Crain's Cleveland Business

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VOL. 37, NO. 30

JULY 25 - 31, 2016

The List

Source Lunch

Northeast Ohio’s largest law firms Pages 25, 27 Health care: Medical scribes are giving physicians some welcome relief. Page 9

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Real estate: 55 Public Square hits market at intriguing time Page 26

Broadcaster Austin Carr on the Cavs ending the championship drought, playing in the team’s early days Page 22

RNC IN CLE

SPORTS BUSINESS

City delivers on grand stage

Indians surging on field, at gate

By KEVIN KLEPS kkleps@crain.com @KevinKleps

The Cleveland Indians’ franchiserecord 14-game winning streak, which was finally snapped on July 2, added 6½ games to the Tribe’s division lead.

The remarkable run also reinforced what Combined the front office season, group has long be- and single-game lieved: If the on- tickets the field product is Indians sold really good, the in a 24-day fans will sup- span that began June 17, when port it.

During a sev- the Tribe started en-game home- a club-record, stand that start- 14-game ed — fortunately winning streak. enough for the Indians’ business team — on July 4, the Tribe sold out a pair of games and had a near-capacity crowd of 32,951 on July 9. The homestand produced an average attendance of 28,235, which was almost 70% better than the norm of 16,656 for the Indians’ first 35 home dates.

On the season, the Indians — whose 42 home games through July 24 are easily the fewest in Major League Baseball — have had four non-opener crowds of at least 30,000. That’s double the club’s 2015 total for 30,000-plus games that followed the home opener, and one ahead of 2014. In 2013, when the Indians advanced to the postseason for the first time in six years, they had six contests, not including Opening Day, that drew 30,000 or more.

“That’s the key driver — the win streak,” said Tim Salcer, who is in his

193,000

The four-day Republican National Convention concluded with Cleveland drawing praise from all over. (Dominick Reuter, Getty Images)

Mission to change perception is gaining steam

By JAY MILLER jmiller@crain.com @millerjh

Last week was a good week for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. National news broadcasts and local media outlets across the country were filled with praise for the host city of the Republican National Convention.

Perhaps best of all for civic lead-

ers, who are hoping for long-term economic growth and business attraction, that sentiment spread into the business media.

As Fortune.com put it, “(T)here does seem to be one thing that all of the delegates (and even media members) seem to agree on: Cleveland has been a fantastic host city. Cleveland’s walkability, cleanliness, friendliness and even its weather have drawn nothing but rave reviews.”

Of course, commentary like that

Entire contents © 2016 by Crain Communications Inc.

will make it easier for Destination Cleveland, the convention and visitors’ bureau, to sell the region as a tourist destination that fills hotels and restaurants.

But that’s only the first step in the strategy of civic leaders. From the beginning, Northeast Ohio’s civic and business community has seen the convention as an opportunity to rebrand the region not just as a place to visit, but as a place to do business.

SEE CITY, PAGE 24

More RNC inside Hits, misses: The good and bad of the week in Northeast Ohio. Page 2 Local business: Some fared well, some not so great. Page 4 Memories: How people will remember RNC Cleveland. Page 6 Hospitality: The industry was busy, but not above norm. Page 8 Entertainment: Vignettes from some notable spots. Page 21

SEE INDIANS, PAGE 12

LEGAL AFFAIRS

The rise of the legal machines: How technology could change firms Starting salaries for new lawyers are beginning to climb locally FOCUS, Pages 14-20

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

RNC IN CLE

Small bites: A few of the hits and misses of c The verdict? Cleveland’s capable of handing a major convention.

Of course, there were a few — al beit minor — hiccups. Here’s a taste of what Crain’s reporters saw and heard around town.

THE HITS …

THE MISSES …

What a smile: Over and over, visitors talked about the hospitality and friendliness they encountered from just about everyone, from local residents to hotel and transportation workers. Maybe Northeast Ohioans are just genuinely friendly people or still riding a high from the Cavaliers’ championship.

A remote disappointment: So many downtown workers ended up working from home or taking vacations that many of Cleveland’s business strongholds, like the Warehouse District, felt deserted. Fears of commutes from hell were largely put to rest.

The heart of it all: Fresh off its $50 million facelift, Public Square came to life during the convention with a mix of protesters, police, media, vendors and visitors. At any given moment, the square displayed plenty of oddities, touching moments and tense instances in which the officers were on high alert.

Brothers and sisters in blue: The brave officers who maintained order in Cleveland’s streets did so without trampling on protesters’ rights to peacefully assemble. Kudos, in particular, to Cleveland police chief Calvin Williams who also hit the streets with his officers.

H2-Ohio: With temperatures, at times, reaching 90 degrees, the real safety threat was dehydration.

Cheers to the city’s water division for providing the mobile drinking fountain trailers known as the Quench Buggy.

A smooth ride: All that resurfacing paid off. More than one delegate mentioned they were surprised their rides to downtown was pothole free. Let’s hope the momentum continues.

Park here … or anywhere: Downtown parking lot operators hoping for a big payday, especially those on the fringes, didn’t cash in. On any given day, lots charging double their normal daily rates were largely empty.

Rule breakers: Rule-breaking street vendors selling Donald Trump and other political wares set up shop in high-traffic areas near The Q, outside the approved vendor zone. The result?

Many of the rule-abiding peddlers of “Make America Great Again!” hats weren’t cashing in as had hoped. As Trump might say on Twitter: Sad! Terrible choice?: Talking to a group from Pennsylvania, U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan drew the ire of residents in a key swing state when we held up the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Terrible Towel.

Out of the action: It clear early on that most visitors’ days were so scheduled, it left them little time to explore restaurants and other establishments near their hotels in the suburbs. Even draws relatively close to the action, like the West Side Market, were empty.

Ask, and ye shall receive: Destination Cleveland’s crack Twitter team (@TheCLE) spent the week offering dining and transportation tips to all who asked via the #AskCLE hash tag. Destination Cleveland is apparently a big fan of Chop’s Bloody Mary.

Where’s the plug?: Some visiting media took issue with the lack of utilities in the media hub in the East Gateway garage. At one point, Ken Rubin, producer of the Michael Koolidge Show, a talk show that airs in Illinois, pointed to two water coolers, sitting unused along one wall.

“There’s no power for them, no place to plug them in” he said. “And because it’s a parking garage, there’s (not enough) bathrooms.”

Donald Trump accepts the nomination. (Getty Images)

Balloons were inflated by Garfield Heights students. (Getty Images)

Chief Calvin Williams participates in a prayer circle. (Getty Images)

Public Square functioned well as the people’s gathering space for comment and reflection it was designed to be.

The week brought protestors, supporters, politicos and exhausted delegates. For more images, go to crainscleveland.com.

(McKinley Wiley for Crain’s)

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 3

f convention week

Calfee proudly played host during the week of the Republican National Convention. receptions + The Ohio Delegation Reception with Ohio State Senate President Keith Faber (R-OH) + A reception with Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS, Chairman Senate Agriculture Committee) + A reception with Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)

breakfasts & luncheons + A luncheon with The Wall Street Journal and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) + Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal breakfast panel, a State of the Presidential Race moderated by The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Chief, Paul Gigot, along with Daniel Henninger, The Journal ’s deputy editorial page director. + Dow Jones/The Wall Street Journal breakfast panel, a Convention Conversation with Donald Trump Jr. moderated by The Wall Street Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Gerard Baker and Washington Bureau Chief

Jerry Seib + A Welcome to Ohio lunch with Congressman Steve Stivers (R-OH, Financial Services Committee) + A Victory for the Valley luncheon with the Youngstown-Warren

Regional Chamber (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

events + A Roundtable Discussion with Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost, other Republican leaders and Politico. + The International Council of Shopping Centers, along with Senator John N. Boozman (R-AR), and Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) + A Roundtable Discussion on Economic Policy hosted by Governor Sam Brownback (R-KS) with Arthur Laffer, “The Father of Supply-Side Economics” and Stephen Moore, Chief Economist of The Heritage Foundation.

Cleveland | Columbus | Cincinnati Calfee.com

Calfee Solutions is a government relations and public affairs firm that works closely with clients to help achieve their business objectives through strong relationships with key decision makers in Ohio and Kentucky. Calfee Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP.

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

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RNC IN CLE

Regional businesses have topsy-turvy week

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It was a really weird week for local businesses.

We’re not talking about bars and restaurants. You can read how a few of them endured the Republican National Convention on Page 21. We’re talking about everybody else. If your business has anything to do with downtown Cleveland, it was not a normal week.

Most hotels and official RNC vendors in Northeast Ohio did really well during the RNC. Same goes for the street vendors who broke the rules and set up shop near Euclid Avenue and East 4th Street.

For most other businesses, however, the RNC was underwhelming.

Many told Crain’s that the convention will do a lot for the city’s image, even though they lost sales while it was going on. The cause? Lots of Clevelanders avoided coming downtown (which is why so many high-priced parking spaces were empty last week).

Here’s a quick summary of what last week was like for local businesses:

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Four official RNC caterers who spoke with Crain’s said they made good money last week. And things went smoothly, even if they were sleep-deprived by the time festivities ended in the wee hours of Friday morning. For instance, Charles Klass spent all day Friday traveling between venues being served by Executive Caterers, where he is executive vice president. His last stop was Public Auditorium, which hosted an after party that went past 2 a.m.

However, there wasn’t quite as much work to go around as he initially expected. Some events were canceled, and others drew smaller crowds.

Likewise, Marigold Catering didn’t win as much business as initially an-

ticipated, partner Michael Smith said.

Still, last week’s sales exceeded all of Marigold’s sales for last July, which tends to be a slow month, he said.

Two florists who talked with Crain’s had good weeks, too, as did Balloon Crew Inc. of Garfield Heights. It helped with the balloon drop on Thursday night at The Q. Beer Distributors Inc. started delivering beverages to The Q and other downtown venues before the convention began. But the RNC could’ve actually hurt sales: There were no home Indians games, a few regular events were canceled and some of their typical downtown customers were forced to use different vendors.

Still, it was a well-run event, said Ron Natola, director of operations.

“Everything was handled well by the city,” he said.

Retail Downtown retail was pretty slow to start out the week — some storefronts in Tower City posted signs that they were closed for business through the duration of the RNC, and vendors at the usually crowded West Side Market had a tough week.

But it wasn’t all bad, and some Cleveland shops even saw business increase as the week went on.

That was the case at Prosperity Jewelry’s shop in the Arcade, which made some jewelry specifically for the convention. That uptick might have been due to convention activities at The Q starting later each night, giving people more time to check out downtown, said co-owner Cat Zurchin. She also won business from local shoppers who don’t frequently visit the Arcade.

Kim Crow, owner of Evie Lou boutique in Tremont, was glad to see the convention in town, though her shop didn’t benefit from it. She said that she had seen only one convention-related customer as of Thursday afternoon. The beginning of the week was particularly slow, but her regular clients were back and keep-

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Tourism Many of Northeast Ohio’s museums and other tourist attractions took steps to attract convention guests by offering discounted or free admission like the Great Lake Science Center and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage in Beachwood, or by planning events, like the Cleveland History Center’s Power & Politics exhibit, designed to appeal to the politically minded.

And many more were kept busy with official events and scheduled trips. For example, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland were all sites for events throughout the week.

The California delegation visited Cedar Point amusement park, and the Maryland and New Mexico delegations made trips out to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Hotels It’s safe to say that hotels downtown had a pretty good week.

Scott Schmelzer, general manager of the Drury Plaza Hotel and a 25year veteran of downtown’s hotel business, estimates downtown hotels likely charged “upwards of $400 a night” during the convention, though he declined to be specific.

That is about twice the highest daily rate of any property in the city.

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ing business steady by Thursday.

Constantino’s Market saw both sides of the RNC retail coin this week. Sales were down slightly at its downtown grocery store, said chief operating officer Andrew Revy, and the Constantino’s café at Ernst & Young Tower in the Flats lost more than half of its normal business.

Much of the building was empty.

But sales were up by about 45% at its University Circle location. The fact that police officers were staying in dorms that would otherwise be empty certainly helped, he said.

Crocker Park in Westlake saw a “notable increase in traffic,” thanks to delegates and other guests staying in hotels or apartments on or near the property, said Lisa Schwan, director of communications for Stark Enterprises, the developer and manager of the retail center, in an email. And many of its restaurants had been full “into the early morning hours,” she said.

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Reprints: 212-210-0750 Krista Bora kbora@crain.com, Customer service and subscriptions 877-824-9373 Volume 37, Number 30 Crain’s s Cleveland Bus sines ss (ISSN 0197-2375) is published weekly at 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 441131230. Copyright © 2016 by Crain Communications Inc. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, Ohio, and at additional mailing offices. Price per copy: $2.00. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Crain’s s Cleveland Bus sines ss, Circulation Department, 1155 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48207-2912.

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Tony Davis Clevelander just soaking up the environment “Total chaos, but it was good for the city. We’re on the upswing. To have MSNBC, CNN and the eyes of the world on us, it’s uplifting for the city as well as the people.”

Kristi Nichols Guest of a Missouri delegate and U.S. Senate candidate “I’m going to remember that is an historical time for the RNC, for the convention and for we the people to be heard.”

Len Komoroski CEO, Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena “So many great moments, but I remember walking past the set of the ‘Today Show’ on a jam-packed East 4th Street and they were playing Canton’s own O’Jays ‘Love Train,’ and how it struck me that summed up this convention. It was a lovefest all around for all things Cleveland and the tremendous job our police did. Never has our city shown brighter. The overarching goal was to change the dialogue regarding Cleveland on a national and international basis. Mission accomplished!”

BUSINESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Hotels agreed to a stipulated rate with the RNC, and Destination Cleveland, which does joint marketing for the region’s hotels and hoteliers declined to disclose their rates.

The new Drury Plaza Hotel was full

Melania Trump was accused of plagiarism. (Joe Raedle, Getty Images) Dan Hoepel Delegate from Montana “I’ll remember having a wonderful week. Being from Montana, we’re used to people being cordial. You come here and find people are friendly. We’re very pleased with the food. We had a great meal on the lake at Jake’s on the Lake (in Avon Lake.)”

