Frank Leonetti III

Tom Robenalt’s interest in representing people dates back to his childhood. His father, an attorney, and mother, whose father and grandfather were lawyers, encouraged Tom to help those in need rather than work for the interests of big corporations. His over 20 years of practice have been devoted to litigation, specifically personal injury and professional malpractice cases, including medical malpractice and legal malpractice cases. In 1991, Tom began as a staff attorney in the court sys...

Jeff Smith is a partner in the Cleveland office and a member of the firm's Employee Benefits Practice Group. He works with clients to create, implement and maintain their retirement and health plans. He also advises employers on the impact of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangements (MEWAs) and Voluntary Employer Beneficiary Associations (VEBAs). While in la...

Passionate about real estate and development, John has dedicated his over 30-year career to protecting clients’ property rights and achieving their goals. Practicing in all facets of real estate – including acquisition, disposition, leasing, finance, construction, eminent domain, and real property tax – John represents national and regional clients in industry sectors including commercial, office, retail, industrial, and residential. Notably, John devotes a significant part ...

Edward (Ed) Patton is a seasoned trial attorney with a focus on corporate and business law , civil litigation , insurance defense , toxic tort, and asbestos defense. He offers strategic counsel to clients on international import and export activities, including establishing corporate compliance programs for international trade and NAFTA initiatives. Ed boasts significant knowledge and experience in governmental compliance, encompassing licensing procedures for international exports, product m...

Kyle Gee is Co-Chair of the Trusts & Estates Practice Group. As 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: Administration of estates and trusts (including tax compliance, selection of investment counsel, discretionary distributions and fiduciary accountings) Asset protection and titling Beneficiary repr...

Robert C. Petrulis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Robert C., who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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.

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...

Timothy L. Zix is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment, Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants and Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Timothy L., who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Timothy L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Attorney Janet L. Lowder has devoted her career to defining, promoting, and protecting the legal rights of the elderly and of persons with mental and physical disabilities. Janet's activities have encompassed individual representation, litigation on a local and state-wide scale, representation of agencies and county programs serving people with disabilities and the elderly, legislation, and publication in professional journals. Janet is a recognized authority on Medicaid issues and estate pla...