SSSB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP
Biography
Aanchal Sharma is a Partner at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP. Her multifaceted practice combines business and commercial litigation with real estate disputes and trust and estate litigation. She regularly handles contract disputes, business tort claims, and commercial real estate disputes.
These practice areas also make her uniquely suited in the more specialized area of trust, estate and probate litigation, often involving corporate or financial institutions as fiduciaries. In this area, she has experience in fiduciary litigation, during which she often assists in the prosecution and defense of clients involved in trust and estate matters. She regularly represents clients involved in actions for breach of fiduciary duty, accounting, Will and trust construction, Will contests, undue influence, fraudulent conveyance, claims against estates, and claims involving guardianship.
In her commercial real estate practice, she often represents financial institutions-including banks, credit unions, publicly traded and government-sponsored enterprises, private lenders, non-profit organizations, loan servicing organizations, mortgage lenders and construction professionals-involved in commercial real estate lending disputes and litigation.
She prides herself on working with clients to find solutions to complex legal problems by examining various dispute resolution options, whether by mediation, arbitration, trial, or settlement. She briefs her clients on all available options, risks, and benefits to ensure that they feel comfortable and in control during legal proceedings.
Ms. Sharma received her J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, graduating in 2010. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology in 2007 from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Biography
Ashton Bizzarri is an Associate Attorney in the firm's Trusts & Estates Practice Group. She focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration, while also representing clients in trust and estate litigation.
Prior to joining SSSB, Ashton was an Associate Attorney at two Akron law firms, focusing exclusively on estate planning and trust and estate administration. She was also a Trust Officer at Key Private Bank, where she handled trust administrations, which provided her with the knowledge and understanding of a corporate fiduciary's perspective. Ashton was also a Law Clerk at the Summit County Probate Court, which exposed her to the inner workings of the Probate Court.
In 2014, Ashton received her J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law, where she graduated cum laude, in the top 15% of her class. During law school, Ashton served on the Akron Law Review, where she was Assistant Editor for the Constitutional Law Journal and received the CALI Excellence for the Future Award (highest grade) in the following areas: Wills, Trusts, and Estates II; Civil Procedure II; Civil Procedure I; and Constitutional Law. Prior to law school, Ashton earned her undergraduate degree at Kent State University, where she graduated summa cum laude, with a major in Psychology and two minors: Business Administration and Criminal Justice.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Firm
Biography
Brittany Payne is a member of the firm's Trusts and Estates practice group. With over a decade of experience in the legal field, she focuses her practice on the areas of trust and estate administration and estate planning.
Brittany enjoys working with individuals and families on all aspects of estate planning, including the use of estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions. Her estate and trust administration experience gives her the ability to provide guidance to individuals and families in the planning process to help prevent potential issues in a future administration. One of Brittany's strengths is her ability to truly listen to a client's needs and help them formulate a plan that will allow them to achieve their intended wishes, while minimizing income and transfer taxes.
Brittany's estate and trust administration experience includes court-supervised and private estate and trust administration matters. She has also assisted clients with estate matters occurring as a result of wrongful death, and guardianship matters occurring as a result of personal injury.
She is the chair of the firm's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee and is also a 2022 graduate of the Cleveland chapter of the FDCC Ladder Down program, a year-long program committed to the leadership, empowerment, business development, and mentorship of female legal professionals. Brittany enjoys speaking, writing, and community engagement, and speaks each year for the Ohio State Bar Association on the Basics of Estate Administration.
Brittany received her J.D. from Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, in 2019. During her time at Cleveland Marshall, Brittany spent time volunteering and was a recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for her efforts in the school's Community Advocacy Clinic.
Biography
Charbel Najm is an Associate in the firm's Business and Real Estate Practice Groups. He concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, corporate and LLC law, mergers and acquisitions, and contract law.
Charbel received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2022. During his law school years, he externed at the Supreme Court of the State of New York, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Cuyahoga County Law Department, the Cleveland Clinic, and SIG Development Corp. In the course of his employment at the Cleveland Clinic, Charbel was tasked with drafting and developing numerous venture capital financing, shareholder, and regulatory agreements, allowing him to hone his business acumen, developing the legal framework required for deriving the best possible outcome for his clients. Through all of these experiences, he gained valuable insight into matters ranging from regional commercial real estate transactions to global investment fund disputes.