Maria Jukic Executive director of arts and medicine at the Cleveland Clinic “Definitely the positive energy and the opportunity for us as Clevelanders to meet and interact with our fellow Americans from the whole country is wonderful. How often do we all have an opportunity to do that?”

all week, as were hotels like the Holiday Inn Express downtown and Tudor Arms hotel in University Circle run by MRN development concern and the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel on Public Square, as per hotel representatives.

But for hotels further away from the action or without a big brand name, the convention was a bit of a disappointment. Many reported releasing rooms when convention organizers

told them on July 8 that they would not be used by delegates or other attendees. One, the Bertram Inn & Conference Center in Aurora, ended up with 130 rooms going unused.

“I certainly think this was a less attended convention then they expected,” said George Kimson, COO of the Heritage Development Co. in Moreland Hills, which owns the Bertram.

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Everybody else All kinds of other local businesses saw the RNC as a marketing opportunity.

Two local tech startups, InTouch and Wheedle, handed out flyers to promote their apps. Duck Tape parked a big green bus in the Warehouse District and asked people to vote for one of two new patriotic tape designs. And Brian Stofiel and his 10year-old daughter walked the streets to tell people about his company, Stofiel Aerospace, and the benefits of commercial space exploration.

Jones Day hosted policy-focused panel discussions that helped the Cleveland-based law firm cement relationships with clients and attract media coverage, said Chris Kelly, coleader of Jones Day’s Capital Markets Practice and co-chair of the RNC host committee.

Many local businesses played big roles in making sure the convention ran smoothly. For instance, roughly 100 KeyBank employees volunteered to help attendees check into hotels and find their way around. Key branches remained open as well.

Reporters Stan Bullard and Dan Shingler contributed to this article.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 7

the 2016 Republican National Convention?

Rudy Giuliani Former New York mayor and convention speaker, after a Florida delegation event “Oh, I think the speech. Just how wonderful the crowd was. How enthusiastic they are. It tells me we’re going to win.”

Marty Kurkul RNC Host Committee volunteer at Crowne Plaza in Independence “That ‘political people’ (such as delegates) are normal people. They’re funny. You can talk to them.”

Mike Huckabee Former governor of Arkansas “The most hospitable group of people at a Republican convention. …People aggressively went out of their way to openly welcome us. It wasn’t just like that if you went up and asked them. They came up to us on the streets and would say welcome to our city, and it was true of the servers in the restaurants, the hotel clerks, the policemen. The police here are terrific. They really have handled this brilliantly.”

Thomas Massie U.S. Representative from Kentucky and a delegate “Assuming it keeps going as it has, I’ll remember it very positively. I’ll always be thankful for the number of police that were here and the professional job they did. They certainly made their presence known but not in an oppressive way. And that’s a good thing.”

Jess Beard With Hope is Here, a group focusing on bringing “love and the hope of Jesus Christ” to the convention “I’ll remember it as very peaceful. I think a lot of people were afraid of groups that were coming in to protest and there’s been a few skirmishes, but there really hasn’t been a lot of fighting. And I’m just really thankful.”

Trevor Noah Host, The Daily Show “I honestly had an amazing time in Cleveland.”

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Carole Anthony Cleveland-area event planner and street vendor “I will remember convention week as the week when Cleveland just came to life and just stepped up to the plate and showed everyone, you know, how awesome of a city this is. And just rolling off of the whole championship, NBA championship and everything, we really, really stepped up our game.”

Bernie Dennler Station manager,WRHU-FM at Hofstra University, Hempstead, N.Y. “My experience has been that Cleveland is a clean, well-run city — at least in the area around the convention. Cleveland has done a very, very good job of putting on a good face for the nation.”

John Dillon Video producer for RealClearPolitics “I love the architecture. When I first got here the cab driver took me on a scenic route past the hospitals and all the museums (in University Circle).”

Satinder Puri Retired engineer, Riverside School volunteer teacher, Public Square protester “Cleveland showed themselves at their very best by staying cool and calm. Everyone was at their best — the police, the press, the protesters, the delegates and Clevelanders.”

John Long Intern, CSPAN “Just being able to see all the people I’ve seen on TV for so long — in person.”

Homa Bash Reporter, WEWS NewsChannel 5 “The positivity. We were expecting tension and hatred and instead, we saw so many moments of peace and prayer. From the little kids fistbumping officers to the woman with the ginormous hat hugging every trooper down the line, it wasn’t the protesters and the politics that stand out for me — it was the way Clevelanders took what could have been so much negative energy and turned it into something the entire country was (pleasantly) surprised to see.”

Charles Coyne Philadelphia attorney, guest of the Pennsylvania Republican chairman “In Philadelphia, the last convention severely interfered with the life of the city. Cleveland is large enough to have what you want but small enough to manage. I had more time than the delegates. I was able to take a drive by Lake Erie, which I’d never seen before. It’s a jewel.”

Monique Marengo Owner, Marengo Luxury Spa in Cleveland “The diversity of the people downtown. It’s a mix of all the people attending, all the police groups and all the demonstrating and protesting.”

Ronald Pittman Retired truck company owner, Bikers for Trump “I used to run trucks into Cleveland and hurry to get out before rush hour. I had a blast here. Cleveland is a beautiful city.”

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Take our quiz at crainscleveland.com Edward Sylcox Hotel manager, Renaissance Cleveland Hotel “The Renaissance hosted the New York delegation. They made me an honorary member. The week was a huge sprint. I’m most impressed by my staff (of 200.) They worked a lot of hours. And they still have smiles on their faces.”

John Greer RNC volunteer “That it allowed me to be surprisingly entertained and brought on a great sense of vitality that you felt each day of the convention. There were groups that seemed very passionate demonstrating in the streets. There were sounds of street vendors and performers shouting out to the crowds through the hustle and bustle down on East 4th Street and along Euclid Avenue.

Most importantly, after answering many, many inquiries about where to go and what to do, it made me become more curious and to explore my hometown and experience our revitalized city for myself.”

Ric Metzgar Guest of a Maryland delegate “The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the food vending trucks lining the street. It was like a taste of Cleveland.”

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

RNC IN CLE

Hospitality biz was brisk, but not better

By DAN SHINGLER and SUE WALTON dshingler@crain.com; swalton@crain.com @DanShingler; @SueWalton_Bolts

Hospitality businesses in and around Akron and Canton got about as much of a boost from the Republican National Convention as the party’s nominee got from Ted Cruz.

In other words, an appearance without an enthusiastic embrace or a big impact, at least in terms of tourism spending.

But the RNC wasn’t booed off the stage, and many businesses hope the recent visitors will come back soon.

Some venues did get some business. To the north of town, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic railroad picked up some riders. At least 100 delegates took a trip on the train, said Tim Winter, general manager of the Hilton and DoubleTree Fairlawn/Akron hotels.

Delegations from both states were staying with Winter, where they booked about 170 rooms.

“Some of them just got back,” Winter said the morning of Tuesday, July 19. “Our delegation here from Missouri, went today, and the Oregon delegation is going tomorrow. …

It’s great, because I think Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of our greatest assets, so I’m so glad they’ll get to see it.”

A true hotelier with more than 20 years in the business and a string of successfully run properties in his wake, Winter was in his element last week.

When he wasn’t working directly with staff, he was often telling delegates and other RNC visitors how to get around, or even taking them himself.

“I’m having a great time,” he said,

grinning ear to ear as one of the last buses of the day left with delegates on July 20.

But, he’d likely be just as cheerful for any guests, and his hotel would likely also be sold out during any other week in a normal July, he said.

There would just be a little less media and hubbub.

Some extra business South of Akron, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton also sold some extra tickets, thanks to convention visitors.

Members of six state delegations visited the Hall of Fame during the week, according to Pete Fierle, chief of staff and vice president of communications at the hall. That included some big groups, like more than 150 members of the California delegation, to smaller groups of 100 or so from places like Wyoming, New Mexico and Nebraska.

Fierle also said the Hall of Fame saw an increase in single-ticket visitors, including a large group from Arizona, the weekend before the convention got underway. He was also hoping some of the convention crowd would stop by after the event wraps up, before heading home.

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens in Akron got a small benefit. A large group of about 75 people from Oregon were visiting last week, said Sean Joyce, CFO and vice president of operations. But the venue didn’t attract any events, as it had hoped, he said.

Even Firestone Country Club, which often hosts big events, had trouble scoring. During the convention week, it was business as usual at the famed course, according to Steve Carter, general manager.

However, Firestone is a private club, meaning that anyone who wants to play its courses or use the facility must be a member or gain access through a member. Privacy also means that the club doesn’t necessarily know the source of visiting guests, he said, so some of the players on the busy courses this week could actually be here for the RNC. “As far as who those guests are, it’s impossible for us to tell, and we’re not going to ask,” Carter said.

The Tangier restaurant in Akron reported booking no special groups for the RNC, as did Canton’s Gervasi Vinyard.

“What we’re doing is business as usual. We were holding a room for them, but we didn’t get anything from the convention,” said Nichole Cardinale, Gervasi’s head of marketing. Gervasi’s rooms, however, were quickly 100% booked, she said, as they normally are this time of year.

A hit-or-miss affair As for more run-of-the-mill hospitality businesses, like bars, restaurants and hotels, the convention was at best a hit-or-miss affair in Akron and other places south of Cuyahoga County.

There were at least 19 liquor establishments in Summit County that applied for and received special waivers allowing them to stay open until 4 a.m. But few did, once they realized that the crowds weren’t coming. The Winking Lizard in Copley, Green’s Whiskey Ranch and the Akron Melt Bar & Grilled all said they quickly returned to their normal operating hours after the convention began.

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“Everybody in Cleveland should be proud. And our staff has met some of the nicest people — they come in with wonderful compliments about how much they loved the place.”

— Fred Kobzowicz, co-owner of the Winking Lizard taverns in Copley, Independence, Beachwood and downtown Cleveland RNC week — and hoping he could put his 4 a.m. waiver to good use.

The Maine delegation was staying right next door to the Twinsburg restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn, but Voelker knew that group would only amount to about 20 people, so he marketed his restaurant to other nearby hotels with RNC visitors.

But none of that business showed up as of the night of Wednesday, July 20, Voelker said.

Still, Voelker, who said he’s happy with what the convention did for Cleveland’s image as a whole, is disappointed that the RNC organizers didn’t share more information with the restaurant community about how scheduled the delegates’ time would be.

“They were so tight with information that they wouldn’t share (that) there was no way I could make good decisions from that,” he said.

The Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga

Falls was able to get some use of its 4 a.m. waiver, said general manager Jeff Lynch, but not much.

“We’re not going to make a ton of money” off of late-night bar and food bills, Lynch said. But having those services available to their guests is part of being a good host.

Overall, the hotel got some guests as a result of the convention, but not as many as it had hoped for. The Michigan delegation used only about 150 of the 200 rooms that the RNC Host Committee reserved, according to Lynch. The hotel has 209 rooms.

Perhaps the best perspective on why some places got business and others did not came from Fred Kobzowicz, co-owner of the Winking Lizard taverns in Copley, Independence, Beachwood and downtown Cleveland.

“It didn’t amount to much,” Kobzowicz said of business at his Copley location. Independence fared better, because it was closer to hotels that had big state delegations, as was the Winking Lizard in Beachwood, he said. The downtown store did OK, though no better than it would on most other weeks, he said.

But, he noted, the Republican convention is not really that big of an event, even if it drew all of its anticipated 50,000 visitors to Northeast Ohio.

“That’s not even a Browns game,” Kobzowicz said with a chuckle.

Still, he added, the entire experience was still a good one — both for his restaurants and their staff, as well as the region.

“Everybody in Cleveland should be proud. And our staff has met some of the nicest people — they come in with wonderful compliments about how much they loved the place,” Kobzowicz said.

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Scribes are giving doctors needed relief

By LYDIA COUTRÉ lcoutre@crain.com @LydiaCoutre

The days of patients receiving care from only a doctor have given way to the health care team, with nurses, physician assistants, lab technicians, secretaries and others pitching in to deliver care and offer support.

Doctors in MetroHealth’s emergency departments have added one more member to the roster: the medical scribe, who assists physicians with documentation during patient visits and enters information into the electronic medical record.

Dr. Lynn Dezelon, an emergency medicine physician at MetroHealth, said she talked to other doctors and hospitals across the country to see how using scribes was working before beginning to use them in 2011.

The answer was obvious, she said, when she saw how happy doctors were.

“They were done at the end of their shift,” Dezelon said. “Their charts were better. Their bosses were happy with them because their charts were closed on time rather than a delay, which is quite common in all specialties.”

Doctors told her they got better documentation and accurate billing, because they weren’t forgetting to write things down hours later.

MetroHealth contracts with ScribeAmerica and currently has 25 scribes supporting around 90% to 95% of the physicians in MetroHealth’s main campus emergency department, Dezelon estimated.

More scribes are going through

training to work at MetroHealth’s new emergency departments in Cleveland Heights and Parma, where doctors have been anxiously awaiting scribes.

“They wanted to know, ‘Hey, where’s my scribe? When do I get a scribe?’ ” Dezelon said. “My boss wanted them to get used to the Metro way of charting and doing things on their own before they were issued a scribe. And now they’re like, ‘I’ll have a scribe all of the time, right?’ ”

More bandwidth Dr. Michael Murphy, CEO and cofounder of ScribeAmerica, first started a scribe program in California for a local hospital. Recognizing that a shift to mandated digital documentation was likely at some point, he established the scribe company in 2003. Sure enough, health care reform has given rise to cumbersome requirements for electronic health records.

Between 2009 and 2014, ScribeAmerica, headquartered in Florida, grew from serving 32 hospitals to about 350. Since then, they’ve ballooned to 1,400 hospitals in all 50 states.

He estimates there are between 16,000 and 18,000 scribes practicing across the United States. Other estimates have placed that closer to 20,000, but there’s no true count.

