream job, the perfect culmination of my attention to detail and my love of sports.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: I purchased a Chevrolet for $100 from my uncle who owned the largest car lot in Ohio at the time.

88 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG Name: Scott S. Weltman Firm: Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co., LPA Specialty: Creditors rights and collections Undergraduate: University of Southern California Law school: USC Gould School of Law (1989) Synagogue: Park Synagogue • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would spend it traveling around the world and experiencing as many cultures and places as possible.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: I enjoy going to Flour restaurant in Moreland Hills. It’s relatively close to home, and the rustic Italian atmosphere is great. My whole family enjoys going – there’s something on the menu for everyone.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I’m fortunate to have such awesome clients, and working with them is the most enjoyable part of my job. Being able to communicate with them and understand their needs is important. Representing them and producing the positive results they’re looking for is the fun part; my least favorite part of my job is the walk from my car into the office throughout the winter months. Ohio winters can get brutal.

Name: Frederick N. Widen Firm: Ulmer & Berne LLP Specialty: Tax Undergraduate: CSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (1981) Synagogue: Suburban Temple-Kol Ami • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Larchmere Tavern – proximity and good food.

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: Most: Working with clients to solve problems. Least: Recording time.

• What was your first car, and how did you get it: 1965 Rambler Classic. Found it in an ad in the Sun Press. Cost $175.

Name: Jonathan Wilbur Firm: Jonathan Zev Wilbur, Esq LLC Specialty: Guardian Ad Litem Undergraduate: NYU Law school: Forham Law School (2000) Synagogue: Beachwood Kehilla • What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: My own kitchen. My wife is a great cook.

• Other dream job: Woodworking/construction.

• What’s your hidden talent: I am a good builder. I made an elaborate swingset in our backyard, a large tire swing, a playhouse for my daughters, and (when my son told me they wouldn’t play in the girlie house), a treehouse for my sons.

JANUARY 31, 2020 Name: Scott J. Wilkov Firm: Tucker Ellis LLP Specialty: Products liability litigation Undergraduate: American University Law school: University of Arizona College of Law (1992) Synagogue: The Temple-Tifereth Israel • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: Coaching mock trial and teaching high school students about the law.

• What local restaurant have you dined at most this past year, and what keeps you going back: Burntwood Tavern.

The food is consistently good and menu varies.

• Most prized possession: The chai necklace I inherited from my grandfather. I have worn it virtually every day for the last 30 years.

Name: John M. Wirtshafter Firm: McDonald Hopkins LLC Specialty: Employee benefits and executive compensation Undergraduate: Indiana University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1984) • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: The theme song from “The Tonight Show” with Ed McMahon saying, ”Here’s Johnny.”

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job: I love having the opportunity to help people and to work with smart, honorable, and considerate clients and coworkers. I don’t enjoy having to track my time or bill for my services.

• Other dream job: I assume that at my age it is too late for me to become a professional soccer player.

Name: Marshall J. Wolf Firm: Wolf and Akers, LPA Specialty: Family law Undergraduate: Miami University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1967) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Put Me In Coach.”

• Other dream job: Baseball announcer.

• Most prized possession: My Leroy Neiman items.

Name: Melissa Yasinow Firm: Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP Specialty: Student and athlete defense, Title IX Undergraduate: Mount Holyoke College Law school: CWRU School of Law (2011) Synagogue: Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys.

• Other dream job: Comedian.

• What’s your hidden talent: I’m really good at strategy games and puzzles.

LOCAL LAWYERS

Name: Andrew Zashin Firm: Zashin & Rich Co., LPA Specialty: Family law Undergraduate: Brown University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1993) Synagogue: Solon Chabad • When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC. • Most prized possession: My dog, Hugo the Boerboel.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can cook.

Name: Jeffrey D. Zimon Firm: Zimon LLC Specialty: Employee benefits and compensation/ ERISA Undergraduate: Brandeis University Law school: CWRU School of Law (1992) Synagogue: B’nai Jeshurun Congregation • Other dream job: Builder.