Prior to law school, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH, summa cum laude. Charbel is a proud graduate of Gilmour Academy and continues to be actively involved giving back to the Gilmour community.
"Charles Adler is knowledgeable and good with clients… and is very intelligent with good people skills." - Chambers HNW
Biography
Chuck Adler joined the firm in 1993 and became a Partner in 1995. He has a special interest in planning for individuals, families, and closely held businesses. Chuck counsels individuals and families on complex estate, charitable, financial, and retirement planning matters; on estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes; and on the organization and operation of private foundations. He also works with owners of closely held and family businesses on succession planning.
Before joining the firm, Chuck was an associate attorney with Thompson Hine and Flory and a senior accountant with Price Waterhouse. He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law. He is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland (Former Trustee) and a Certified Public Accountant (Ohio, inactive). He is admitted to practice law in both Ohio and Florida.
In addition to years of professional expertise, Chuck is active in the Cleveland community. He was on the Board of Regents of St. Ignatius High School and is a past president of the Cleveland Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals. Chuck also served as a Trustee of the Alzheimer's Association and Catholic Charities and is a current Trustee of the Dorn Family Foundation.
Biography
David Lenz joined the firm in 2006, became a Partner in 2013, and was elected to serve as Managing Partner in 2020. His practice focuses primarily on planning for and administering wealth transfer for individuals and families, in addition to counseling charitable organizations.
David considers each client's unique estate planning needs, creating comprehensive plans and helping families communicate their purpose and goals to the next generation. This often includes complex charitable, retirement, and tax planning strategies, as well as oft-overlooked items such as digital assets and pets. Further, David also counsels charitable institutions to help them have a greater impact in the community. This can encompass applying for tax-exempt status for start-up nonprofit organizations, planned giving consultation for established public charities, and governance and compliance management for private family foundations.
David translates his expertise into leadership within the legal community. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), certified by the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law, and was a part of the OSBA subcommittee that helped create Ohio's law on executors' access to decedents' digital assets in 2017. Additionally, he has volunteered with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) as the chair of multiple groups. He is a frequent speaker and author on charitable planning and on estate planning with digital assets.
David has also led in various roles in his faith community, having served as President of Advent Lutheran Church in Mentor and spent nine years on the regional Synod Council for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He is now serving a six-year term on the ELCA's national Church Council.
David lives in Mayfield Village with his wife and daughters, and he can often be found distance running on the trails of North Chagrin Reservation and Mayfield.
Biography
Geoffrey D. Wills is an Associate Attorney in the firm's Trusts & Estates Practice Group. He focuses his practice in the areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, and taxation.
Prior to joining SSSB, Geoffrey was an Associate Attorney at another Cleveland law firm, where he built a solid base of estate, trust, and tax knowledge. He was also a Tax Analyst at Bloomberg Industry Group in Washington, D.C., where he analyzed federal tax laws, rules, and regulations to assist in client decision-making regarding deductions, elections, and tax-free reorganizations.
Geoffrey received his J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law in 2015, where he was a recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Wills & Trusts.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Chairman of the Business and Real Estate Practice Groups
Gregg Johnson joined the firm in 2011 and became a Partner in 2014. He began his career as a public accountant with Grant Thornton LLP in Cleveland, before entering the legal profession and practicing with Reminger Co., LPA, in Cleveland for nearly five years as a member of its Corporate practice area.
Gregg is the Chair of the Business and Real Estate Practice Groups at SSSB. He concentrates his practice on corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate matters. In addition, he is experienced in counseling clients through the formation and disposition of all types of business entities, including corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships.
In addition to his practice, Gregg has served on the Board of Directors for Cleveland Lighthouse and Villaview Lighthouse Community Schools. During this time, he was the sole attorney for the Board and advised on various issues, including lease renegotiations and potential purchases. Currently, he serves on the Board of Westshore Montessori School. He is also a member of multiple professional bar associations, including the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association.
Gregg currently resides with his wife and two children in Rocky River.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Broadview Road Church of Christ
Biography
Paul Fidler joined the firm in 1996 and became a Partner in 2003. He works with individuals, businesses, and foundations, and his practice emphasizes estate planning and administration; trust administration; income taxation of estates, trusts, and individuals; planning for charitable gifts and foundations; and business succession planning.
