MANSOUR GAVIN LPA - Key Persons
Adam Uth is an associate in the firm's litigation group focusing on real estate matters. He has considerable experience representing businesses in various types of litigation and has secured favorable outcomes at both the trial and appellate levels. Adam also has experience providing compliance analysis, both in the private sector and for the City of Shaker Heights.
Adam earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law and a B.A. from York University. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 2017.
Before attending law school, Adam lived in northeast Japan for several years. He speaks and writes Japanese fluently. He is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.
Practice Areas
Civil Litigation
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Managing Partner
- President
- Shareholder
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Anthony Coyne is President and Managing Partner of Mansour Gavin, and his practice is focused on business law, municipal law, zoning and planning, eminent domain, real property, and litigation.
An expert on urban affairs, he has authored several papers, served as Executive Assistant to the Director of Transition for Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White and was a Judicial Extern for Judge Alice M. Batchelder, who currently serves on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
He is licensed to practice in the State of Ohio and has been admitted to the Supreme Court of Ohio, the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. His notable cases include:
Board of Trustees v. City of Painesville (6th Cir. 1999), 200 F.3d 396
Court St. Dev. v. Stow City Council (9th Dist. 1998), 129 Ohio App. 3d.359
Danis Clarkco Landfill Co. v. Trustees of German Twp., No. C-3-96-481, 1997 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21037
Kishmarton v. William Bailey Constr., Inc. (2001), 93 Ohio St. 3d 226
Loreto Dev. Co. v. Village of Chardon (1998), 81 Ohio St. 3d. 1239
City of Mentor v. Osborne, Nos. 98-L-226, 98-L-228, 98-L-229, 98-L-230, 201 Ohio App. LEXIS 2355
Murray Energy Corp. v. City of Pepper Pike (8th Dist.), 2008-Ohio-2818
City of North Olmsted v. North Olmsted Land Holdings (8th Dist. 2000), 137 Ohio App.3d 1
State ex rel. Michael Shemo v. City of Mayfield Heights (2002), 96 Ohio St.3d 379
Visconsi-Royalton, Ltd. v. City of Strongsville (8th Dist.), 2004-Ohio-4908
Mr. Coyne is a member of the Board of Directors of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Massachusetts as well as St. Vincent Charity Medical Center. He is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Ohio Canal Corridor.
He is a frequent guest lecturer and has spoken before organizations such as the National Business Institute, Lorman Educations Series, the Cleveland and Ohio State Bar Associations, Ohio Planning Conference, CLE International Seminar on Eminent Domain, Urban Land Institute, and International Council of Shopping Centers on topics such as eminent domain, zoning and land use, and municipal law.
Active in the community, Mr. Coyne served on the Planning Commission for the City of Cleveland from 1990-2015 and was its Chairman for 15 years. In addition, he was appointed by Mayor Frank Jackson to serve as Chairman of the Group Plan Commission of the City of Cleveland, where he currently serves as a board member. During his tenure as chairman, the Group Plan Commission developed a several million dollar public spaces improvement and usage plan for downtown Cleveland that led to a $50 million renovation of Public Square, enhancement to the downtown MALL as well as the fundraising and the initial design for a pedestrian bridge that will connect the MALL to the lakefront. Public Square re-opened to the community on June 30, 2016, receiving national acclaim for design, use, and programming.
Tony enjoys spending time with his wife Rachelle and family. He is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys golf, bicycling and jogging, as well as all the cultural and artistic opportunities Cleveland has to offer. The family lives in Ohio City.
Brendon is a shareholder at Mansour Gavin LPA. Licensed in Ohio and Illinois, he focuses much of his practice on the daily legal strategy within the broad range of his clients' business needs and markets. He is an accomplished trial attorney, trying many cases to verdict in state, federal, arbitration and international forums.
Brendon is the chair of the firm's business and corporate services group and chair of the marketing committee. He is the firm's liaison to the international law group, Legal Netlink Association (LNA) where he is the U.S. President and previously served as Vice-President and a Director. Brendon hosted the LNA fall meeting in Cleveland in October 2016.
