Attorneys

Areas of Practice

• Class Actions -- Plaintiff
• Ethics
• Professional Responsibility
• Nursing Home
• Litigation & Appeals
• Federal Trial Practice
• State Appellate Practice
• State Trial Practice
• Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
• Animal Bites -- Plaintiff
• Motor Vehicle Accidents -- Plaintiff
• Premises Liability -- Plaintiff
• Railroad Accidents -- Plaintiff
• Slip and Fall -- Plaintiff
• Wrongful Death -- Plaintiff
• Products Liability Law
• Asbestos
• Chemicals & Cosmetics
• Machinery & Tools
• Medical Products & Devices
• Pharmaceutical Products
• Professional Malpractice Law
• Dental Malpractice
• Legal Malpractice
• Medical Malpractice
• Other Professionals Malpractice
• Railroad Worker Injury/FELA
• Toxic Torts

Litigation Percentage

• 90% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

Bar Admissions

• Ohio, 1973
• Kentucky, 1994
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1974
• U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 1986
• U.S. Supreme Court, 1985

Education

• Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts, 1973
  J.D.
  
  
• Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 1971
  B.S.
  Honors: Magna Cum Laude
  Honors: Beta Gamma Sigma
  Major: Economics
  
  

Published Works

• "Co-Counsel Fees: Are Referral Fees Permissible?", Cleveland Bar Journal, May, 1999
• "Attorney Liens and Retaining Client Files", Cleveland Bar Journal, April, 1998
• "Malpractice Insurance Disclosure Rule - Are You In Compliance?", Cleveland Bar Journal, January, 2002
• "Liability for Inducing a Breach of the Patient/Physician Relationship", CATA News, Spring, 2002

Representative Cases

• Halton v. Great Clips, Inc., 94 F. Supp. 2d 856 ( 2000)
• Scarso v. Cuyahoga County Dep't of Human Services, 747 F. Supp. 381 ( 1989)
• In re Suburban Motor Freight, 124 B.R. 984 ( 1990)
• Beard v. Meridia Huron Hosp., 106 Ohio St. 3d 237 ( 2005)
• Butler v. Jordan, 92 Ohio St. 3d 354 ( 2001)
• Koch v. Rist, 89, Ohio St. 3d 250 ( 2000)
• Petratos v. Markakis, 69 Ohio St. 3d 1219 ( 1994)
• Smith v. 10th Inning, Inc., 49 Ohio St. 3d 289 ( 1989)
• Cuyahoga County Bar Asso. v. Gerstenslager, 45 Ohio St. 3d 88 ( 1989)
• Oney v. Allen, 39 Ohio St. 3d 103 ( 1988)
• Johnson v. New London, 36 Ohio St. 3d 60 ( 1988)
• Marrek v. Cleveland Metroparks Bd. Of Comm'rs, 9 Ohio St. 3d 194 ( 1984)
• Levin v. Hardwig, 60 Ohi St. 2d 81 ( 1979)
• Moats v. Metropolitan Bank of Lima, 40 Ohio St. 2d 47 ( 1974)
• Smalley v. Friedman et.al., 172 Ohio App. 3d 108 ( 2007)
• Schneider, Smeltz, Raney & Lafond v. Kedia, 154 Ohio App. 3d 1117 ( 2003)
• Mentor Chiropractic Ctr. v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 139 Ohio App. 3d 407 ( 2000)
• Braxton-Fountain v. University Hosps., 133 Ohio App. 3d 323 ( 1999)
• Brown v. McDonald's Corp., 101 Ohio App. 3d 294 ( 1995)
• Petratos v. Markakis, 92 Ohio App. 3d 626 ( 1993)
• Gray v. Jefferson Geriatric & Rehabilitation Center, 76 Ohio App. 3d 499 ( 1991)
• Kontos v. Luxmore, 65 Ohio App. 3d 148 ( 1989)
• Saultz v. Funk, 64 Ohio App. 2d 29 ( 1979)
• Shapiro v. Burkons, 62 Ohio App. 2d 73 ( 1979)

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Co-Chairman, Joint Symposium on Ethics and Professionalism, Cleveland Bar Association, 2001
• Law Lecturer, Cleveland Bar Association, 1983
• Law Lecturer, Cleveland Bar Association, 1998
• Chairman, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, Continuing Legal Education, 1990 - 1991
• Chairman, Greenbriar Seminar, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1991 - 1994
• Chairman, Long Range Planning, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1990
• Lecturer, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1993
• Lecturer, Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1999
• Eighth District Judicial Conference, Lecturer, 1986

Honors and Awards

• Ohio Super Lawyer, 2007

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline appointed by the Supreme Court, 2008 - 2010
  Member
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1998 - 2001
  Trustee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association
  Sustaining Member
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association
  Cleveland Bar Fellow
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 2000 - 2001
  Standing Committee on Professionalism
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 2000 - 2001
  Executive Committee for Bar Merger
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 2000 - 2002
  Grievance Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 2000 - 2001
  Fee Dispute Resolution Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1998 - 2001
  Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1993 - 2006
  Professional Ethics Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 2004 - 2007
  Chairman, Lawyer Referral Oversight Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1987 - 1990
  Judicial Selection Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 2001 - 2006
  Judicial Selection Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1974 - 1988
  Medical Legal Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, 1998 - 1999
  Bar Journal Committee
  
  
• Cleveland Bar Association, Litigation Section, 1989 - 1996
  Trustee
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1982 - 1992
  Trustee
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1997
  Secretary
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1982 - 1994
  Chairman, Common Pleas Court Committee
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1989 - 1993
  Chairman, Court of Appeals Committee
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1989 - 1993
  Chairman, Lawyer Referral Committee
  
  
• Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1988
  Chairman, Tort Committee
  
  
• Medina County Bar Association
  
  
• Ohio State Bar Association
  
  
• American Bar Association
  
  
• American Association for Justice
  
  
• Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers
  
  
• Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1985
  President
  
  
• Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1984
  Vice President
  
  
• Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers, 1983
  Treasurer
  
  
• Eighth District Judicial Conference
  Life Member
  
  
• Eighth District Judicial Conference, 1992
  Member, Litigation Committee
  
  
• Million Dollar Advocates Forum
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Gallagher, Sharp, Fulton, Norman & Mollison, Associate, 1973 - 1974
• Law Offices of Ellis Brannon, Associate, 1974 - 1978

Pro Bono Activities

• Member, Board of Education, City of Maple Heights, 1976 - 1977
• Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee, Bath Township, 1994
• Director, Arabian Horse Association of Ohio, 1981 - 1983

Fraternities/Sororities

• Beta Gamma Sigma

Birth Information

• 1949