Murphy expects this growth to continue and believes scribes will become a standard in health care.

With increasing demands on doctors’ time outside of direct care, he said there’s “just no more bandwidth.” What we have, he said, is a “very highly intelligent, low-cost workforce, which fits nicely into the space of health care.”

Initially, many of the organizations with which ScribeAmerica contracted were smaller practices and providers in more affluent zip codes.

Then it grew to staffing emergency departments, and now the conversations have been at a broader system level.

Dr. Scott Wilber, chair of emergency medicine at Summa Health, said they haven’t seen the need for scribes at this point. For one, the electronic medical record software Summa recently adopted is easy and quick enough that providers can enter information “with almost no effort.”

Summa also wanted to make sure that the use of scribes doesn’t interrupt resident training, Wilber said. And training the scribes themselves requires an investment if not going through a national scribe company.

“I think just at this point we’ve decided that right now we don’t think we need to, but certainly we would reconsider if we thought it would improve efficiency,” he said.

Dr. Frank Myers, president of Orthopedic Associates of Lake County, has seen that improved efficiency in the past couple of years of using scribes. Although employing scribes has been roughly 1.5 times more expensive than paying for transcription services, Myers said it is certainly worth it. For transcription, providers hire someone to write out notes a doctor dictated, often at the end of the day.

Dictating charts used to add at least an hour to the end of Myers’ day. Since starting to use scribes in his practice, he’s done with his work when he’s done seeing patients.

More importantly, he said, scribes

remove the computer barrier that can often live between a patient and doctor.

“The number one complaint that I would get from patients whenever they had been to other physicians who had electronic medical records (was) they didn’t think that the doctor was listening to them because all he was doing was looking at his computer,” Myers said.

There are a number of other benefits to using scribes, said Lesley Kadlec, director of health information management practice excellence with the Chicago-based American Health Information Management Association.

Physicians don’t have to remember the details of the visit. Plus, patients get immediate access to information in their records. In some cases, they can grab their record on the way out the door following the visit.

“The other pro is that the physician then does not have to be focused on trying to do documentation while they should be putting their effort toward focusing on the patient,” Kadlec said. “Instead of having the physician facing the computer, they’re able to interact more one on one with the patient themselves.”

Embracing the new Though scribe companies put their employees through training, and various associations and government entities have issued guidelines, there’s currently no standardized certification process for scribes.

Murphy said he expects such regulation to come, and would support that shift.

“The more transparency we can

have, the more comfort everybody will have with scribes in the workplace. and I think the certification process is one of those ways of doing it,” he said.

For now, scribe work comes with limitations guided by both existing law and other guidelines issued since scribes have grown in popularity. Scribes cannot place orders or do clinical work. They must abide by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and other applicable laws.

“We have no patient contact,” said Ann Arjune, chief medical scribe of MetroHealth’s emergency departments. “We are not allowed to physically touch or assist the physician, but we do get to observe a lot of the procedures.”

Arjune started working as a scribe five years ago while studying biology and psychology at Cleveland State University. Her ultimate goal is to become a physician, and she’s leaning toward emergency medicine after working in that environment as a scribe.

Arjune said she’s learned the vast medical terminology and understands why labs or imaging are ordered. The experience is invaluable for her upcoming Medical College Admission Test.

Some projections estimate 100,000 scribes will be practicing by 2020. Myers said he believes this will help make records and medicine itself easier.

“I’ve seen a ton of changes in medicine from the time that I finished my residency,” said Myers, who is 62 years old. “But I think, like many other things, you can change kicking and screaming or you can embrace new technology.”

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PAGE 10

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9:30 AM

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

Opinion From the Publisher / Editor

Take a bow, Northeast Ohio

Editorial

Change the tone Outside Quicken Loans Arena last week, Cleveland shined.

The city looked beautiful, both for the delegates and the other visitors in town for the Republican National Convention, and for big audiences across the country watching on television. Even better, downtown remained largely safe and entirely festive, with protesters of all political stripes taking to Public Square to make their views known, and for the most part finding respectful crowds taking it all in. We wish more locals had ventured into the city to experience it, but the convention showcased Cleveland at its best.

What took place inside the arena, though, was considerably darker.

Before anyone stepped inside The Q, the Donald Trump campaign got things off to a bad start by picking a nasty and unnecessary fight with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, with campaign manager Paul Manafort saying Kasich was being “petulant” and “embarrassing his party” by not formally endorsing the nominee. This was especially ironic after the Ted Cruz debacle during a prime-time speaking slot on Wednesday night.

Two D-list celebrities given formal speaking roles at the convention actually did embarrass the party — one by insisting President Barack Obama is a secret Muslim, the other by acting coy in interviews regarding his sharing on Twitter of a vulgar internet meme about Trump’s Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. (And don’t get us started about the large amount of pro-Trump merchandise for sale that refers to Clinton as a “bitch.”) Few speakers even bothered to make the affirmative case for Trump.

The first two nights of the convention were devoted almost entirely to arguing that Clinton should be in jail rather than running for president, culminating in New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie laying out an indictment of Clinton, asking the audience after each point, “Guilty or not guilty?” The response from

the crowd: “Guilty,” each time, and lots of calls to “Lock her up!”

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a conservative but not a Trump fan, found that too much, tweeting, “@HillaryClinton now belongs in prison? C’mon. We can make the case that she shouldn’t be elected without jumping the shark.”

But this is where we are in politics in 2016, a year in which both major parties are nominating historically unpopular nominees. Trump, in particular, has spent the better part of a year telling crowds that everything in the country is terrible while offering scant details about how he would make things better.

Contrast that with the vision of Kasich, who last week told members of the Michigan GOP delegation, “Our party has to be in the long-term — and in the medium and the short-term — a unifying, a lifting and a hopeful party. The party that can annunciate the hopes and dreams and the unity is the party that’s going to do well.”

There’s still time to change the tone.

The Democrats are gathering in Philadelphia this week for their convention, and while there’s little doubt we’re in for four days of Trump-bashing, the party would do well to reach out to voters with a message that explains why it’s nominating Clinton, and what a Clinton presidency would do to address the nation’s problems.

It might be wishful thinking, but it’s possible that Trump, too, could spend the three-plus months until the election talking about how he’ll expand employment opportunities for workers left behind by economic change, rather than just telling us Clinton is “crooked.”

Civic engagement in this country is pretty dismal. The parties can choose to help make it better. Are either of these flawed candidates up to the challenge? We’d at least like to see them try.

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR: Elizabeth McIntyre (emcintyre@crain.com)

CLEVELAND BUSINESS

MANAGING EDITOR: Scott Suttell (ssuttell@crain.com) SECTIONS EDITOR: Timothy Magaw (tmagaw@crain.com)

The reviews are in from the Republican National Convention, and we brought down the house.

■ “On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a 13.”

■ “Cleveland has really gone above and beyond.”

■ “The overwhelming reaction … has been, ‘Wow!’ ” Those are just a sampling of the raves that Crain’s Cleveland Business journalists heard about Cleveland while covering the RNC last week.

Two years ago, when Northeast Ohio was chosen to host the 2016 RNC, we knew we had a lot of work to do. Hotels and special projects needed to be finished, roads fixed, money raised.

A lot of talented people got together and figured out how best to tackle a seemingly endless checklist. Because of unprecedented collaboration by public, private and nonprofit leadership, the work got done. By the time July 18 dawned, Public Square gleamed anew, HopElizabeth kins International Airport’s renovations were McIntyre completed and the Hilton Cleveland was welcoming its first guests. Our region showed that regardless of your political affiliation or beliefs, we can work toward a common goal because we believe in Cleveland.

Ultimately, though, what made Cleveland shine so brightly were the people, from the thousands of volunteers and hospitality workers who greeted visitors to the transportation drivers and those who kept the peace.

Yes, our city sparkled, thanks to the work of the Downtown Cleveland Alliance and other nonprofit groups who picked up trash, planted flowers and strung lights.

But what we heard time and again, and what the national media reported in stories too numerous to count, is how our Midwestern friendliest and eagerness to help made all visitors, whether delegates or protesters, feel welcomed.

There’s no denying many of us were worried as the convention approached. Every week this summer seems to bring more bad news: Police officers ambushed and killed in Dallas and Baton Rouge, unarmed citizens gunned down by police in Louisiana and Minnesota, terrorists killing innocent people in Florida and France. Many feared havoc would reign in the streets of Cleveland.

None of that, thankfully, came to pass. Public Square to East Fourth Street felt like a festival throughout the week. Street musicians performed, children high-fived those in uniforms and food trucks and vendors lined the streets. At times, tensions spiked as myriad protesters expressed their First Amendment rights, but police officers from Cleveland and throughout the country followed their training and de-escalated situations before they got out of hand.

The success of this week should come as no surprise to the RNC site selection committee that picked Cleveland to host this year’s convention. Last fall, RNC Convention 2016 chairman Jeff Larson spoke at a sold-out Crain’s event. He told those in attendance that what convinced the site selection committee to choose Cleveland was the people.

“It was the enthusiasm that people had about the convention, whether you’re Republican, Democrat or independent,” Larson said. “People were enthused. … We could have gone to Dallas or we could have gone to Phoenix or some of the other cities that bid on it, but we would have been just another convention in those cities. Here, we will own the week.”

Cleveland accomplished all it set out to do when it first bid for a political convention almost a decade ago. We proved we have the infrastructure, the people and the attitude to get the job done.

So, take a bow, Northeast Ohio. Your fine performance has played to rave reviews across the country.

WRITE US: Crain’s welcomes responses from readers. Letters should be as brief as possible and may be edited. Send letters to Crain’s Cleveland Business, 700 West St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 44113, or by emailing letters@crain.com. Please include your complete name and city from which you are writing, and a telephone number for fact-checking purposes.

SOUND OFF: Send a Personal View for the opinion page to emcintyre@crain.com. Please include a telephone number for verification purposes.

20160725-NEWS--11-NAT-CCI-CL_--

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 11

COME RUN WITH US & FIGHT OVARIAN CANCER

Letters to the Editor

Stressing education and animal welfare While the July 10 letter to the editor admonishing Crain’s Cleveland Business for encouraging visitation to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is certainly fueled by a passion for animals, it misses the mark on defining the modern zoo.

The notion that zoos are prisons that don’t provide enough space is provocative, but ignores the reality of animal behavior. Yes, some animals, including tigers, can travel large distances, but they do so by necessity and not by choice. This is evidenced by the fact that some individuals of the same species range over a much smaller area because more resources are available in the area they live. It’s not about the size of the territory, it’s about the quality of the space. To use the largest range areas for tigers and make this claim is to misrepresent the animal’s biological needs.

It’s true that some animals in zoos have developed abnormal behaviors over the years, but this was a function of lack of complexity of exhibits and not a lack of space. As zoos implement complex training and enrichment programs and build new, complex exhibits, these behaviors are disappearing. Rosebrough Tiger Passage opened in June and embraces an exhibit design concept that focuses on complexity of exhibit and choice/control on the part of the tigers. These are the premiere concepts in animal wellness.

As the former chair of the Animal Welfare Committee of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the executive director of an institution that has a science program that is continually evaluating animal welfare in zoo animals and making recommendations for improvements in care, I can assure you we work every day to recognize the care of our animals.

Perhaps more concerning is the citation of the scientific report “A Global Evaluation of Biodiversity Lit-

eracy in Zoo and Aquarium Visitors” as proof of how zoos fail to educate visitors. Misleading readers in this way is irresponsible given that the authors report an increase both in biodiversity understanding and in self-reported behaviors to increase biodiversity. The authors also conclude that zoos and aquariums can make important contributions to reaching the Aichi Biodiversity Target. Moreover, there are many articles that show the positive impacts of zoo education programs.

To be fair, zoo education programs cannot be the only solution.

The messages and inspiration we provide must be built upon, which is why we partner with local school districts and embrace teacher education. Our zoo focuses on inquiry-based learning and conducts continuing education opportunities for teachers to help them use these creative teaching tools in science education. Additionally, our focus on biomimicry content helps prepare a STEM curriculum that will help build a scientifically competent workforce. Not only does our education program make a difference for animals, but we have a positive impact on the community.

I recognize and share a passion for animals, but to make broad statements about zoos without representing the facts accurately is counter-productive. If you have a passion for animals, I encourage you to reach out to your zoo and learn more about their efforts in animal welfare and conservation instead of relying on rhetoric. There are amazing things happening in modern zoos all around the country, and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is proud to be setting a new standard for the people of Northeast Ohio.

Christopher Kuhar Executive Director, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

What’s the real story?

As a longtime subscriber of Crain’s Cleveland Business, I was disappointed in the very “gossipy” and unprofessional content and tone of the July 18 article (“CEO’s Exit has DDR Facing Questions”) regarding David Oakes’ sudden termination from DDR Corp., particularly since it was a feature article.

I do not know, nor have I ever met Mr. Oakes. The article essentially consists of potentially untrue rumors and guessing on Crain’s part. Also, I found it very inappropriate to refer to a divorce as a “setback,” particularly when the matter appears to have been voluntarily completed in a very short period of

time, as opposed to a long and litigious process over years that one might expect to see in a so-called bitter divorce situation.

While such conjecture may be the subject of water cooler conversations among many in the business community, I expect higher journalism standards from Crain’s. The article mentions that DDR will be providing more details next week, so any article could have waited until then to be based on more complete and accurate information.

John Burns Shaker Heights

Cleveland zoo is among nation’s best Cleveland is fortunate to have one of the best zoos in the nation.

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo stands out for its commitment to positive animal welfare, innovative science and conservation programs, record levels of community engagement and numerous industry awards.

On behalf of the Cleveland Zoological Society, the zoo’s nonprofit advocate and fundraising partner, we wish to call your attention to the following: ■ Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a leading zoo nationally and has achieved continuous accreditation for 25-plus years, upholding rigorous standards for animal welfare, education and conservation established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

■ Thanks to outstanding leadership at the zoo, and to a strong public/private partnership, the zoo provides significant benefits to the community, including welcoming 1.1 million patrons annually and engaging more than 100,000 students in scholarshipfunded educational programs.

