Cathleen M. Bolek

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...

Paul J. Singerman is the Chairman of the Cleveland law firm of Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., L.P.A., where he practices primarily in the areas of real estate law, secured lending, and business law. Mr. Singerman has extensive experience in real estate and business transactions. Mr. Singerman represents residential and commercial developers in connection with all aspects of their real estate acquisitions and development in his real estate practice. Mr. Singerman counsels develope...

Allen is a born and raised Ohioan. He grew up here, went to undergrad and law school in Ohio, and now serves this community with his law firm. Hardworking blue-collar people are his roots, who he relates with best, and is the reason he couldn’t see himself living anywhere else. Allen was dropped on his great-great-aunt and uncle’s doorstep when he was two weeks old. They took him in when they didn’t have to and raised him as their own. While growing up, the phrase “it ...

JILL FRIEDMAN HELFMAN is a partner in the Cleveland office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. She concentrates her practice in the area of family law. Ms. Helfman's experience includes both analysis and litigation of complex business valuation issues, treatment of retirement assets in divorce, tax considerations involved in the payment and receipt of spousal support, and custody issues. She is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education programs. Ms. Helfman received her undergrad...

Sonja C. Rice is a partner in the firm’s Business Law Area, member of the firm’s Construction Law Practice Group, chair of the firm’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Sonja’s practice focuses on commercial transactions and the development and negotiation of a wide variety of commercial contracts, including master services agreements, supply chain and manufacturing agreements, professional services co...

Stephen Byron is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Municipal Law. Stephen, who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

With more than 40 years of experience as a trial attorney, William (Bill) S. Jacobson has a reputation for providing compassionate representation to the families of birth injury victims. Bill Jacobson devotes his legal practice at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy to helping the victims of catastrophic injuries with an emphasis on birth trauma and medical malpractice claims. Bill is a member of the Birth Trauma Litigation Group, a national organization of attorneys devoted to representi...

James (Jim) Budzik’s legal practice focuses on labor and employment law , representing employers across both the public and private sectors. He has extensive experience in collective bargaining negotiations, mediations, fact-finding, conciliations, unfair labor practice proceedings, civil service disciplinary proceedings, and grievance arbitrations. Jim advises city and village officials on matters concerning municipal law and serves as an Assistant Law Director for Mayfield Village. Ad...

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...

Stephen J. Knerly, Jr. focuses his practice on matters involving art transactions, nonprofit corporate law, closely held and family-owned businesses and international commercial transactions. Josh serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Non-Profit Institutions section. In his art law practice, Josh has represented museums, foundations, trusts and collectors in the acquisition, disposition, lending and borrowing of and estate planning for works of art, including domestic and international trans...