David F. Waterman

With experience as a professional negotiator, a professor of organizational behavior and change, and nearly 25 years as a business lawyer, Fadi V. Nahhas takes a broad view of transactions. His unique personal and professional background has shaped both his practice and his approach to clients. Mr. Nahhas served as chair of the Eastman & Smith’s Executive Committee of the Firm and functions as outside general counsel on diverse needs of midsize businesses involved in a variety of in...

Service to clients and to his life-long community are Mr. Jacobs' focus and passion. Frank D. Jacobs concentrates his practice in the areas of estate planning, general tax planning, charitable planned giving, business structuring, business succession planning and planning for qualified retirement plan beneficiary designation payouts. Mr. Jacobs is admitted to the bar of Ohio and to practice in the federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Additionally, he holds a Certified Pu...

Representing a broad and diverse range of clients encompassing individuals, professional practices, and small and large businesses, member Jared J. Lefevre assists clients with successful navigation through complex and emotionally difficult cases. Cases include closely held company disputes, non-compete and trade secrets, professional liability matters and probate litigation. To effectively assist clients and third parties in arriving at efficient resolutions of their disputes, Mr. Lefevre ob...

Michelle L. Kranz is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs and Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs. Michelle L., who practices law in Toledo, Ohio, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michelle L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Patrick A. Sadowski’s current practice areas include nonprofit organization formation and taxation; estate planning; Medicaid planning; probate, estate and trust administration; estate, trust, gift and income taxation; general business law, including mergers and acquisition and business succession planning; and real estate.

PERSONAL INJURY & CONSUMER PROTECTION No different than most kids, I dreamt of being a hero as a child and there was no bigger hero in my life than my father. He often told us stories about the people who were relying on him to resolve their tragedies. I always knew that was the kind of person I wanted to be. After earning my law degree from the University of Dayton in 1991, I joined the firm and began helping those who had been harmed with no place to go for justice. Areas of Practice: P...

Peter O. DeClark is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Peter O., who practices law in Toledo, Ohio, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter O. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Heidi N. Hartman, member, concentrates her practice in the areas of employment law, labor law and related litigation. She has represented large and small employers in a variety of industries -- including automotive, education, manufacturing and health care -- in a wide assortment of employment matters and disputes. Ms. Hartman counsels employers to resolve situations with their employees and regularly defends employers in litigation if charges are filed in administrative agencies, such as the...

Gregg A. Peppel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Gregg A., who practices law in Toledo, Ohio, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gregg A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

“Investing in client relationships enables a profit center approach to legal and financial services.” A transactional tax lawyer with regular involvement in tax controversies for over 35 years, Gary M. Harden partners with clients and collaborating professionals on a national platform, designing and implementing value added business - tax strategy. His practice areas include mergers and acquisitions (M&A), syndications, finance and insurance; with niche areas in intellectual p...