■ With the help of the Zoo Society, the Zoo’s Future for Wildlife program has provided nearly $6 million in direct support for wildlife conservation internationally. These funds offer critical support for the conservation of great apes, carnivores and herbivores in the wild, and for combating wildlife trafficking — a growing threat to elephants, rhinos, tigers and many other species.

■ Habitats such as the new Rosebrough Tiger Passage embody the best in zoo design, optimizing choice and flexibility for the animals and inviting visitors into a dynamic environment to observe these beautiful big cats and to be inspired to take on a stewardship role for the planet we all share.

We invite Anna Sorokina (Letter to the editor: “Next time, think of the animals,” July 10) to do some basic research instead of simply parroting the animal rights agenda of other organizations.

We would also invite the editorial staff of Crain’s Cleveland Business to join us to assess what our zoo does for this community and for the animals in its care.

The zoo is open 363 days a year, and we would be glad to host you anytime.

Liz Fowler Executive Director, Cleveland Zoological Society Virginia Benjamin Immediate Past President, Cleveland Zoological Society

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PAGE 12

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

1,000 Indians season-ticket

holders who have been with the franchise since the club moved to then-Jacobs Field in 1994.

35% Year-over-year

increase in Indians.com page views between the start of June and the All-Star break.

140%

YOY increase in online ticket sales in that same period.

30%

YOY jump in single-ticket sales during the first half of the season.

24% YOY jump in concession sales in the first half.

19%

YOY increase in merchandise sales in the first half.

92% YOY increase in the

Tribe’s Facebook impressions in 2016.

43% YOY increase in the

Indians’ TV ratings on SportsTime Ohio, through the first half.

13.46 Rating for the IndiansYankees game on July 7, the highest since April 4, 2014.

5, 3, 4 Crowds of 30,000 or

more at Progressive Field in 2016, ’15 and ’14, respectively.

INDIANS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

second season as the Indians’ senior director of ticket sales and service.

Salcer’s boss, Brian Barren, the Tribe’s executive VP of sales and marketing, was lured away from Procter & Gamble Co. by former Indians president Mark Shapiro in January 2014. Salcer, who joined the organization nine months later, also has a background in consumer goods. He spent 14 years at Chattem Inc. and was in charge of the Tennessee company’s nine-figure Walmart business.

Salcer mentioned how at Chattem he knew customers weren’t going to buy lotion in July because they wouldn’t need it until the colder weather arrived. This summer, the Indians have been able to market something that is coveted — a firstplace team that has quickly become a favorite to reach the World Series.

In a 24-day span that started with the first victory of the winning streak on June 17 and concluded with the last game of the first half on July 10, the Indians sold a combined 193,000 season, group and single-season tickets.

“From a business perspective, what we are doing is when the team performance does escalate, we want to be able to capitalize on that,” Salcer said.

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“By capitalize on that, I mean be sure that the experience that fans have at the ballpark is a positive one.”

Calling for more The Indians are confident that the two-year renovation of Progressive Field, combined with the addition of the largest scoreboard in MLB and the replacement of a 24-year-old sound system, has vastly improved the fan experience. Salcer said the club has also “had a huge service initiative to take care of our fans better at the ballpark.”

The team’s research has found that 80% of the fans who buy District Tickets — the $13 standing-roomonly spots in the Corner bar in right field — online are new users.

Getting those fans, many of whom are in the coveted younger demographic, to return is crucial for an organization that hasn’t drawn 20,000 fans per game since 2011.

“That’s very exciting that they’re trying the product,” Salcer said. “I don’t think it’s overnight that we convert them to season-ticket holders.”

The Indians’ season-ticket base, which includes partial plans that start at 20 games, increased slightly to about 9,000 in 2016. The total is 1,000 ahead of 2014 and is a 50% increase from 2012, but it’s still way too low for the club to consistently produce large crowds. In 2008, when the Indians had an attendance norm

of 27,122, they had about 15,000 season-ticket holders.

“We definitely feel like that is our biggest (potential) growth area from a business perspective,” Salcer said.

“It’s always going to be our focus.”

For the time being, the Tribe is riding the wave that has followed the Cavaliers ending the city’s championship drought. Single-game ticket sales are up 30% year-over-year, reversing a trend in which the club dropped in that category in back-toback seasons.

Group sales have been “through the roof” of late, and Salcer said the early response to the Tribe’s 2017 season-ticket drive has been encouraging.

“The performance of the team is putting us in position to capitalize earlier on potential new 2017 seasonticket holders,” Salcer said of a group that is motivated by the chance to get first dibs on 2016 playoff tickets. “The incoming calls that we’ve received — we have a senior manager of ticket sales who said in his 15 years of being with the Indians, he’s never had a busier time with incoming calls from fan excitement.”

Appetite for success Even with the recent surge, the Indians are 29th in the MLB attendance standings, a place at which they finished in 2014 and ’15.

Mark Klang, who operates Amaz-

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Home game attendance by team For the first half of the 2016 season, the Indians once again rank 29th in home attendance.

2014

2015

2016

Rank, Team Gms Total 1 LA Dodgers 81 3,782,337

Avg. 46,695

Rank, Team Gms Total 1 LA Dodgers 81 3,764,815

Avg. 46,479

Rank, Team Gms Total 1 LA Dodgers 48 2,147,466

Avg. 44,738

2 St. Louis

81 3,540,649

43,711

2 St. Louis

81 3,520,889

43,467

2 St. Louis

49 2,117,813

43,220

3 NY Yankees 80 3,401,624

42,520

3 San Fran.

81 3,375,882

41,677

3 San Fran.

46 1,913,054

41,588

4 San Fran.

41,588

4 NY Yankees 80 3,193,795

39,922

4 Chi. Cubs

45 1,770,519

39,344

81 3,368,697

5 LA Angels

81 3,095,935

38,221

5 LA Angels

81 3,012,765

37,194

5 Toronto

47 1,845,907

39,274

6 Boston

81 2,956,089

36,494

6 Chi. Cubs

81 2,959,812

36,540

6 NY Yankees 46 1,763,634

38,339

7 Detroit

81 2,917,209

36,014

7 Boston

81 2,880,694

35,564

7 LA Angels

47 1,786,488

38,010

8 Milwaukee

81 2,797,384

34,535

8 Toronto

81 2,794,891

34,504

8 Boston

51 1,828,585

35,854

9 Texas

81 2,718,733

33,564

9 Detroit

81 2,726,048

33,654

9 NY Mets

46 1,617,006

35,152

10 Colorado

81 2,680,329

33,090

10 Kansas City 81 2,708,549

33,438

10 Texas

44 1,517,860

34,496

11 Chi. Cubs

81 2,652,113

32,742

11 Washington 81 2,619,843

32,343

11 Kansas City 44 1,446,767

32,881

12 Washington 81 2,579,389

31,844

12 NY Mets

81 2,569,753

31,725

12 Colorado

44 1,434,646

32,605

13 Baltimore

80 2,464,473

30,805

13 Milwaukee

81 2,542,558

31,389

13 Washington 46 1,447,299

31,463

14 Cincinnati

81 2,476,664

30,576

14 Colorado

80 2,506,789

31,334

14 Detroit

44 1,369,517

31,125

15 Pittsburgh

81 2,442,564

30,155

15 Pittsburgh

81 2,498,596

30,846

15 San Diego

48 1,386,784

28,891

16 Philadelphia 81 2,423,852

29,924

16 Texas

81 2,491,875

30,763

16 Milwaukee

45 1,287,389

28,608

17 Toronto

29,327

17 San Diego

81 2,459,752

30,367

17 Houston

47 1,326,462

28,222

81 2,375,525

18 Atlanta

81 2,354,305

29,065

18 Cincinnati

81 2,419,506

29,870

18 Pittsburgh

44 1,227,522

27,898

19 Minnesota

81 2,250,606

27,785

19 Baltimore

79 2,320,590

29,374

19 Seattle

47 1,296,260

27,580

20 San Diego

81 2,195,373

27,103

20 Minnesota

81 2,220,054

27,408

20 Baltimore

47 1,254,220

26,685

21 NY Mets

80 2,148,808

26,860

21 Seattle

81 2,193,581

27,081

21 Arizona

51 1,307,136

25,630

22 Arizona

81 2,073,730

25,601

22 Houston

81 2,153,585

26,587

22 Philadelphia 49 1,223,254

24,964

23 Seattle

81 2,064,334

25,485

23 Arizona

81 2,080,145

25,680

23 Cincinnati

48 1,197,391

24,945

24 Oakland

80 2,003,628

25,045

24 Atlanta

80 2,001,392

25,017

24 Minnesota

49 1,203,739

24,566

25 Kansas City 81 1,956,482

24,154

25 Philadelphia 78 1,831,080

23,475

25 Atlanta

50 1,142,510

22,850

26 Houston

81 1,751,829

21,627

26 Chi. Sox

80 1,755,810

21,947

26 Chi. Sox

45

985,678

21,903

27 Miami

81 1,732,283

21,386

27 Oakland

81 1,768,175

21,829

27 Miami

43

908,478

21,127

28 Chi. Sox

79 1,650,821

20,896

28 Miami

81 1,752,235

21,632

28 Oakland

48

918,216

19,129

29 Cleveland

78 1,437,393

18,428

29 Cleveland

78 1,388,905

17,806

29 Cleveland

42

780,615

18,586

30 Tampa Bay

81 1,446,464

17,857

30 Tampa Bay

81 1,247,668

15,403

30 Tampa Bay

49

816,747

16,668

ing Tickets Inc., a Mayfield Village broker, said the Tribe’s winning streak “clearly” produced a spark on the secondary market, but said he’s been disappointed the response hasn’t been even greater.

“I think with the Cavs’ run, a lot of people went dry on money,” Klang said. “The Cavs kind of have the city wrapped up right now. We’ve definitely seen an increase, but it’s not what we expected it to be, especially in the 24 to 48 hours before games.”

Two national ticket brokers, however, provided numbers to Crain’s that more closely mirrored the Tribe’s early July attendance bump.

StubHub communications manager Cameron Papp said the sales of Indians tickets increased 35% yearover-year during the first half. The median sale of a Tribe ticket on the online market that is owned by eBay has jumped from $23 in 2015 to $30.

SeatGeek content analyst Chris Leyden said the average resale price for an Indians home game ranks 13th in MLB, a nine-place jump from 2015. The 36% price increase, to $50, is the second-largest in baseball.

The broker’s data, which goes back to 2010, shows that four of the eight Tribe games that have produced the largest demand in the last

seven seasons occurred in the most recent seven-game homestand.

The increased gate helped to generate a 24% year-over-year jump in concession sales at Progressive Field. The Indians said the July 4 and 9 games against the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees resulted in the secondand third-best concession revenues for a non-opener since 2001.

“It’s nice to have some positive momentum,” Salcer said. “It’s something we really had a feeling was coming because we really believe in what Chris (Antonetti), Mike (Chernoff) and Terry (Francona) are doing on the baseball side.”

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Focus

© 2016 Daniel Hertzberg c/o theispot

LEGAL AFFAIRS

The rise of the legal machines

Experimental technologies could rattle the legal industry as firms look to retool their cost structures

By JEREMY NOBILE jnobile@crain.com | @JeremyNobile

T

he robots are taking over, and the law is their next target.

Ripples of the last recession are driving big changes in the legal market. Companies are cutting budgets for legal services and beefing up in-house legal teams while demanding effective results faster, cheaper and with more predictability in the firms they contract with.

Not surprisingly, law firms, in turn, are seeing demand for their services dwindle. The work they do get is highly scrutinized by clients, unlike years past, which is all culminating in fresh pressures for firms to operate leaner and more efficient.

Today’s conversations about cost structure and project management are changing as a result.

And the firms who don’t consider how technology can make them leaner and serve clients better could be doomed to fail.

SEE ROBOTS, PAGE 17

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LEGAL AFFAIRS Adviser: Christina Peer

Social media usage blurs legal guidelines for school districts The incessant use of social media has complicated policy making for nearly every organization and institution that exists today — from private employers to nonprofits to government entities. But no conflicts of interest appear to be as great as those that exist within our school systems. School districts must balance the risks associated with perusing an applicant’s or employee’s social media profile with their need for information. They also must tackle tough questions related to an employee’s right to free speech against the district’s rights as an employer.

The issues facing schools with regard to social media are too many and varied to cover in a single article. Social media today has its place in the hiring process, the collective bargaining process and nearly all communications between school districts, teachers, parents and students.

Social media and hiring Schools are essentially employers that are subject to the same anti-discrimination laws as private employers. School districts are also governed by several specific laws, applicable only to public schools that govern their employment practices. School districts are required to conduct extensive criminal background checks on employees. But what about looking into an applicant’s social media profile?

While it’s perfectly legal for a school district to explore an applicant’s (or employee’s) social media accounts, doing so could open the door to discrimination claims if those sites disclose information that an employer does not need (or want) to know. Examples include an applicant’s religion, sexual orientation and marital status. After all, an employer cannot discriminate on the basis of a characteristic that it does not know about, and no employer is going to ask questions regarding these topics. But, if an employer uncovers these details on social media, an applicant or employee can allege this information played a role in an employment decision.

At the same time, schools need to perform a degree of due diligence to avoid coming under fire for hiring someone whose social media profile reveals conduct that shows poor judgment (or worse). It is a calculated risk school districts take when they start peaking at the social media sites of prospective or current employees, creating a type of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario.

Social media and union activity In labor relations matters, Ohio school districts are governed by the State Employment Relations Board (SERB), which is the Ohio equivalent of the NLRB for public employers.

School districts that attempt to regulate or discipline employees for inappropriate social media usage can easily run afoul of laws that protect unionized school employees.

