Abbie Pappas

Douglas C. Carlson has extensive experience in corporate, partnership, individual and estate tax matters. The primary emphasis of his practice is on transactional planning, including acquisitions and dispositions, reorganizations and limited partnership syndications, liquidations and executive compensation, including stock options and deferred compensation. He has substantial experience in compliance activities, controversy matters, and state and local tax matters. As a business law attorney,...

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 non-medical professional 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...

Matthew K. Grashoff focuses his practice on construction law and commercial litigation and has experience in the areas of insurance coverage and appellate practice. Matt manages cases at all stages of the construction process, from bid disputes through project correspondence, scope disputes, change order disputes, alternative-dispute-resolution mechanisms such as dispute review boards and the ODOT step process, and lien and bond claims. He represents clients through all stages of litigation b...

James is a nationally recognized trial lawyer in products liability, automobile product safety, and other complex cases. He is the author of multiple texts and treatises and frequent national and international lecturer on products liability and motor vehicle defect cases. He has successfully tried cases in state and federal courts throughout the country, resulting in numerous million-dollar verdicts and has recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients. Most recently, along with his p...

Daniela Paez is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Daniela, who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Daniela is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Joe Gibbons joined the Firm in May 2005 and became a Partner in January 2006. Prior to joining the Firm, 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 est...

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 organizations, 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...

A focused practice in the defense of various professionals including lawyers, accountants, and insurance agents and brokers for claims of malpractice, errors and omissions, as well as professional licensing issues. In addition to his professional liability practice, Joe has significant experience handling commercial trucking (long haul and short haul) as well as commercial coach carrier matters. His practice also includes litigation of insurance coverage and bad faith issues, various general ...

Kenneth Smith is a dedicated attorney practicing in civil litigation, advocating for companies and employers across a broad spectrum of their business needs. His practice areas include insurance defense , general civil litigation , labor and employment , and intellectual property law. Licensed in Ohio and all federal courts within the state, Mr. Smith has successfully represented clients in various legal settings including trials, arbitrations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proceedi...

Andrew has a history of representing corporate clients in sophisticated, complex, and sensitive matters in a wide variety of industries and disciplines. He has tried cases to verdict in Ohio, Florida, and California and has served as lead appellate counsel in the defense of a class certification denial. For the past 15 years, however, his focus has been in spearheading insurance recoveries for corporate policyholders in a variety of business sectors, under various state and international laws...