Mr. Rinker is senior counsel with the firm and has extensive experience in real estate law as a litigator and practitioner for cases involving eminent domain, planning and zoning, land use, permitting, and administrative review by local governmental agencies, boards, commissions and councils.
Bruce was a labor relations representative, state appellate court law clerk, Assistant County Prosecutor in the felony criminal division and has been a trial attorney for over 40 years. He served as a councilman for several years prior to serving as Mayfield Village's Mayor from 1993-2015 and he has continuously served as a Metroparks Commissioner since 2010. He is licensed in Ohio and has been admitted to the Ohio and U.S. District Courts.
Bruce is an avid swimmer, duffer and music lover. He lives in Highland Heights with his wife, Laura, sharing in the joy of two grandsons - and hoping for more grandchildren!
Mr. Brown has handled thousands of cases involving all aspects of probate litigation, including wealth management and estate planning.
He is a lecturer and continuing legal education (CLE) teacher on a variety of topics involving probate issues and procedures.
In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his wife, Barb, and three children, cooking and a number of outdoor activities, including golf, hiking, fishing, and his dog Riley.
Dennis Wilcox has practiced in the areas of public finance, governmental law, bankruptcy and creditors' rights, securities and real estate transactions, and commercial litigation for over 40 years.
In the area of bonds and finance, he has participated as bond, underwriter's or issuer's counsel in over $10 billion in financings. Mr. Wilcox has served as outside general counsel to the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland and the Blanchard Valley Port Authority. He was substantially involved in the Gateway Sports Complex, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland Browns Stadium, Flats East, The 9 and Eaton Corporation development projects.
Mr. Wilcox is admitted to the bars of the State of Ohio and the District of Columbia.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 1974. Mr. Wilcox is a 1977 graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Law where he was awarded the Order of the Coif. He is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers since 1979. He was a long-time principal of Climaco, Wilcox, Peca & Garofoli Co., L.P.A. and served as Managing Principal for many years. From 2000 until 2015, Mr. Wilcox served as a Member of Council in the City of Cleveland Heights including acting as President of Council and Mayor.
Practice Areas
Real Estate and Land Use
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Director of Law for Mayfield Village
- Member of the Firm
Diane Calta is a member of the firm's litigation and real estate practice groups. She possesses over 20 years of legal experience in a variety of disciplines including municipal law, litigation, real estate, and probate and estate planning.
Ms. Calta currently serves as the Director of Law for Mayfield Village and was recently appointed as special legal counsel for the City of Independence. She is the former Director of Law for the City of Beachwood where she led the law department in advising the city on how to navigate the legal challenges presented by the pandemic. Diane's previous experience in the public sector includes serving as the Director of Law for the City of Green and as Assistant Director of Law for several other Northeast Ohio communities, including Mayfield Village, Pepper Pike, Chagrin Falls, and Bentleyville. She also worked as an assistant prosecutor for the Village of Bratenahl and provided legal counsel for economic development for Mayfield Village.
Edward Patton is an experienced trial attorney specializing in Corporate and Business Law as well as Civil Litigation, Insurance Defense, Toxic Tort, and Asbestos Defense. Ed advises clients regarding international import and export activities and establishing corporate compliance programs for International Trade and NAFTA programs. He has considerable knowledge and experience in governmental compliance including licensing procedures for international exports, product marking procedures for importation and U.S. Customs, preparing and filing licenses and product classification requests with the Bureau of Industry and Security, and assisting clients with NAFTA, International Trade Commission and customs audits.
Ed has extensive practice before all levels of state and federal courts in Ohio, U.S. Customs, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, NAFTA and other U.S. governmental agencies that control and regulate international trade.
For over 15 years, Ed has participated in the defense of clients in asbestos litigations matters. He has successfully achieved numerous summary disposition of cases for clients.
Ed is a voracious reader, a long-time golfer, rugby fan, and also enjoys home rehabilitation. He and his wife Annemarie reside with their children in Lakewood, Ohio.