Union employees who complain about their work environment may have engaged in protected “concerted activity” — especially if the complaint is made during contract negotiations. Employers wishing to discipline an employee for employment-related social media state-

Christina Peer is a partner in the education law practice group of Clevelandbased Walter | Haverfield.

ments must first consider whether these statements constitute “concerted activity.” This is a highly factspecific analysis and there are no

SERB decisions directly on point. At this juncture, school districts are left to rely on NLRB decisions, some of which have concluded that Facebook posts can constitute protected concerted activity.

Regulating out-of-school speech on social media Students, teachers and other school employees do not give up their First Amendment rights when they enter the schoolhouse door.

However, school districts can place some restrictions on the out-of-

school speech of their employees. A school employee’s speech is protected by the First Amendment if it involves a matter of “public concern” (a political, social or other concern in the community that is made in the employee’s individual capacity).

If the speech involves a matter of public concern, courts balance the interests of the employee, as a citizen, to raise matters of public concern with the interests of the school district, as an employer, in promoting the efficiency of the public services it performs through its employ-

ees. School districts must be cognizant of these issues when handling situations involving an employee’s social media posts.

Without a doubt, the field of education law has become more complicated and controversial largely as a result of social media. These are only a few of the many issues school districts face daily, but they demonstrate the need for administrators to work closely with experienced legal counsel before implementing any social media policies or taking punitive action for social media activity.

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20160725-NEWS--16-NAT-CCI-CL_--

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Q & A: Richard Manoloff President, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Nonprofit lawyer bodies have long provided services that give legal aid to the poor and disenfranchised. The latest president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, however, has a particular interest in improving access to justice for those living by lesser means in Northeast Ohio.

Crain’s sat down with CMBA president Richard Manoloff to learn more about the importance of this work, the initiatives he wants to see further developed in Cleveland and why improving access to justice should matter to everyone. — Jeremy Nobile

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Why is there a greater sense of urgency to address these issues today?

The CMBA has long had programs providing legal services to those with lesser means, such as the Cleveland Homeless Legal Assistance Program, the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project, among many others.

But you are right. There is an increasing focus on providing individuals with new and better avenues to access our justice system, not just here in town, but across the nation.

For any society to be well-functioning, groups of people can’t be effectively excluded from the established justice system. But that’s what we have right now. National studies have found that only 20% of the civil legal needs of low-income individuals are met. And those of modest means are unable to qualify for free legal services but are simultaneously unable to afford market rates.

The typical businessperson may not feel like these things generally affect them. Not to sound crass, but spell it out for me: why should the business sector care?

Access to our justice system is not just a moral imperative. There are also significant economic implications. A successful and growing economy depends upon — in a word — people giving to it more than they take from it. It is counterproductive for the economy, then, for a family that has worked hard to achieve economic self-sufficiency and productivity to collapse because a relatively simple legal matter was not properly and satisfactorily addressed. And if a person receiving forms of public assistance can overcome a barrier to employment through basic legal process, it’s a win-win for the economy.

There are clearly wider implications here.

Indeed — not just moral, but economic. When the law is available to all, it can produce shock waves of economic productivity.

So what can the CMBA do about all this?

The CMBA, almost 6000-strong, is uniquely situated here. We can expand upon efforts to help people help themselves. We can call upon that army of pro practitioners to fill gaps on a pro bono and ‘low bono’ basis, and provide systems and programs to facilitate those efforts.

What programs are in store?

The CMBA is exploring several initiatives to improve access to legal services and justice to those with modest means. From recruiting attorneys to work on a pro bono or reduced-fee basis, to establishing a program that would provide client

flow, training and mentoring to fulltime attorneys dedicated to serving the modest means population, to studying what other organizations in Ohio and across the nation are doing, we can start rolling snowballs down the hill. Cleveland schools CEO Eric Gordon recently spoke about the importance of legal health. Sometimes assistance with a straightforward legal matter can make the difference between school attendance and absence, between high school graduation and dropping out. The CMBA already sends hundreds of volunteers into the schools each year to teach and mentor students through our ‘3Rs’ program (rights, responsibilities, realities). We intend to expand our impact by providing targeted legal services as well.

Is there anything Cleveland law firms as a group should consider to help improve access to justice?

There are always things that can be done to improve access to legal services and justice — not just by law firms but also by anyone participating in our region’s massive and vibrant legal industry, both lawyers and non-lawyers in all sectors. During my 21-year tenure at Squire Patton Boggs, I have seen the firm work with Legal Aid to provide assistance to survivors of domestic violence, ‘loan’ lawyers to Legal Aid a month at a time, work in East Cleveland with Legal Aid and the Cleveland Clinic at brief legal advice clinics, among other things. A quick call to the gifted and indefatigable Colleen Cotter at Legal Aid can yield a wealth of ways to assist those without wealth. We at the CMBA want to strategically supplement all the good things that are already going on in the community. Different people are passionate about many different things.

This all sounds like a call to action. Do you see firms buying into these efforts?

Everybody knows we live in one of the most giving and philanthropic towns in the nation. It’s in our DNA as Clevelanders. Even though lawyers are sometimes characterized as cold, lifeless and unfeeling, that doesn’t describe the Cleveland legal community I know — mostly anyway. I see large law firms, small law firms, and solo practitioners rising up to give back, to improve, for all, the justice system we have invested our lives in. A Cleveland professional sports team has won a world championship in my lifetime.

Ipso facto, filling the gaps in the access to legal services and justice spectrum is possible. I believe in the law of ‘The Land,’ and its lawyers.

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ROBOTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

That’s where our computer overlords come in.

“Why do we talk about tech today? For one, in order to compete, in order to survive, you’re going to have to,” said Jerry Justice, chief innovation officer at Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff, a midsize regional firm based in Cleveland.

“And two, clients are demanding it.”

There are “huge” gaps in the adoption of tech, Justice said. He was recruited from the accounting industry to Benesch about a year ago to bring new, innovative and costsaving technological perspectives to the firm.

Some of the most cutting-edge legal tech in the industry is being reviewed within their own walls, such as what’s been loosely referred to in the industry as “legal robots.”

Justice said Benesch is considering a partnership with Kira Systems of Toronto. The tech startup’s cloud-based Kira software is essentially artificial intelligence that searches and analyzes contract text and “learns” along the way, Justice said. This allows it to digest document loads that would take human brains a slew of man hours to review — and it’s the kind of grunt work traditionally assigned to young associates.

The info is, naturally, stored over time, establishing a bank of work in a digitized database that can then be perused and analyzed by legal teams and even shared with clients.

While not a tool specific to the legal industry, it offers significant benefits when applied to it.

“Fundamentally, using this would help us make processes as effective as they can ever be,” Justice said.

intelligence are already in the works in Northeast Ohio, like Clevelandheadquartered firm BakerHostetler.

In May, ROSS Intelligence announced a partnership with Baker.

Currently based in Silicon Valley, ROSS is built on the platform that powers Watson, IBM’s cognitive computer, which is best known for captivating audiences after besting Jeopardy! legends Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on the game show in 2011. The Cleveland Clinic also uses the Watson platform as part of medical research.

Instead of asking it trivia, though, lawyers can ask ROSS a variety of legal questions as the software reads through laws, gathers evidence and draws inferences based on its own research. It’s not unlike a Google for lawyers.

Baker declined to talk further about ROSS and tech innovations for this story. However, the firm has said it sees applications for ROSS in its bankruptcy practice.

“At BakerHostetler, we believe that emerging technologies like cognitive computing and other forms of machine learning can help enhance the services we deliver to our clients,” said Bob Craig, the firm’s chief information officer, in a May news release. “We are proud to team up with innovators like ROSS and we will continue to explore these cutting-edge technologies as they develop.”

“There’s definitely a drive for increased efficiency coming from the clients.

You can’t be in this world and say to a client we don’t know how long this will take or how much this is going to cost. That’s just not acceptable anymore.”

— Bill Garcia, chief practice innovation officer for Thompson Hine management has already landed additional business for the firm as it competes for work against others.

But besides making the compiling of information better and faster, among other things, it’s driving a cultural shift in how lawyers inter-

act with clients by changing the philosophy of engagement.

Those web-based applications, for example, provide the real-time updates on cost and information that can set a firm apart from the next.

Tech advancements like this are all part of the paradigm shift in how lawyers work with clients. It’s a major shift from even a decade ago when lawyers would still simply drop off a bill at the end of a project, unchecked by the client.

“The software tools help you do the work,” Garcia said. “But it’s all part of how we’re developing service. And that becomes part of the value proposition.”

Are their negative ramifications to new technology and so-called legal robots? It depends on who you ask. In most spheres, better tech does typically mean less need for actual people.

But as most law CIOs will tell you, this is the way of the future.

And those who don’t get on this computer-driven bus may just be left behind.

“Does it mean people will lose jobs? It depends,” Justice said. “We think it will allow people instead to elevate their skills and do better things. That’s why we need to leverage all this new technology.”

Nominate someone for Crain’s ‘Who to Watch in Law’ Crain’s third “Who to Watch” section of 2016 — “Who to Watch in Law” — is scheduled for publication on Sept. 26. It will highlight up-and-comers and innovators in Northeast Ohio’s legal sector, and we’re looking for suggestions.

We’re profiling individuals who are, of course, excellent legal practitioners but also have a passion for their work, their clients and the Northeast Ohio community. These individuals could be from a big firm, a small firm, a local company or even nonprofit.

There are no hard and fast requirements for this section, other than that the candidate needs to exhibit the kind of potential that makes him or her someone to watch in the legal sector. We’re looking for those individuals who might fly under the radar now but could disrupt their field — for the better — in the future.

If you think you know who will be among those leading Northeast Ohio’s legal space in the future, drop an email to sections editor Timothy Magaw, tmagaw@crain.com.

Please include “Who to Watch in Law” in the subject line.

Send your suggestions no later than noon on Monday, Aug. 1. Please include the person’s name, position and a paragraph explaining why he or she stands out.

Changing client dynamics

Some of the biggest and most sweeping changes are happening with cloud computing, though.

Putting info in the cloud involves updating systems mostly to allow information to not only be more accessible to legal teams but clients, themselves, who want instantaneous access to information in the digital age.

While it tugs at the imagination less than the idea of a “legal robot,” Evolution of service it’s where the bulk of today’s innoA January report by The Boston vation is happening for firms large Consulting Group emphasizes how and small. technology will revoAnd it’s equally imlutionize firms in portant work. three main ways: digCleveland’s itizing legal data; Thompson Hine has plugging efficiencies developed a program into case managedubbed SmartPaTH ment and back-office under managing partwork; and supporting ner Deborah Read or replacing lawyers with an overall goal of in substantive legal reworking project tasks in transactions management and serand litigation cases. vice delivery.

In the modern age, While there’s no arit’s really not surpristificial intelligence ing. But there’s a component in store greater sense of urthere — at least not gency because of toyet — a major funcday’s competition for tion of that program business. is implementing new We’re still a long technology to support way from actual hulawyers and benefit man lawyers being reclients by improving placed by computers. access and transBut much of the grunt parency. work lawyers once did — Jerry Justice, chief Those cloud-based — like digging through innovation officer at solutions are a major dense document loads Benesch Friedlander focus in SmartPaTH. — almost certainly will Coplan & Aronoff “There’s definitely be. Artificial intellia drive for increased gence is in its infancy in the legal efficiency coming from the sector. Yet, more firms are consider- clients,” said Bill Garcia, chief ing it than you might think. practice innovation officer for After all, according to Thompson Hine. “You can’t be in TechCrunch, legal-tech startups this world and say to a client we drew more than $150 million in total don’t know how long this will take venture capital investment in 2013. or how much this is going to cost.

That figure is only expected to grow That’s just not acceptable anyexponentially in following years. more.”

Other programs tied to artificial Garcia said that faster project

“Why do we talk about tech today?

For one, in order to compete, in order to survive, you’re going to have to. And two, clients are demanding it.”

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3:11 PM

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

HOW BAD IS THAT LEAK?

LEGAL AFFAIRS

Starting lawyer salaries starting to see an uptick

By JEREMY NOBILE

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Some of the country’s biggest law firms are kicking up their new associate salaries for the first time in years, and Cleveland is seeing the ripple effect.

But in a climate where demand for outside legal counsel is shades of what was seen prior to the recession, is this really the best time? And are $180,000 salaries for new associates really sustainable?

The jury is out on those questions.

Yet, firms large and small are evaluating their pay all the same, including those in Northeast Ohio, even though the market is vastly different from New York where those waves in the pond started from.

Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff pays by performance, not a lock-step system, said John Banks, the firm’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. The regional firm offers an objectively competitive base salary of about $105,000 for new associates in Cleveland, according to Crain’s most recent law firm list, plus a bonus program.

Yet, changes across the market are

leading firms like Benesch to review their compensation.

“We don’t get caught up with national firms. Their platforms tend to be a lot different from ours,” Banks said. “However, we are under market. And we are evaluating.”

Across the Cleveland market, if pay hasn’t already moved, word is most are at least talking about whether it should — and how they’ll pay for it.

Of course, compensation is but one of a litany of factors any lawyer has to consider when choosing a firm, just as it’s one of many overall incentives a firm can offer.

Some perks, such as living in a city like Cleveland with a lower cost of living than New York of Chicago, greater work flexibility and lighter billable hour requirements or better health benefits, will often trump a bulkier starting salary for some lawyers.

But the fact is, when the legal world hears about trendsetting large firms like Cravath, Swaine & Moore kicking up new associated pay from $160,000 to $180,000 — information that was leaked last month, dropping that metaphorical pebble in the water — the market reacts. It has to.

After all, when firms are leaner than ever, competition for the best people becomes even greater.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 19

Large firm hikes Many law firms are reticent to talk about their pay scales. They’d simply rather not show their cards.

Others are cautious of appearing to boil down their firm’s value to candidates to a dollar figure that lawyers can fixate on. Not surprisingly, all of Cleveland’s national firms declined to talk about pay on record.

However, according to Crain’s list of law firms that published last summer, some of Cleveland’s largest law firms, like Jones Day, BakerHostetler and Thompson Hine, have been paying $145,000, $135,000 and $120,000 to new associates in Cleveland, respectively.

