Jeffrey Whitesell

Michael J. Zbiegien is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Michael J., 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 Michael J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeffrey W. Van Wagner is the Managing Shareholder of BSPH. His career as a litigator and trial attorney has now spanned three decades. He is a 1979 graduate of Case Western Reserve School of Law and has extensive litigation and trial experience in the areas of nursing home liability, medical malpractice defense of physicians and institutions, and product liability. He has extensive experience in defending physicians and institutions where opioid prescription practices are at issue and is well...

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 the Firm, 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 t...

Daniel A. DeMarco represents creditors, both secured and unsecured, creditor’s committees, indenture trustees, trustees, receivers and debtors in numerous reorganization proceedings. He served as chair the firm’s Commercial Services & Restructuring Practice Group and was a member of the firm’s Board of Directors. Dan represents secured lenders including The CIT Group, U.S. Bancorp Equipment Finance, Inc., Textron Financial Corporation, BMW Financial Services NA LLC, Foot...

John Polito (Of Counsel) is one of the founders of the firm. His practice is devoted to the defense of medical malpractice claims against physicians and hospitals. Mr. Polito has been the lead trial attorney in excess of seventy-five jury trials. His trial experience has covered almost all of the recognized medical specialties. Mr. Polito has been a frequent lecturer to medical residents on the subject of medical malpractice litigation. In addition, he has presented several continuing educati...

Matthew A. Secrist is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law and Tax Law. Matthew A., who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Matthew A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

William A. Doyle is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Real Estate. William A., who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mark F. Fazio is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Mark F., 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 Mark F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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 matte...

David M. Paris, senior partner at Nurenberg, Paris, Heller & McCarthy, started with the firm as a law clerk while attending the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Over the past 40 years, he has appeared in more than 50 jury trials and has represented thousands of injured victims as well as 700,000 consumers in class actions. He has achieved in excess of 50 seven-figure and eight-figure settlements and verdicts for his clients with more than $250 million in total recoveries. Many of the ca...