Emily Nuibe is a paralegal in the firm's corporate and business services group. She has worked as a paralegal for over four years and is methodical in maintaining proper recordkeeping and confidentiality.
She served as a legal intern in the Lake County Public Defender's Office and an intern at the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.
Emily earned her B.A. from John Carroll University and Professional Certificate in Paralegal Studies from Cuyahoga Community College.
Education
B.A., John Carroll University
Professional Certificate in Paralegal Studies, Cuyahoga Community College
James A. Budzik's practice is concentrated in public and private sector labor and employment law representing management and employers. He specializes in collective bargaining negotiations, mediations, fact-finding, conciliations, unfair labor practice proceedings, civil service disciplinary proceedings and grievance arbitrations on behalf of numerous public sector entities. He advises city and village representatives on municipal law issues. In addition, Jim counsels employers in wage and hour laws, civil rights, discrimination laws, unemployment laws and workers' compensation.
Jim regularly appears in court and before administrative agencies, including the Industrial Commission of Ohio, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the National Labor Relations Board and SERB. He is licensed in the State of Ohio and admitted to the Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio, U.S. Sixth Circuit, and U.S. Supreme Courts. His notable cases include:
Harrison v. Judge, 63 Ohio St. 3d 766
Goble v. Brunswick, 142 Ohio Misc. 137 (2007-Ohio-4125)
State, ex rel. Coyne v. Brook Park, 2003-Ohio-5383
Mitchell v. Bainbridge Twp., 2004-Ohio-3687
Amser Corp. v. Village of Brooklyn Heights, 1993 Ohio App. LEXIS 2384
Jim and his family live in North Royalton. A diehard Cleveland sports fan, he optimistically awaits the next professional sports championship. Jim also takes an active interest in politics.
John Monroe focuses his practice on real estate and land use issues. He handles matters such as real estate transactions, including sales, acquisitions and leasing; real estate litigation, including landlord-tenant disputes, boundary disputes, title issues and zoning matters; manufactured home park law; and administrative appeals from governmental bodies.
Mr. Monroe's recent notable cases and transactions include:
Successfully prosecuted and argued an unconstitutional zoning ordinance/takings case in the Ohio Supreme Court in the case of State ex rel Sunset Estate Properties, LLC v. the Village of Lodi, 2015-Ohio-790
Represented national automobile retailer in property acquisition and redevelopment
Represented landlords/tenants in multiple restaurant/bar leases
Represented manufacturers in warehouse leasing
Represented retail shopping center developers in lease negotiations, construction financing
Represented municipality in acquisition of property
Represented manufactured home park owners in refinance and sale of park and assets
Coordinated transfer of 74 properties in fifteen states to new entity in reorganization
Lead real estate attorney for acquisition/sale of 20-acre manufactured home park
Represented hotel in administrative appeal of alleged fire suppression/alarm violation
John, his wife Mary Cavanaugh, and their children live in Euclid. In addition to family time, John enjoys summer boating and transitions to snowboarding and ice hockey in winter. In fact, he is Commissioner of Euclid Senior Hockey, an adult hockey league.
Kathryn Weber focuses her practice on real estate and land use issues. She handles both real estate transactions and real estate litigation. She has experience representing clients in commercial and residential leasing, acquisitions and sales, landlord-tenant disputes, and development projects.
She enjoys representing clients both inside and outside of the courtroom. Kathryn completed law school with a concentration in business and transactional law and was also a member of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Mock Trial Team.
Kathryn resides in the Old Brooklyn neighborhood of Cleveland. She enjoys checking out local bars and restaurants in Cleveland and spending time with her friends and family.
Katie Epperson is an associate focusing her practice on civil litigation, insurance defense, and labor and employment law. Prior to joining Mansour Gavin, Katie worked for an employment law firm where in addition to investigating employment discrimination allegations, she coached managers, senior executives and clients on best management practices to optimize defense strategies and promote compliance within the workplace.
Ms. Epperson assisted with Cleveland-Marshall School of Law's "Day of Giving" by fundraising for scholarships for deserving law students and was part of an award-winning moot court team during law school. Additionally, she externed for the United States Attorney's office.