Those values can move up or down depending on the market — they’ll likely be slightly higher in New York, but might actually be less in a market like Florida. But according to Crain’s latest list, Jones Day recently moved its starting salary in Cleveland to $160,000, which seems to be influenced by Cravath. Jones Day, though, is a global firm competing for similar top law school prospects that Cravath is.

Similarly, Baker has bumped up starting salaries in this market to $150,000, and Thompson Hine appears to be evaluating their pay.

In terms of competition for the best people, these higher salaries mean firms need to be even savvier when it comes to identifying the best talent they want to develop within their own walls.

When higher salaries pull the best candidates away from Ohio, the quality of the talent pool can shift downward.

And in this industry, the quality of new associate classes is one way

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firms are measured by and among their peers. As such, firms say they’re going to have to get creative with their recruitment efforts.

Midlevel impact Even though regional, midsize firms simply don’t play that recruiting game quite the same way as their national counterparts do, there’s still an effect that trickles down the chain.

“Regional firms in Ohio, like those with 120 to 130 lawyers or less, those firms are drawing people from three to five law schools in this area,” said Marc Merklin, managing partner of Akron-based Brouse McDowell.

“They’re not under the same competition for Ivy League students.”

The firm’s salary for new associates is around $92,000 today, marking a slight increase over the years.

And there are “far more” applicants than qualified positions, he said.

“We are not feeling the same kind of pressure on starting salary levels,” said Robert Roland, managing partner of Akron-based Day Ketterer. “We’re just not in the same business model at all as those national firms.”

Roland said salary there is “less than half” of that $180,000 bar set by Cravath.

“But small to midsize firms like ours offer something different, like a sense of ownership and a sense of continuity,” Roland said. “If they do well and choose to stay with us their entire careers, they can do that.”

Retention can be more of a challenge at larger firms for any number of reasons. Having more people overall, they simply have a higher likelihood of seeing people move around.

If anything, midsize firms report feeling more pressure on pay for mi-

dlevel associates.

Recruiters say midlevel hires tend to be poached from smaller firms by larger ones because those people have already had a chance to cut their teeth, even if they’re brought up in a different culture.

So for midsize firms looking to retain midlevel associates, or plug gaps where someone was drawn to another firm, those salaries are going up.

But those numbers can be even more nebulous as they’re often based on overall experience and expertise, which can vary greatly.

“There is definitely more competition for those people making their first moves (between firms),” Roland said. “We do find we are having to pay more there.”

And they’re not the only ones.

But how are firms paying for increased salaries? Passing on the cost to clients seems counterintuitive at a time when demand for legal services is down overall.

That’s the question firms large and small are dealing with today as they balance competition for people against value to clients.

“These recent moves (with salaries) make no sense and are another indication of how law firms are in the dark ages when it comes to running a business,” said John Slagter, managing partner of Buckingham, Doolittle and Burroughs, where the starting salary is about $80,000, with some exceptions.

“What other industry do you see declining demand, declining or stagnant profits but entry level salary increases across the board?

Clients do not want to pay $200 plus an hour for an untrained attorney, and law firms don’t want to lose money on associates. So tension exists here.”

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LEGAL AFFAIRS

A bachelor’s, law degree in six years? Maybe

By RACHEL ABBEY MCCAFFERTY rmccafferty@crain.com @ramccafferty

Efforts to keep costs down have led some local law schools to enter a relatively new type of partnership in Ohio: so-called 3+3 programs that combine a student’s final year of undergrad with his or her first year of law school.

These programs aren’t necessarily new across the country, but they weren’t practical in Ohio until July 2014 following rule changes by the state Supreme Court that allowed those graduating from six-year joint undergraduate/law programs to apply for the state bar examination.

Typically, the traditional path toward a law degree takes seven years — four years of undergrad, plus three years of law school.

When these changes took hold, the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University wanted to explore such a program because the school strives to keep costs low for students, said Deborah Geier, a Cleveland-Marshall professor of law.

Lake Erie College in Painesville soon approached Cleveland State, as it already had a 3+3 agreement with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

The Cleveland State-Lake Erie College partnership was announced in May 2015. In May 2016, Cleveland State announced two similar partnerships with Ursuline College in Pepper Pike and the University of Findlay. And Geier, who is also chair of the law school’s admission committee, wants to see the school pur-

Rendering of UA’s C. Blake McDowell Law Center, which is under renovation. (Braun & Steidl Architects) sue more.

“Because I think it’s a win-win,” she said.

As part of these programs, students are able to save a year of undergraduate tuition, while law schools are able to draw the kind of efficient and organized students attracted to this kind of program, she said. While employment in the legal field has taken a hit, she said the students who succeed in an accelerated program are likely to be the kind of students who will do well in the industry.

Judith Areen, executive director of the Association of American Law Schools in D.C., said there’s been a lot of thought given to the rising cost of college and graduate school.

However, she said cutting a year from law school is a “non-starter”

because it’s too difficult to get all the necessary training in two years.

Northwestern University in Chicago tried a program that offered three years of coursework in two years, but the program failed to take off. Recruitment for that program halted.

The 3+3 programs, however, have been around nationally for about five years, but really started to gain popularity in the last two to three, Areen said. She said it’s difficult to predict whether this accelerated model will become the norm, but she said it’s an option that will grow in popularity if the applicant pool for law schools stays at a low level.

There’s been a significant drop in applicants to law schools since 2009 or 2010, said Matthew Wilson, who joined the University of Akron as

dean of its law school in 2014 but recently took over as interim president of the university. Before that, law schools were overbuilt and over-expanded, as they were viewed as the “hip place to be,” he said.

After the economic downturn, even more graduates were enrolling in law school despite the fact that legal jobs were struggling. People started graduating with a lot of debt, which attracted negative press.

While the legal market has now recovered, interest in attending law school is still low, Wilson said. He did note that the University of Akron has gone against the trend in the past year and has seen growth in enrollees and applicants.

Akron doesn’t offer a two-year program for traditional students (though

it does offer one for students with a foreign law degree), but it has started to add 3+3 programs with Walsh University in North Canton and Robert Morris University in Moon, Pa. Those partnerships were announced in May, and other universities have expressed interest, as well.

Wilson said the University of Akron is also exploring an internal 3+3 program, as well as a master of studies in law for students who want some legal expertise but don’t want to become attorneys. Cleveland State also offers a master’s in legal studies, aimed at students whose careers overlap with law but who don’t want to practice it.

Law schools have also been rolling out more master’s programs that allow students to add on a specialty after finishing their three-year program, Wilson said. For example, Akron offers such a program on intellectual property for its students.

The region’s other law school, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, does not offer any accelerated programs at this time.

While an emailed statement attributed to co-deans Jessica Berg and Michael Scharf indicated that a twoyear program was off the table, a 3+3 program could fit into the scope of their school’s offerings.

While Geier doesn’t expect these 3+3 programs to produce a large number of law school graduates, she does think it will be a trend going forward. Schools can’t continue to do things the way they’ve always done them, she said. They have to be flexible and open to change so they can best serve students.

“Students really are the center of our universe,” Geier said.

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 21

RNC IN CLE

Scenes from a strange and surreal convention Rock Hall George Drysdale has been to every Republican National Convention since 1988, sometimes as a delegate, but this year as a supporter of the Republican Party.

And yet, his first stop wasn’t Quicken Loans Arena or Public Square or East 4th, but rather the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“It’s history, it’s important, and for me, it speaks to me,” Drysdale said.

It spoke to many this week, including Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Gov. and presidential candidate, who called the Rock Hall “absolutely, truly one of my favorite destinations in America.”

The museum ushered in delegates, politicians, journalists, tourists, locals and other visitors taking advantage of the free admission sponsored by AT&T from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the convention.

People in suits and ties, dresses and heels bearing lanyards of various credentials filed into the dim exhibits of the Rock Hall, alongside those clutching cameras and wearing shorts, sneakers and flip flops — including one family visiting Ohio from Puerto Rico who didn’t realize how many other guests Cleveland would be hosting.

By evening, the suits dominated as the Rock Hall shifted to a private event venue for roughly 40 private events the museum hosted during the RNC — starting with a ceremony Sunday to kick off the week. The Rock Hall averaged 4,000 daily visitors this week, compared to 2,500 visitors typically seen daily in mid-July. Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s president and CEO, said he’s hopeful that the museum’s exposure to visitors and media will have a long-term positive ripple effect for the museum and city.

“It was great to see credentialed delegates and clearly people that were in town to voice their view or displeasure all enjoying the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Harris said.

Al Schwarz, a Florida delegate, stopped by twice to take a trip down memory lane, he said while wandering through the Rock Hall’s featured exhibit, “Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics.”

“I think musicians help to transcend sometimes what they see on TV,” Schwarz said. “And help candidates to get their message out to those folks.” — Lydia Coutré

East 4th Street drew large crowds throughout the four-day Republican National Convention. (McKinley Wiley for Crain’s)

Media watch During The Atlantic’s lunch forum Thursday, its final event of the week, guests filled the seats, aisles and the second floor, and sat along the stairs at Blue Point Grille to listen to a discussion on women in politics.

Standing-room-only wasn’t uncommon throughout the week as The Atlantic took over the upscale seafood restaurant for the week to hold various panels and forums.

“The Atlantic is about consequential questions, consequential issues,” said Steve Clemons, editor at large for The Atlantic.

“There’s always a chance at a political convention that the hard topics, the uncomfortable conversations and the real hard choices for society are avoided.”

The Atlantic began every day with morning briefings over coffee and pastries. Journalists, politicians and various advocates discussed a new topic each day: Down-ballot races, what the polls mean, how the candidates would govern and what’s next for the campaigns.

Some days, lunch forums and evening cocktail caucuses followed, drawing in people for food, drinks and discussions on female millennial voters, energy and the environment and foreign policy.

Megan Sunderland, a foreign diplomat in town for the RNC, attended a few events at the Blue Point throughout the week.

“Obviously, there’s a lot going on in the city that’s been very interesting, but I have to say that The Atlantic has had some of the more in-

Street performers such as this man in silver paint were all over downtown. (Jeremy Nobile) teresting panels,” said Sunderland.

She appreciated that the events took a step back from the politics of the day, which in part was the goal.

A lot of politics today has centered not around issues, but around personality and brands and a “vapid debate,” Clemons said.

The depth and seriousness in programming outside of the convention hall were valuable.

And for Blue Point, the events meant a week of exposure to people from different backgrounds and parts of the country. Although general manager PJ Saracusa wasn’t willing to discuss specifics, he said revenue was equal to or a little better than an average mid-July week.

“We have so many people that come into Cleveland for business travel, and they may be talking to somebody on the plane and mention that, ‘Hey, I was at Blue Point Grille for this event, fantastic restaurant. We had an incredible time,’ ” Saracusa said. — Lydia Coutré

Bloom Bakery

Off-the-wall choice

Logan Fahey must’ve been running on fumes as he closed in on his 20th hour of work last Wednesday night, July 20, at Public Square’s Bloom Bakery.

But besides some tired eyes shaded by the bill of a dark gray hat, he really didn’t show it.

As general manager, Fahey made a bold push to have the four-month-old café stay open 24 hours straight through the duration of the Republican National Convention.

He faced some skepticism, and rightfully so.

The business is still in its infancy. It’s typically open only from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staffers were asked to work shifts between 12 to 16 hours long while managers were looking at 20. And the actual bakery on Euclid Avenue had never been tested with supplying product continuously.

Meanwhile, the adjacent tower that supplies 60% of its usual business was closed. An atrium that connected the two was shuttered. Security at 200 Public Square, Fahey said, wouldn’t support them because of security concerns.

“It was definitely kind of iffy whether we were going to be open 24/7,” he said, taking a break to reflect on the move around midnight, looking over a lobby with a line a few people deep and a dining area with at least a dozen more. “I’m sure a lot of people questioned my judgment on that.”

But he pushed ahead anyway.

“The opportunity to be open 24/7 to get the visibility during the RNC in a city like Cleveland, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Fahey said, referencing the exposure for their parent group, Towards Employment, a nonprofit that provides jobs to people with criminal records.

Traffic spiked with RNC conventioneers while several writers and reporters stationed themselves there day and night. Fahey estimates overall business was trending about 35% to 40% higher than normal.

It was undeniably a test of Bloom’s limits. And they passed with flying colors. The hope is to stay open much later during events at Public Square, possibly until midnight. RNC week proved they can more than handle the pressure.

What seemed like a gamble at first will undoubtedly reflect well on this up-and-coming local business.

“Luckily, it paid off,” Fahey said, chasing a light laugh with a sigh of relief. — Jeremy Nobile

Outside the convention, where the muggy July air was heavy with the smells of barbecue, booze and cigar smoke, a little-known Republican presidential candidate with an upsidedown rubber rain boot on his head shook hands with fans.

Among a slew of protesters and activists, Vermin Supreme stood out — at least, his footwearturned-hat did.

“I was seeking the Republican nomination,” he told a group of onlookers late Tuesday night on East 4th Street as he posed for pictures. “But apparently, the Republican Party may be a party of pony haters!”

Supreme was running on a platform that includes investing in time travel and providing free ponies to every American.

“So I’m here celebrating that we’re able to make American Trump again! Am I right?,” he shouted, flashing a brimming smile outlined by a thick, gray, frazzled beard.

Free speech was on full display as throngs of protesters crowded the alley a short distance from Quicken Loans Arena, where Supreme, a Massachusetts native and one of the more bizarre activists, joined in. He was being followed by Lucas Thayer, an independent journalist with inLeague Press.

Thayer said events like this are the few places he can get media attention. “(Mass media) are anointing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. But Vermin is trying really hard, running for both Democratic and Republican nominations,” he said. “He’s the only one reaching across the aisles, running for different parties and trying to end the oppressive two-party system.”

Supreme is visually outrageous but talks with a measured flow. He’s playing a character and doesn’t seem nearly as crazy as he looks.

“Vermin’s message is that the system is ridiculous. He’s a clown, jokingly running for president.