Paul is a frequent speaker and author on a wide range of estate planning topics. In particular, he has a strong expertise in qualified retirement plans and IRAs, which are often a client's most valuable asset. In 2012, while he was Chair of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law Section, Paul had the opportunity to coordinate and host the "Hot Topics for Estate Planners" seminar. His presentation at the CMBA Estate Planning Institute-"Spendthrift Provisions: Wouldn't You Like to be a Spendthrift Too?"-was also published in the Probate Law Journal of Ohio.
Paul is an active member of the Broadview Road Church of Christ, where he currently serves as Treasurer, a Trustee, and on various service-oriented committees. He enjoys playing in adult soccer leagues and lives in Olmsted Falls with his wife, Katie, and their two children.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Fellow of the American College of Trust
For the past 30 years, Mr. Young has been a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has been listed in Best Lawyers in America. He is experienced in the full scope of estate planning, from basic Wills and revocable trusts to complex multigenerational estate and irrevocable trust planning, and in all aspects of estate and trust administration.
Biography
Jim Vail joined the firm in 1979 and has been a Partner since 1986. He served as the firm's Managing Partner from 1996 through 2019. Jim primarily counsels businesses, nonprofit and health care organizations in all aspects of their operations, including formations, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, contracting, and succession planning.
Jim argued a case before the United States Supreme Court where he obtained a unanimous favorable decision. Spectrum Sports, Inc. v. McQuillan, 506 U.S. 447 (1992). Jim has appeared before courts at all levels in Ohio, as well as various federal district courts, and the Sixth and Ninth Federal Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Jim currently serves on the board of directors of the Center for Community Solutions. He was previously a member of the Cleveland Heights Charter Review Commission, and has served on several boards of directors including Family Connections, Ingenuity Festival, Heights Parent Center, Cleveland Heights/University Heights Public Library, and Reaching Heights. Jim has lived in Cleveland Heights for more than 40 years and is active in several Cleveland Heights organizations.
Biography
Jim Bright has been practicing law since 1976. He applies his considerable expertise to advising individuals and families on estate planning, tax planning (including income and estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes), and charitable gift planning. He also provides counsel to trustees of private foundations on administration, initial formation, and tax qualification. Prior to the formation of SSSB, he served as President of Spieth, Bell, McCurdy & Newell Co., L.P.A.
Jim is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and is listed in Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers. He has served on the Board of Directors/Trustees of many charitable institutions in Cleveland, including the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the Cleveland Play House. He has also been a member of the Princeton University Planned Giving Advisory Committee since 2002, and he spent years as a partner with Social Venture Partners Cleveland.
Additionally, Jim has served as Honorary Consul for the Duchy of Luxembourg since 1995 and is a past President of the Cleveland Racquet Club.
Biography
Jamie McHenry is an Associate attorney in Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP's Trusts & Estates practice group, focusing in the areas of probate, estate planning, and tax matters.
Her particular experience focuses on assisting clients with charitable planning and trust and probate administration matters. Jamie also contributes to the Trusts & Estates group by providing assistance to clients on legal matters involving estate planning and administration, estate and gift tax planning, nonprofit law, and trust administration. She has experience relating to charitable gift planning, guardian removal, will contest, and undue influence. Her experience as a law clerk at the Cuyahoga County Probate Court, and as a law clerk at the Cleveland Clinic's Philanthropy Institute, have given her a unique perspective on important issues for our clients.
Jamie received her J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, graduating magna cum laude in 2016. During her graduate career, she served as an Articles Editor for Cleveland Marshall's Journal of Law and Health, and received the CALI Excellence for the future award in the following areas: Legal Writing, Legal Profession, School Law, and Psychiatry and Law. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies, summa cum laude, in 2012 from the University of Cincinnati, and was awarded the 2012-2013 Outstanding Paralegal Student of the year.
Biography
Jenna Bird is an Associate Attorney in the Litigation and Family Law practice groups. She is experienced in assisting clients in all phases of litigation, ranging from simple proceedings to more complex matters. In addition, she is adept at assisting clients with their transactional needs, as she has experience drafting and reviewing documents such as leases and operating agreements.
Jenna received her J.D. from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, MO, in 2021. She also worked as a family law clerk during her final year. During that time, she gained valuable experience in handling family law matters that serves her today as she helps clients navigate their family law disputes. Prior to law school, she earned a Bachelor of Arts from New York University, summa cum laude, in 2018.
"Jennifer Savage is a strong advocate for her clients. She has a very good head on her shoulders and is very determined… She is a fierce advocate who is very knowledgeable, very thoughtful and smart." - Chambers HNW
Biography
Jennifer serves as a high net worth family counselor with knowledge and understanding of sophisticated estate planning techniques and the broader needs of high net worth families.