Katie earned her J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and is admitted to the Ohio State Bar and the United States District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio.
Practice Areas
Civil Litigation
Kenneth Smith is an attorney practicing in civil litigation who represents companies and employers in all aspects of their business needs. He focuses his practice on Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property and Business and General Civil Litigation, and Insurance Defense.
Job Titles:
- Administrator
- Office Manager
Kimberly Szabo serves as the firm's office manager, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm. Reporting directly to the firm's Executive Committee, she is involved in all areas of firm administration, including human resources, accounting and finance, facilities management, and information systems.
With over 15 years of administration experience, Kimberly has previously worked at law firms in Washington, D.C. and Medina, OH, where she oversaw hiring initiatives, onboarding, vendor management, facilities, marketing efforts, and event planning.
Kimberly earned her B.A. from The University of Dayton, Master of Labor Relations and Human Resources (MLRHR) degree from Cleveland State University, and a PHR (Professional in Human Resources) certification from HRCI (HR Certification Institute).
Education
MLRHR, Cleveland State University
B.A., The University of Dayton
PHR certification, HR Certification Institute
Leslie Young is an experienced marketing professional with over 15 years of corporate communications, project management, strategic planning, and event management experience. Leslie manages the firm's social media, event planning, corporate sponsorships, and business development efforts.
Education
B.A., University of Michigan
Marci Senft is a paralegal with experience in real estate, workers compensation, personal injury and litigation. She has been with Mansour Gavin since 2021 and has been a paralegal for over 20 years.
Mr. Quinlan is licensed in the State of Ohio and is admitted to the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio and Southern District of Ohio.
Michele Kerling is a litigation paralegal whose main focus is e-discovery and large document productions. She has been the Intellectual Property paralegal for the firm for over 10 years. She has been with Mansour Gavin since 1990 and has been in the paralegal position for over 25 years. Michele has an Associate Degree in Legal Administration and Office Management from The University of Akron and received her Certificate in Paralegal Studies from David N. Myers University. She became an OSBA Certified Paralegal with the inaugural group in 2007. Michele resides in North Royalton with her family.
Education
A.D., The University of Akron
Natalie Browning is an attorney practicing in the areas of Estate Planning and Probate and Real Estate. Prior to joining the firm as an associate, she spent over a year working as a law clerk at Mansour Gavin.
Natalie earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Akron and a J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude, was the recipient of the Board of Trustees Scholarship, an Honors Scholar, and earned the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in UCC Sales. During law school, she served as the Executive Editor of Production for the Akron Law Review and worked as a summer associate for the Community Legal Aid Services in Akron. Before attending law, she interned for the Ohio Judicial Conference.
Originally from the Columbus area, Natalie now resides in Akron. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, lifting, playing tennis, and baking.
Practice Areas
Real Estate and Land Use
Patricia Ritzert has over 40 years of legal experience with an extensive background in Governmental Law, Public Finance, and Business Law. She is a member of the firm's Corporate Business and Business Law group.
Having served as an assistant law director for the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, and a handful of Ohio port authorities, Ms. Ritzert's experience includes local government issues comprised of employment, land use, taxation and finance, claims for and against townships and municipalities, and matters pertaining to non-profit organizations. Another area of concentration has been property rights and real estate development, which resulted in two cases litigated to the Ohio Supreme Court. On several occasions, she has served as independent outside counsel in the investigation or prosecution of alleged misconduct by municipal employees.
Ms. Ritzert is admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court, the United States Tax Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the Ohio Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, and the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has carried business, financial, tax, property and employment issues through litigation in a wide variety of situations. She also practices before the Internal Revenue Service and the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, and other administrative agencies.
In addition to earning a Bachelor of Arts in economics, magna cum laude, and Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron, Ms. Ritzert has obtained two post-juris doctor degrees: a Master of Taxation from the University of Akron and an LL.M. in Taxation from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, magna cum laude. Ms. Ritzert has been a presenter at the Cleveland Tax Institute and for 17 years and was an adjunct professor of individual, corporate, and partnership taxation at Cleveland State University School of Law.