• Most prized possession: Wedding ring. It has never come off my hand, since my wife put it there.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can use power tools – any type. And, I can fix almost anything with enough time.

Perhaps not so hidden.

Name: Ami Zukowsky Firm: Zukowsky Law LLC Specialty: Litigation and divorce Undergraduate: Yeshiva University Law school: Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law (2013) Synagogue: Beachwood Kehilla • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: We have a newborn at home. So I would stay home with her. While she napped, I would write the next great American screenplay.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Renegade” by Styx.

• What’s your hidden talent: I can complain about anything.

Name: Gary A. Zwick Firm: Walter Haverfield LLP Specialty: Taxation and trust and estates Undergraduate: KSU Law school: CSU Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Georgetown University’s Law Center (1979,1981) • If you could take a 3-month sabbatical from work, how would you spend it: I would finish the Super 8 movies made by me and my friends Bob Weiss, Bob Ginsberg and my cousin Neil Kogan when we were kids in the 1960s and submit them to the Sundance Film Festival.

• When you walk into a room, what “intro song” should start playing: “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.

• What’s your hidden talent: Can still throw a football more than 50 yards (I’m 65 years old).

Attorneys included in this section completed a questionnaire that was emailed to attorneys and/or firms by the Cleveland Jewish News. The questionnaire also was available at cjn.org and included in our Boker Tov newsletter. Some opted not to answer all questions.

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JANUARY 31, 2020

CJN.ORG | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | 89

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90 | CLEVELAND JEWISH NEWS | CJN.ORG

JANUARY 31, 2020

LOCAL LAWYERS

12 Elk & Elk Attorneys Recognized on 2020 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists We are proud to announce that 12 of our attorneys and 2 of counsel attorneys have earned inclusion on the annual Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Elk & Elk attorneys are recognized each year by peers in the legal industry and respected attorney-rating systems for their dedication to helping injury victims.

Partners Jay Kelley, John O’Neil, Phillip Kuri, Marilena DiSilvio, and R. Craig McLaughlin, and attorneys Gary Cowan, Amy Papesh, Michael Eisner, William Price, William Campbell, and Kevin Lenson were recognized on the 2020 Super Lawyers list.

Attorney Kimberly Young was named to the 2020 Rising Stars list.

Kelley, O’Neil, and Price earned spots on the Top 100 Ohio Super Lawyers and Top 50 Cleveland Super Lawyers lists.

DiSilvio earned spots on the Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers and Top 25 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers Lists. Papesh, who heads Elk & Elk’s Probate Division was recognized on the Top 25 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers list.

Managing Partner, Arthur Elk stated, “I’m proud of our family of attorneys and the level of success they’ve achieved both in the courtroom and by gaining the highest level of respect through their peer recognition.”

LEFT TO RIGHT: James Kelley III*†, John O’Neil*†, Phillip Kuri*, Marilena DiSilvio*‡~, R. Craig McLaughlin*, Gary Cowan*, Amy Papesh*~, Michael Eisner*, William Price*†, Kimberly Young**, William Campbell*, Kevin Lenson* *CHOSEN TO 2020 SUPER LAWYERS; **CHOSEN TO 2020 RISING STARS; †TOP 100 OHIO & TOP 50 CLEVELAND; ‡TOP 50 WOMEN OHIO; ~TOP 25 WOMEN CLEVELAND

“When Art and I founded Elk & Elk 35 years ago, we had dreams of great success, like most business owners,” says senior partner David Elk. “Our firm continues to grow, and in the process those dreams continue to be exceeded. Not everyone here has the last name of Elk, but we are very much a family, and it is our privilege to help families in need throughout Ohio.”

Elk & Elk Co., Ltd. 6105 Parkland Blvd., Ste. 200, Mayfield Heights, OH 44118 1.800.ELK.OHIO | elkandelk.com