Her strength lies in communicating complex matters in plain terms and working collaboratively as part of an advisor team to provide practical counsel to multigenerational families consistent with their risk tolerance, goals, family dynamics, and desire for complexity.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP
Biography
As a tax, trusts and estates associate at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP, Jessica is excited to live her dream by working with a team of experienced, skilled, empathetic, and ethical lawyers and professionals who collectively focus on providing client-centric solutions to assist clients in achieving short and long-term goals.
Jessica began her career in law as a corporate and family immigration paralegal. Jessica had the opportunity to work at various sized law firms ranging from boutique to AmLaw200, and she served as the first senior business immigration paralegal for a top Tech company. Jessica's journey as an immigration paralegal spans four states: Ohio, Alabama, Georgia, and California. With her sights set high on achieving her dream of becoming a lawyer, Jessica's second act included law studies in New England. In Jessica's second year of law school, she was bitten by the tax bug, and the rest is history. After earning an LL.M. in Taxation with a concentration in Estate Planning, Jessica decided to focus her professional efforts on private client taxation for individuals, business owners, and multigenerational families.
Jessica's rich experience working as an immigration paralegal played an integral role in shaping the person and lawyer she is today. As a product of global mobility, serving as an immigration paralegal was immensely personal and rewarding. Having worked in such a complex area of law that provided the privilege to assist thousands of individuals from all over the world in their unique journeys continues to shape Jessica's nuanced perspective on the complexities of what it means to "maintain status," and the countless facets of the "family unit" in the United States.
Jessica possesses an undeniable desire to provide unmatched client service to meaningfully diverse clientele who seek to protect what matters most today, tomorrow, and beyond.
Community Activities
The Centers El Barrio - Cleveland, OH 2022
Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Cancer Initiative - Atlanta, GA 2015 - 2016
Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, Eviction Defense - Atlanta, GA 2016
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Birmingham, AL 2011 - 2016
Cleveland Domestic Violence Center - Cleveland, OH 2009 - 2010
Biography
John Slivka, an attorney and certified public accountant, has a practice that consists in large part of providing advice with regard to tax, business, and succession planning and consulting for privately-owned businesses and their owners. Since being admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1981, he has handled matters involving mergers and acquisitions, C and S corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, passive activities, ownership succession, estate/gift issues, other individual tax matters, IRS/state tax examinations, and numerous other business and tax matters.
Mr. Slivka joined the firm in 1990. Prior to that, he was a Senior Tax Manager in the Cleveland Entrepreneurial Services Department of Ernst & Young where he directed the activities of a tax department delivering services to privately owned businesses. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.
Biography
Joe Gibbons joined the firm in May 2005 and became a Partner in January 2006. Prior to joining SSSB, Joe spent the majority of his career with McGinty, Gibbons, Hilow & Spellacy Co., LPA, and Carney & Broadbent, both located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Over the years, Joe has represented a variety of individuals, businesses, institutions, and governmental entities. His primary practice areas include estate planning, estate and trust administration and related litigation, real estate, estate and business succession planning, and counseling closely held businesses.
Joe has been active in community and civic affairs throughout the Cleveland area, most recently as a member and Officer of the Board of Trustees of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. In 2019, he served as the Law Director for the City of Fairview Park. From 2015 to 2018 he was the Board Chair for the Board of Trustees of Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, to which he was appointed by the Cuyahoga County Executive in 2014.
Joe has been particularly active in the City of Lakewood, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lakewood Catholic Academy, as a Member and Officer of the Board of Trustees of Lakewood Hospital Foundation, and as a Member of the Lakewood Hospital Board. In addition, Joe served as a member of the Lakewood City Council, a Member and President of the Lakewood Civil Service Commission, and a member of many other boards and commissions in Lakewood.
Outside of professional and charitable pursuits, Joe also remains an avid runner and ice hockey player. He and his wife, Peggy, have two adult children and reside in Lakewood.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Head of Communications for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association 's Estate Planning
Biography
As a Partner in the firm's Trust and Estate practice group, Justin provides estate planning solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families. This includes preparing full estate plans, from Wills to Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts, as well as handling probate and tax matters.