In 2023, she was named a "Woman of Distinction" by her Akron high school, Our Lady of the Elms, which honored graduates from the school's 100-year history.
Pat is an avid reader, landscaper, hiker, and bicyclist. She and her husband Robert Bulford (U.S. Attorney's Office, NDO, retired) and their five children are mainstays in the Akron Highland Square neighborhood. Since 2003 she has served, with 15 years as Chair, on the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Review Board. Having played women's community soccer and coached youth sports for 20 years, she maintains an interest in outdoor activities for children. Pat and her husband have nine grandchildren in Ohio, Maryland, and the Philippines.
Practice Areas
Corporate and Business Law
Education
LL.M. (Tax), magna cum laude, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
M.Tax, University of Akron
J.D., University of Akron
B.A., magna cum laude, University of Akron
Scott Simpkins has over 25 years of legal experience with a practice that began with representing clients in complex commercial litigation matters and has evolved to include general counsel and transactional services. Scott's litigation practice includes contract dispute, labor and employment, municipal/public entity, construction, real estate, and general commercial litigation. His practice in these areas has ranged from client consultation and pre-suit negotiation, to prosecuting the claims and defenses at trial and appellate levels including representation before the Ohio Supreme Court and federal appeals courts. Scott has also represented clients before various federal, state, and local administrative and legislative bodies.
Scott's general counsel and transactional experience includes representation, counseling and negotiation in general business and corporate matters including employment, construction, real estate and leasing, and corporate and public body compliance requirements.
He is currently a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and serves as an assistant arbitrator for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. He is admitted to practice in the State of Ohio and before the Sixth Circuit and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio and Eastern District of Michigan.
Practice Areas
Real Estate and Land Use
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- Member of the Firm 's Business
Tatyana is a member of the firm's business and corporate services group where she focuses her practice in the areas of Mergers and Acquisitions, Franchising, Commercial Contracting, Healthcare, and Finance and Banking. She has extensive experience in purchases and sales of professional practices as well as consulting doctors and other professionals on various employment law issues.
Tatyana advises clients on general corporate matters, such as corporate entity selection and formation and also provides advice to global corporations on commercial agreements and day-to-day corporate governance.
Prior to joining Mansour Gavin, Tatyana was a transactional attorney leading sales and purchases of professional practices.
She is a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
Practice Areas
Corporate and Business Law
Education
LL.M., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University
LL.M., with honors, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
J.D., with honors, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Member of the Ohio State Bar Association
Mr. Boyko is an experienced attorney who practices in the areas of probate and estate planning, including wills, trusts and powers of attorney, elder law, real estate and business law. He previously served as managing partner of the law firm of Boyko, Dobeck & Weaver before joining Mansour Gavin in late 2016. He is currently admitted to practice law in both the State of Ohio and the State of Florida, as well as the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio.
Tim represents individuals, companies and non-profit organizations in his practice. He has extensive experience in estate planning, probate and elder law matters, as well as in representing clients with business and real estate matters. In addition, Tim counsels clients with issues involving Florida probate, estate planning and real estate.
Tim is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Florida Bar Association, Parma Bar Association, and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Mr Boyko involves himself with various community organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors of UH Parma Medical Center.
Tim has three children, and in his spare time enjoys traveling. He is greatly involved in fundraising for The Patty Boyko Foundation in memory of his late wife; the Foundation provides comfort services to cancer patients.
Job Titles:
- Assistant and Paralegal
- Paralegal
Zachary Johnson is a legal assistant and paralegal in the firm's labor and employment practice group. He has extensive experience in customer service and legal research. In his previous role as a paralegal, he prepared patent applications, declarations and power of attorney's, processing responses to Office Actions, IDS', Notice of Allowances, Issue Fee's, and corresponding with foreign associates to pay all maintenance fees, consulted with clients to protect the intellectual property rights of their inventions in the U.S., and all participating countries of the PCT, monitoring up-coming due dates for all pending applications during each phases of prosecution and supporting several attorneys.