His point is that the people who are seriously running for president are even more absurd than what he’s saying,” Thayer said. “He’s calling for free ponies. That’s pretty absurd. But Trump is calling for deporting Muslims. That’s pretty absurd, too.”

Our conversation ended as Thayer moved to catch up with Supreme, who slipped into a visibly enamored crowd. — Jeremy Nobile

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z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

BUSINESS OF LIFE

Source Lunch “It’s over!”

Austin Carr, not surprisingly, couldn’t contain his excitement as the buzzer sounded and the Cleveland Cavaliers clinched the city’s first major sports championship in almost 52 years on June 19.

Carr, the first overall pick of the 1971 draft by the Cavs, was with the organization during plenty of lean years. But he also played for the 1975-76 “Miracle of Richfield” team that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, and as a Fox Sports Ohio analyst, he’s had a frontrow seat for each of LeBron James’ nine seasons with the franchise. The Washington, D.C., native just completed his 18th season as a Cavs TV analyst.

He’s spent the last 10 years with play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod, with whom Carr shared tears of joy after the Cavs rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Golden State in the NBA Finals. — Kevin Kleps

What was your reaction after it was all over? You got pretty emotional, didn’t you?

I got emotional. After all these years of fighting in these NBA cities and then finally coming out on top, it was a great feeling. It was kind of a surreal feeling because I didn’t really feel like we won. I kept feeling like we had another game to play.

LeBron’s amazing performance in the Finals: How would you describe what you saw?

To me, with Kyrie (Irving) healthy and with (Kevin) Love playing well, it lets LeBron play his tripledouble game. That’s the way he likes to play, and when he can play that way, it’s going to be hard to beat the Cavaliers. That means whoever is guarding him is so focused on trying to keep him under control, that takes a man out of the equation offensively.

He just was spectacular. I mean, the things he did, the rebounding, that shot block (late in Game 7) was off the chart because he was a half-inch from goaltending.

You’ve been a part of the league for decades. Where does LeBron rank already?

He’s the best all-around player I think I’ve seen in the league. He’s got a little bit of Magic (Johnson), a little bit of Michael (Jordan), he has a little bit of Elgin Baylor in him. He’s got a little bit of all the greats. He’s like a hybrid of all of them. To me, he might be the best all-around player to ever play the game.

What’s this time of year like for you? Do you get in a lot of golf?

I usually play a lot of golf. But when you’re in the playoffs this long, two years in a row like this, we’re actually starting on next season already. Then we got league meetings coming up, so everything is just squeezed in because we took an extra two months (with playoff games).

“The interaction with the players is fun, but I enjoy doing the games with Fred because he and I communicate well and we kind of know each other’s style.

It’s just fun doing the games with him.”

As a player, obviously the regular season is a grind. How much of a grind is it for you, Fred and the TV crew when you’re on the road a lot? Is it a grind?

After about the first 40 games, it starts. Toward the end, it starts to wear on you. But the

focus of doing your job is always there, so it kind of balances itself. You don’t really feel it until the season’s over, then you kind of like get a chance to air out. But then you gotta keep going in the playoffs, and you don’t really get to air out. If I sit down too long, I might fall asleep. I’m trying to catch up now.

What’s your favorite part of your job?

The interaction with the players is fun, but I enjoy doing the games with Fred because he and I communicate well and we kind of know each other’s style. It’s just fun doing the games with him.

And the fans — I’ve been here forever, but the fans have been very good to me. I enjoy the whole experience.

Do people come up to you and ask you to say some of your catchphrases?

All the time.

Is there one that seems to be their favorite?

“Get that weak stuff outta here.”

I’ve had people come up to me and ask me to say that so they can make it their ringtone.

The Mr. Cavalier title: Do you take a lot of pride in that?

It’s a responsibility, and I take it seriously. I try and carry myself in a professional manner. I try to make sure I represent the organization as well as I can.

Austin Carr BROADCASTING

FIVE THINGS: SHOWTIME Carr enjoys watching movies: His recent favorites: “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Race” and “42.”

GRAMPS

Carr has another hobby he enjoys much more: Watching his 3-year-old grandson, Austin. “I’m a professional babysitter now,” he said.

BAD TIMING

Carr’s reaction to the lavish contracts that were handed out in the opening weeks of NBA free agency: “I wish I was born later. That’s the best answer I can give you.”

GO FIGURE

The NBA salary cap has increased more than $36 million, to $94 million, in the last five years. Carr believes his highest salary as a player was $350,000.

BACK IN THE DAY

Carr said during his career, players couldn’t afford to specialize in one area, as some do now with 3-point shooting or defensive prowess.

LUNCH SPOT Red, the Steakhouse 417 Prospect Avenue Cleveland 216-664-0941

The meal Roasted pork belly tacos with a soft drink, trout special with water and ginger beer, and house salads.

The vibe Red’s large windows offer excellent views of the bustling scene on Prospect and nearby East Fourth Street. The Cleveland location, a favorite of Carr’s, has an excellent lunch menu that offers a wide variety of salads and sandwiches. And the signature steaks from Red’s dinner menu are always available.

(Tip: Try the tacos!)

The bill $55.03 + tip

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9:37 AM

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CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 23

CLEVELAND BUSINESS 700 W. St. Clair Ave., Suite 310, Cleveland, OH 44 113-1 1230 Phone: (216) 522-1 1383 www.crainscleveland.com @CrainsCleveland Publisher/editor

Elizabeth McIntyre

Managing editor

Scott Suttell

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Kevin Kleps

Creative director Web editor Digital strategy/audience development director

Senior reporter Reporters

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Kim Hill

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Account executives

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20160725-NEWS--24-NAT-CCI-CL_--

PAGE 24

7/22/2016

7:01 PM

Page 1

z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

CITY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “It’s beyond heads on beds,” said David Gilbert, Destination Cleveland’s president and CEO, who also served as president and CEO of the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee.

“That’s a very important side benefit, not the end game,” he said. “Increasing the number of visitors is not just about bringing more dollars; it’s about advancing our entire community.”

Two days earlier, in his two-and-ahalf minutes of welcoming remarks from the podium at Quicken Loans Arena, Gilbert produced a sound bite tailored for a future video sales pitch to corporate site selectors who are deciding where to locate a new factory or warehouse. He surely knew his words would be lost in the political rhetoric that would follow on the first day of the Republican festivities.

“We are a city whose people love where they live and are proud and passionate about it,” he said, “Across the region, you’ll find growing neighborhoods, a population that is getting younger, smarter and more engaged, and a business community that is putting people and capital to work in innovative, dynamic enterprises.”

Changing perceptions The economic impact of travel and tourism has long been measured by visitor spending.

“For a city like Cleveland that has suffered drastically by a difficult perception, visitation changes perception more than anything else, and that also has to do with people choosing to move here, choosing to locate a business here,” Gilbert said.

Since before winning the RNC two years ago, Northeast Ohio’s civic and

business community has approached the convention as an opportunity to have the region seen as a good place to do business.

Chris Kelly, a host committee cochair and co-leader of Jones Day’s Capital Markets Practice, said just before the last convention session on Thursday, July 21, that the convention was a long-term branding exercise for the region.

“That’s what we wanted,” Kelly said.

In 2013, Destination Cleveland participated in a study by Oxford Economics, an Oxford, England, economic consulting firm, that measured how the visitor economy affected regional economies. The study, “Destination Promotion: An Engine of Economic Development,” found that in addition to filling hotel rooms and restaurant tables, convention and visitors bureaus help regional economies by “boosting air service, creating familiarity, attracting decision-makers and improving the quality of life for residents.”

In addition, the business side of tourism — meetings and conventions — can have a long-term impact on business development. That was, in part, the motivation for the convention host committee and JobsOhio, the state business attraction nonprofit, to host a series of business forums during convention week. Subjects including business financing, health care and workforce were discussed at the Global Center for Health Innovation and were chosen because they would interest business leaders who were in town for the convention.

Programs tied to major events, as the JobsOhio forums were to the RNC, create opportunities for local economic development officials to connect with convention-goers who are also business decision-makers, the study found.

Reaching out Media outlets also were targeted for their ability to influence business decisions, said Rick Batyko, senior vice president of Team Northeast Ohio, the regional business attraction nonprofit.

He said his organization, with help from the Dix & Eaton public relations firm, months ago began an outreach program to major national media and business media to provide background on advance stories they could write about the region and to point out stories officials here hoped media members would write once they arrived in Cleveland.

“If we didn’t maximize the potential to educate the country and the world about Cleveland, then we would have lost an opportunity,” said David Hertz, a Dix & Eaton managing director. “That’s the real payoff for the community,” The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber used the convention as a unique opportunity to show off both the Mahoning Valley and the broader Northeast Ohio region to an important group of business advisers.

“We saw the RNC being in Cleveland as an opportunity to host site selectors from around the United States,” said Sarah Boyarko, the chamber of commerce’s senior vice president for economic development.

About a dozen consultants who advise businesses on locations for new business operations arrived in Youngstown last Monday, July 18, before heading to Cleveland on Tuesday morning for a day of events and meetings. The site selectors represented businesses in places including Atlanta, California, Chicago, Phoenix and Texas.

The group arrived at Cuyahoga County Airport by private jet and bused downtown for a reception by

ty Food Service, which will bring 2,000 people in 2020. Of course, the region also hopes hosting the RNC paid off over the short term.

Although the week wasn’t the business bonanza that every restaurant and hotel was hoping for, Gilbert is waiting for a study begun by researchers at Cleveland State University that will estimate the short-term impact of the convention. A study released last week by the U.S. Travel Association pegged the impact of the convention at $180 million, based on $33 million in lodging revenue and average spending by a convention attendee of $300 a day.

Ari Maron of MRN Limited, which owns the Holiday Inn Express and Tudor Arms Doubletree at University Circle, said his firm’s hotels were sellouts for the entire convention.

But that’s not the most important result for him. “I see this not so much as making money on one event as in telling the world we are here,” he said.

Ed Sylcox, manager of the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, said the 491room hotel was sold out for the entire convention. He believes the event will be a game-changer for the city’s participation in future convention planning.

“We look at this as a large site visit for the hotel itself,” Sylcox said. “We hope the corporations associated with the delegation can see what we can do.

Summing it up, Todd Mesek, vice president of marketing and communications at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said, “I think largely the city can consider this a win. The police, the infrastructure met expectations and exceeded them, so I think it’s a win for the city.”

the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, then to a meeting with economic development leaders who work for Cuyahoga County, the Greater Cleveland Partnership and Team NEO. Then it was on to a reception hosted by Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

“Overall, it was a big win for our community and our organization,” Boyarko said. “Many of them had never actually been in the Mahoning Valley before or if they had it had been quite some time.”

The site visit was also a welcome example of regional cooperation, in a region where metropolitan areas don’t always work together.

“Our organization’s approach is we’re going to do everything we can to secure investment for Mahoning and Trumbull (counties), but overall, any investment in the region is good for all of us,” Boyarko said.

Entering the big time The RNC also has boosted bookings at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, which served as the media center for the Republican convention.

Mark Leahy, general manager of the center, said winning the RNC, and convincing the Republican Party that the city could handle a mega-event and that the convention center can be home to thousands of journalists, helped him land new business.

“It shows Cleveland can do bigtime events,” he said during a brief interview, not far from where Facebook had its convention headquarters.

Center spokesman Dave Johnson provided Crain’s with a list of five major conventions that the center has booked this year for future years.

Among them are the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, which will bring 2,000 attendees in 2019, and the National Association of College and Universi-

Reporters Stan Bullard, Lydia Coutre and Rachel Abbey McCafferty contributed to this story.

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20160725-NEWS--25-NAT-CCI-CL_--

7/22/2016

11:28 AM

Page 1

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 25

The List FIRM THIS LOCAL ADDRESS YEAR PHONE/WEBSITE

LARGEST LAW FIRMS

LOCAL LOCAL MINORITY LOCAL LOCAL OF LOCAL FEMALE LOCAL LOCAL ATTORNEYS PARTNERS PARTNERS PARTNERS ASSOCIATES COUNSEL STAFF

(1)

WORLDWIDE ATTORNEYS

SALARY FOR ASSOCIATE HIRED FROM LAW SCHOOL

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES TITLE

1

Jones Day North Point, 901 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland 44114-1190 (216) 586-3939/www.jonesday.com

201

67

13

1

106

28

628

2,500

$160,000

44

Heather Lennox Cleveland partner-in-charge

Baker & Hostetler LLP (2) Key Tower, 127 Public Square, Suite 2000, Cleveland 44114-1214 (216) 621-0200/www.bakerlaw.com

166

98

21

3

36

2

394

934

$150,000

14

2

Hewitt B. Shaw, Cleveland office managing partner; R. Steven Kestner, firm wide chairman

3

Tucker Ellis LLP 950 Main Ave., Suite 1100, Cleveland 44113 (216) 592-5000/tuckerellis.com

135

65

12

5

33

37

273

199

NA

7

Jeff Healy partner-in-charge, Ohio

4

Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP The Calfee Building, 1405 E. Sixth St., Cleveland 44114 (216) 622-8200/www.calfee.com

131

69

12

2

34

19

258

159

NA

3

Brent D. Ballard, managing partner Thomas F. McKee, chairman

Thompson Hine LLP 127 Public Square, Suite 3900, Cleveland 44114 (216) 566-5500/www.thompsonhine.com

130

67

15

2

37

19

309

385

$120,000

7

5

Deborah Z. Read, managing partner; Robyn Minter Smyers, Cleveland office partner-in-charge

6

Benesch 200 Public Square, Suite 2300, Cleveland 44114 (216) 363-4500/www.beneschlaw.com

122

63

19

3

46

8

247

177

$105,000

8

Gregg A. Eisenberg managing partner

Squire Patton Boggs 127 Public Square, Suite 4900, Cleveland 44114 (216) 479-8500/www.squirepb.com

107

49

11

2

34

24

316

1,531

NA

45

7

Frederick R. Nance, regional managing partner; Michele L. Connell, managing partner, Cleveland

