Justin J. Hawal

EDWARD J. LEADER counsels clients in all aspects of the acquisition, disposition, financing, development, leasing, construction and exchanging of commercial, industrial, and multi-family real estate. Ed also serves as a business advisor to clients in structuring real estate and other investment transactions. Ed's experience includes commercial finance, loan workouts and foreclosures, real estate bankruptcy issues, tax valuation complaints, and the real estate aspects of corporate acquisitions...

John R. Mitchell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bet-the-Company Litigation and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. John R., who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Ryan Nowlin is a Fellow and a Certified Arbitrator with the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a nationally recognized group of leading practitioners of family law, and he is board certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in the practice of Family Relations law. Ryan represents individuals in every phase of divorce and custody proceedings and appears in Domestic Relations and Juvenile courts throughout Northeast Ohio. He was drawn to family law as an opportunity to he...

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...

Mark Jacobs is a creative and accomplished litigator with deep experience that is enhanced by his background as a transactional lawyer. Mark has broad commercial litigation experience in state and federal trial and appellate courts, arbitration proceedings, and mediation. As lead trial and appeals counsel, he advises businesses on all aspects of legal issues with a focus on defining and achieving successful business outcomes. Mark also has experience in advising clients in mergers and acquisi...

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...

Margo Meola joined the firm as a Shareholder in July of 2015. Prior to joining BSPP, she was a partner with Davis & Young. Ms. Meola began her career as an Attorney Clerk for the Honorable Joseph J. Vukovich in the Seventh District Court of Appeals. She has extensive civil trial and appellate experience and has handled complex and mass tort litigation, as well as medical malpractice and insurance coverage matters. Mrs Meloa is licensed to practice in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.

With impressive analytical skills, Jeff devises practical, effective, and creative options to achieve clients' objectives and mitigate their risks. Jeff has a unique ability to simplify very complex situations. Whether helping a business to navigate its way through unfamiliar, choppy financial waters, negotiating and preparing agreements for a restructured multimillion dollar loan, representing a bank or insurance company seeking to maximize its recovery from a troubled borrower, or assisting...

Andrew J. Wolf specializes in all aspects of labor and employment law. He defends employers in employment-based litigation, including allegations of wrongful termination under state law, employment discrimination under state and federal law, allegations of violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act, allegations of minimum wage and overtime violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Andrew also represents parties in litigation regarding non-competition agreements and trade secret viola...

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...