Prior to joining SSSB, he worked at one of America's largest financial institutions, where he spearheaded a team of experts in investment management, financial and estate planning, lending and deposit solutions, and fiduciary services to help high-net-worth clients achieve their financial objectives. That experience gives Justin a unique perspective, enabling him to assist clients with their comprehensive needs.
Justin is also the Head of Communications for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section.
Biography
Ken Laino began his career in 1978 in New York City, specializing in corporate and securities law. A few years later, he moved to Ohio, and he has now been practicing law in Cleveland for more than forty years. While his practice is diverse, Ken focuses principally on asset protection planning, business law, real estate, and estate planning. In addition to Ohio, he is also licensed to practice law in Florida and New York.
Ken counsels both individuals and business entities with respect to asset protection strategies, and he is a member of the Asset Protection Planning Committee of the American Bar Association. Additionally, he represents closely held businesses and nonprofit entities and assists them with general corporate, employment, and commercial litigation matters, as well as counseling clients on business succession. Ken has also represented numerous buyers and sellers of business entities.
In addition to his law practice, Ken has been involved in a wide variety of community activities. He is a life member and past president of the Board of Trustees of the West Haven Foundation, which assists developmentally disabled adults. He has served on a number of commissions for the City of Lakewood, including its Charter Review Commission and Community Governance Task Force. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Lakewood Hospital and the Board of Trustees of the Diabetes Partnership of Cleveland. Additionally, he served for many years as an adjunct faculty member at Baldwin-Wallace College in the Department of Business Administration.
Biography
An elected Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Kyle has years of experience counseling multi-generational families, business owners, fiduciaries, entities, family offices and beneficiaries regarding:
"Elizabeth Monihan is knowledgeable in the area, but she is also a good counsellor to her clients and develops longstanding relationships… She is very intelligent, has good judgement and is good with people." - Chambers HNW
Biography
Lisa Monihan is a Partner in the Trusts & Estates practice group, and she also serves as a practice group co- coordinator. Her practice is focused on wealth transfer planning for individuals and fiduciaries, including income, gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning; trust and estate administration; multi-generational family issues; retirement planning; succession planning for closely-held businesses; and charitable planning.
A client once told Lisa that the decision to hire her was made because "[she] really listened to what I had to say; the other lawyers I interviewed were too busy trying to impress me with how smart they were." Lisa establishes personal, long-term relationships with her clients and guides them through the legal, tax, financial, and family issues in their unique situations with empathy and compassion.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association 's Judicial Candidates Rating Coalition
Biography
Mark Mikhaiel's practice focuses on litigation, encompassing a range of interconnected legal disciplines. He frequently represents clients in complex commercial and professional liability disputes, with a particular emphasis on plaintiff-side legal malpractice; shareholder, fiduciary and business tort litigation; probate litigation; and employment-related disputes. He is driven by complex cases, striving to provide practical and efficient advice to his clients.
Mark has handled over two dozen legal malpractice matters involving the "case within the case" and is adept at handling intricate issues of causation, damages, and attorney-client privilege. He also maintains an active appellate practice and has been instrumental in the prosecution of appeals in state and federal appellate courts. With a track record of appellate success, Mark is often retained to oversee appeals of matters originally handled by other firms. When it becomes necessary, Mark is also experienced in arguing before the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Mark is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's Judicial Candidates Rating Coalition, better known as Judge4Yourself. He is admitted to practice law in both Ohio and New York.
Biography
Mike Schauer is a Partner in the Business and Real Estate practice groups. Prior to joining the firm, Mike served as in-house counsel for closely held companies and worked closely with ownership to facilitate rapid and sustained growth across business units throughout the United States.
Mike advises and assists clients on transactional, employment, cybersecurity, and real estate matters. His day-to-day corporate practice encompasses entity formation, commercial contracting, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. His employment practice includes assisting employers with ADA, FMLA, workplace safety, and other work-related issues, as well as negotiating employment and severance agreements.
Mike studied law at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago, serving as the Articles Editor on the Review of Intellectual Property and graduating in 2015. Prior to law school, he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Loyola University Chicago. He is also a registered patent attorney with the USPTO.
Biography
Nick Vento is an attorney in the firm's Litigation practice group whose practice focuses on complex commercial disputes, fiduciary and business tort litigation, probate litigation, real estate litigation, shareholder and partnership disputes, and employment-related disputes. Nick has successfully guided clients through pre-litigation planning, trial, and appeal in both state and federal courts.