79

56

20

1

14

9

129

79

$92,000

3

8

Brouse McDowell LPA 388 S. Main St., Suite 500, Akron 44311 (330) 535-5711/www.brouse.com

Marc B. Merklin, managing partner; Christopher J. Carney, partner-in-charge, Cleveland

8

Ulmer & Berne LLP 1660 W. Second St., Suite 1100, Cleveland 44113 (216) 583-7000/www.ulmer.com

79

46

11

2

24

9

167

152

NA

5

Kip Reader managing partner

McDonald Hopkins LLC 600 Superior Ave., E., Suite 2100, Cleveland 44114 (216) 348-5400/www.mcdonaldhopkins.com

78

47

3

0

21

10

164

144

NA

6

10

Carl J. Grassi, president Shawn M. Riley managing partner, Cleveland

Roetzel & Andress 1375 E. Ninth St., One Cleveland Center, 9th Floor, Cleveland 44114 (216) 623-0150/www.ralaw.com

77

48

11

1

19

10

170

176

NA

11

Bradley A. Wright, partnerin-charge, Akron; Robert E. Blackham, partner-incharge, Cleveland

11

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Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP 200 Public Square, Suite 2800, Cleveland 44114 (216) 621-0150/www.hahnlaw.com

68

48

6

4

15

5

151

130

$110,000

7

Lawrence E. Oscar, managing partner, CEO; Nancy A. Valentine, office managing partner, Cleveland

13

Walter | Haverfield LLP 1301 E. Ninth St., Suite 3500, Cleveland 44114-1821 (216) 781-1212/www.walterhav.com

66

39

10

0

22

5

117

66

NA

2

Ralph E. Cascarilla managing partner

14

Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs LLC 1375 E. Ninth St., Suite 1700, Cleveland 44114 (216) 621-5300/www.bdblaw.com

65

53

8

4

8

4

128

65

NA

3

John P. Slagter managing partner

14

Reminger Co. LPA 101 Prospect Ave. W., Suite 1400, Cleveland 44115 (216) 687-1311/www.reminger.com

65

52

10

2

12

1

175

130

NA

13

Stephen E. Walters CEO, president

Frantz Ward LLP 200 Public Square, Suite 3000, Cleveland 44114 (216) 515-1660/www.frantzward.com

58

37

7

1

17

3

104

58

$115,000

1

16

T. Merritt Bumpass Jr. Michael J. Frantz Christopher G. Keim Management Committee

17

Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP 200 Public Square, Suite 3500, Cleveland 44114 (216) 241-2838/www.taftlaw.com

53

34

6

3

11

2

92

400

$120,000

9

Kevin D. Barnes partner-in-charge, Cleveland

Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP 200 Public Square, Suite 1400, Cleveland 44114-2327 (216) 479-6100/www.vorys.com

51

22

2

1

21

8

72

364

NA

7

18

F. Daniel Balmert, managing partner, Akron; Anthony J. O'Malley, managing partner, Cleveland

19

Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co. LPA 4775 Munson St. N.W., Canton 44718 (330) 497-0700/www.kwgd.com

50

38

6

0

13

0

100

50

NA

5

Terry A. Moore managing director

20

Gallagher Sharp LLP 1501 Euclid Ave., 6th floor, Cleveland 44115 (216) 241-5310/www.gallaghersharp.com

45

31

7

1

13

1

88

52

NA

3

Timothy T. Brick managing partner

21

Weston Hurd LLP 1301 E. Ninth St., Suite 1900, Cleveland 44114 (216) 241-6602/www.westonhurd.com

43

33

6

1

4

6

73

52

NA

3

Carolyn M. Cappel managing partner

Brennan, Manna & Diamond 75 E. Market St., Akron 44308 (330) 253-5060/www.bmdllc.com

41

24

5

0

14

3

67

63

NA

5

Anthony S. Manna, chairman; Jack T. Diamond, president; Lee S. Walko Matthew A. Heinle, comanaging partners, Akron

12

22

SEE LIST, PAGE 27

20160725-NEWS--26-NAT-CCI-CL_--

PAGE 26

7/22/2016

4:41 PM

Page 1

z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS

55 Public Square hits market at key time

By STAN BULLARD sbullard@crain.com @CrainRltywriter

Public Square’s big-ticket greening, updating and newfound popularity may shape the future of a 22story office building bordering it that Optima Management Group has started to market for sale.

The Miami Beach-based property owner has listed 55 Public Square for sale, potentially as a redevelopment property with CBRE, said David

Browning, the real estate brokerage’s Cleveland managing director. Browning also confirmed prior reports that CBRE has a listing to sell the AECOM Building, 1300 East Ninth St. “Optima made a huge (financial) commitment to Cleveland,� Browning said. “Right now is probably a great time to bring some things to market. With 55 Public Square’s location and the renovation of the square, we’re very excited about being involved with it. We’ve had a lot of interest, both from the usual local suspects and capable local groups as well as re-

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gional and out-of-town developers.�

If Optima succeeds in unloading the properties, it may be able to execute the classic play in real estate: buy when few are buying and sell when prices are climbing.

However, changes in office building fundamentals due to the trend of office downsizing and slow officejob growth may make that difficult.

Optima also will have to see how much a developer wants to pay for a building such as 55 Public Square that needs substantial repairs as well as the expense of converting it to residential use. AECOM Centre, which has some vacancy, will have to find an owner willing to work on the property and not just collect rent checks, always a bigger challenge in the Midwest than on the coasts.

An affiliate of Optima paid $34 million for 55 Public Square in 2008.

That is a big number to beat to essentially rebuild the property. Another Optima-linked firm paid $46.5 million for AECOM in 2010.

Alec Pacella, managing partner of NAI Daus, said selling each building will take some hard negotiating. “Big picture, it’s a good time to sell.

The national spotlight is on Cleveland with the Republican National Convention,� Pacella said. “It’s a good time for Optima to recycle some capital. 55 Public Square has a great location as an apartment conversion. AECOM also has some vacancy. It’s hard to get paid for vacant space. Sellers can get paid as much as possible for leased space, but getting paid for empty bricks and sticks means finding a different kind of value.

Which building will be easier to sell? It’s hard to say.�

Pacella pointed out Optima is not marketing its One Cleveland Centre office building. “That’s no surprise. It’s their best performing building,� he said.

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Optima Management Group owns 55 Public Square. (David Kordalski) Continued ownership of One Cleveland and a big stake in the Westin Cleveland make it technically incorrect to say the low-profile, mediashy Florida investor is exiting Cleveland. Chaim Schochet, Optima’s Cleveland investment executive, did not return three calls about 55 Public Square and has left a total of seven calls unreturned this month.

The 55 Public Square building, once the home of the Cleveland

Electric Illuminating Co., which now is part of FirstEnergy Corp of Akron, dates from 1958 and signaled what is regarded as the beginning of Cleveland’s modern office building era. It was the first multitenant office building erected with air conditioning in Cleveland. Its vintage also means that it may qualify for federal and state historic preservation tax credits to help finance renovation and conversion expenses.

20160725-NEWS--27-NAT-CCI-CL_--

7/22/2016

11:29 AM

Page 1

CRAIN’S CLEVELAND BUSINESS z JULY 25 - 31, 2016 z PAGE 27

The List FIRM THIS LOCAL ADDRESS YEAR PHONE/WEBSITE

LARGEST LAW FIRMS

LOCAL LOCAL MINORITY LOCAL LOCAL OF LOCAL FEMALE LOCAL LOCAL ATTORNEYS PARTNERS PARTNERS PARTNERS ASSOCIATES COUNSEL STAFF

(1)

WORLDWIDE ATTORNEYS

SALARY FOR ASSOCIATE HIRED FROM LAW SCHOOL

TOP LOCAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES TITLE

23

Fay Sharpe LLP 1228 Euclid Ave., 5th floor, Cleveland 44115 (216) 363-9000/www.faysharpe.com

40

23

3

0

16

2

87

40

$95,000

1

Management Committee

23

McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman Co. LPA 101 W. Prospect Ave., Suite 1800, Cleveland 44115 (216) 696-1422/www.mccarthylebit.com

40

23

4

0

8

9

72

40

NA

1

Kenneth B. Liffman managing principal

25

Day Ketterer Ltd., Attorneys at Law 200 Market Ave. N., Suite 300, Canton 44702 (330) 455-0173/www.dayketterer.com

34

22

3

0

7

7

63

36

NA

4

Robert E. Roland managing partner

25

Tarolli, Sundheim, Covell & Tummino LLP 1300 E. Ninth St., Suite 1700, Cleveland 44114 (216) 621-2234/www.tarolli.com

34

20

4

0

10

4

64

34

$90,000

1

Management Committee

27

Wegman, Hessler & Vanderburg 6055 Rockside Woods, Suite 200, Independence 44131 (216) 642-3342/www.wegmanlaw.com

33

19

3

0

9

5

62

33

NA

1

Keith A. Vanderburg managing partner

28

Wickens, Herzer, Panza, Cook & Batista Co. 35765 Chester Road, Avon 44011 (440) 695-8000/www.wickenslaw.com

32

13

2

0

12

7

75

32

NA

2

Matthew W. Nakon president, CEO

29

Dworken & Bernstein Co. LPA 60 S. Park Place, Painesville 44077 (440) 352-3391/www.dworkenlaw.com

31

15

4

4

14

2

65

31

NA

2

Howard S. Rabb managing partner

29

Littler 1100 Superior Ave., 20th floor, Cleveland 44114 (216) 696-7600/www.littler.com

31

19

5

2

9

2

49

1,179

NA

74

Bradley A. Sherman office managing shareholder

29

Meyers, Roman, Friedberg and Lewis 28601 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 500, Cleveland 44122 (216) 831-0042/www.meyersroman.com

31

18

4

1

5

7

51

31

NA

1

Peter Turner managing partner

29

Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. LPA 323 W. Lakeside Ave., Suite 200, Cleveland 44113 (216) 685-1000/www.weltman.com

31

15

5

1

3

3

423

74

NA

9

Scott S. Weltman managing partner

33

Pearne & Gordon LLP 1801 E. Ninth St., Suite 1200, Cleveland 44114 (216) 579-1700/pearne.com

30

17

2

2

13

1

60

30

NA

1

NA

34

Stark & Knoll Co. LPA 3475 Ridgewood Road, Akron 44333 (330) 376-3300/www.stark-knoll.com

27

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

39

NA

NA

1

John K. Krajewski managing partner

35

Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP 950 Main Ave., Cleveland 44113 (216) 443-9000/www.porterwright.com

26

18

7

0

6

2

32

250

$110,000

6

Hugh E. McKay partner-in-charge

35

Zashin & Rich Co. LPA 950 Main Ave., 4th floor, Cleveland 44113 (216) 696-4441/www.zrlaw.com

26

2

0

0

24

2

39

29

NA

2

Andrew A. Zashin Stephen S. Zashin co-managing partners

37

Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP 1375 E. Ninth St., Suite 900, Cleveland 44114 (216) 696-4200/www.sssb-law.com

25

18

2

2

7

2

52

25

NA

1

James D. Vail managing partner

Amin, Turocy & Watson LLP 127 Public Square, Key Tower, 57th floor, Cleveland 44114 (216) 696-8730/www.thepatentattorneys.com

24

7

1

3

13

4

39

24

NA

1

38

Himanshu Amin managing partner

38

Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder Co. LPA 100 Franklin's Row, 34305 Solon Road, Cleveland 44139 (440) 248-7906/www.mrrlaw.com

24

14

1

0

10

0

51

38

$0

3

Joseph F. Nicholas Jr. president, managing partner

38

Roderick Linton Belfance LLP 50 S. Main St., 10th floor, Akron 44308 (330) 315-3350/www.rlbllp.com

24

11

2

0

8

5

40

24

NA

2

Timothy Truby managing partner

41

Fisher Phillips 9150 South Hills Boulevard, Suite 300, Cleveland 44147 (440) 838-8800/www.fisherphillips.com

22

11

NA

NA

4

6

23

344

NA

32

Steven M. Nobil regional managing partner

41

Nicola, Gudbranson & Cooper LLC 25 W. Prospect Ave., Suite 1400, Cleveland 44115-1048 (216) 621-7227/www.nicola.com

22

15

2

0

5

2

18

22

NA

1

Management Committee

43

Bonezzi Switzer Polito & Hupp Co. LPA 1300 E. Ninth St., Suite 1950, Cleveland 44114 (216) 875-2767/www.bsphlaw.com

21

16

4

0

5

0

45

23

NA

6

Jeffrey W. Van Wagner managing shareholder

43

Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan LPA 100 Seventh Ave., Suite 150, Chardon 44024-1079 (440) 285-2242/www.tddlaw.com

21

14

3

0

5

4

36

22

NA

2

Dale H. Markowitz treasurer

45

Seeley, Savidge, Ebert & Gourash Co. LPA 26600 Detroit Ave., Cleveland 44145 (216) 566-8200/www.sseg-law.com

20

8

0

0

14

1

37

20

NA

1

Gary A. Ebert administrative partner

McGlinchey Stafford PLLC 25550 Chagrin Blvd., Suite 406, Cleveland 44122 (216) 378-9905/www.mcglinchey.com

19

7

3

1

7

5

37

200

NA

13

Mark Edelman, managing member, Cleveland office; Rodolfo J. Aguilar Jr., managing member, firm; David Thompson, managing member, Cleveland

Sutter O'Connell 1301 E. Ninth St., Suite 3600, Cleveland 44114 (216) 928-2200/www.sutter-law.com

19

9

1

0

8

2

37

21

NA

2

Lawrence A. Sutter managing shareholder

46 46

RESEARCHED BY DEBORAH W. HILLYER Source: Information is supplied by the companies unless footnoted. Crain's Cleveland Business does not independently verify the information and there is no guarantee these listings are complete or accurate. We welcome all responses to our lists and will include omitted information or clarifications in coming issues. Individual lists and The Book of Lists are available to purchase at www.crainscleveland.com.

(1) Local refers to our business list coverage area of Ashland, Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties. (2) Associates salary includes stipend.

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