Known for his practical approach and creative advocacy, Nick is committed to providing personalized and effective legal services that meet the unique needs of each client. He is a trusted advisor who works tirelessly to protect his clients' interests and achieve the best possible results.
Nick received his J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, graduating in 2015. During law school, he served as the Symposium Editor for Cleveland-Marshall's Journal of Law and Health. Before that, Nick earned a B.S.B.A. in Finance in 2012 from The Ohio State University.
Biography
Ryan Nowlin joined the firm in 2006 and became a Partner in January 2012, specializing in family law. He is a Fellow and a Certified Arbitrator with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a nationally recognized group of leading practitioners of family law, and he is board certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in the practice of Family Relations law.
Ryan represents individuals in every phase of divorce and custody proceedings and appears in Domestic Relations and Juvenile courts throughout Northeast Ohio. He was drawn to family law as an opportunity to help people who are going through some of life's most difficult situations. As a father of five, he is also driven to find the best solutions for children and parents. He has experience with many different approaches to dissolutions, including collaborative and contested divorces and mediation, and he works with his clients to identify the best options for them.
Within family law, Ryan's experience encompasses complex matters such as the valuation of assets, determination of premarital/separate property, allocation of parental rights and responsibilities, and establishment of appropriate child and/or spousal support obligations. He also prepares and reviews prenuptial agreements and represents clients in various types of trust and estate litigation. Additionally, he has experience in probate and commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution methods including arbitration and mediation.
Outside of his practice, Ryan volunteers for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association's 3Rs program, where he helps to teach Constitutional Law to tenth graders in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. He also previously served as Vice President of Membership for the CMBA, as well as Co-Chair of the CMBA Family Law Section. He is an Associate Member of the Judge John M. Manos Inn of Court and a member of the Center for Principled Family Advocacy.
Ryan and his wife reside with their five children in Lakewood, where he spent seven years on the City Council. He enjoys coaching his children's sports teams, runs, and plays the guitar.
Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell has been recognized in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms®, ranked by Best Lawyers® regionally in 11 practice areas. Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell is proud to have 16 lawyers listed in The Best Lawyers in America® and eight lawyers recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America® 2024 editions. Additionally, nine of the firm's attorneys have been selected to the 2024 Ohio Super Lawyers® list and nine attorneys to the 2024 Ohio Rising Stars list.
Biography
Tom Connick has established a reputation of handling complex and high-stakes litigation. His experience includes Insurance law, Catastrophic Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Medical Malpractice, Class Actions, Commercial and Business Litigation, Appellate Advocacy, Mass Torts, Construction law, Consumer Fraud, Shareholder Litigation, Employment Law, and appeals throughout the State of Ohio and federal court, including the Ohio Supreme Court, where he has argued three times. Tom is also licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as various other federal courts nationwide.
He has successfully defended multi-million-dollar exposure lawsuits, as well as recovered multiple millions of dollars in verdicts and/or settlements on behalf of his clients. Tom's appointment as class counsel in several class actions reflects his legal skill and his willingness to represent clients with extremely difficult circumstances.
Tom Connick is listed in AM Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys and has been recognized by Best Lawyers® since 2020. His annual recognition in Cleveland's Top-Rated Lawyers is based on his AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the industry's leading peer-review ranking system, signifying he exhibits the highest level of professional and ethical standards. He is also a Life Member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Tom has been described as "an excellent attorney and a good person," a "results-oriented client advocate," and as the "go-to guy for the tangled, messy, and interesting cases that can only be handled by one of the best."
Biography
Veronica Garofoli focuses her practice in the areas of probate and trust litigation, probate and trust administration, and estate planning. She provides representation to clients in all aspects of probate, trust and estate disputes. She prosecutes and defends cases for families and fiduciaries, including will and trust contests involving charges of undue influence and lack of mental capacity, declaratory judgments involving wills and trusts and fiduciary duty related actions. She also advises individuals and corporations in estate, trust and guardianship administrations.
Veronica is experienced in reviewing, designing, and implementing tailored estate plans for clients. Additionally, she counsels clients on corporate matters, entity structure and formation, real estate issues, and contract negotiations. Her experience as a law clerk at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Probate Division, and the Court of Appeals of Ohio, Eighth Appellate District, has given her a unique insight into the judicial system, allowing her to better advocate for her clients.
Veronica received her J.D. from the Cleveland State University College of Law in 2015. She is licensed to practice in the state of Ohio and the U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts.