Lawyer Profile

Leonidas E. "Lee" Plakas

Plakas Mannos

Recognized Since:

2003
Recognized in:

Commercial Litigation

Litigation - Labor and Employment...
Law School:

The University of Akron
Website:

http://www.lawlion.com
Languages:

English, Greek
Location:

200 Market Avenue North, Suite 300

Canton, OH 44702

"I have used Lee Plakas this year and last year and his work is outstanding."

-Gary McAfee (McAfee Tool & Die, Inc.), Uniontown

"Lee provides attention to detail, personal attention to his clients, and creative and successful solutions to critical problems. Few are equal to him and in 20+ years I have found none superior to attorney Lee Plakas."

-Ted Good, (Steinway Hall - Akron, Inc.)

Lawyer Bio

Leonidas (Lee) E. Plakas is the Managing Partner of Tzangas Plakas Mannos Ltd.

Mr. Plakas has been involved in hundreds of civil jury trials during his career in both State and Federal Courts. After a two week jury trial in Federal Court, the Judge wrote in a post-trial ruling awarding attorney fees and costs in December, 2011: “Lee Plakas is an impressive trial lawyer, he is prepared for his courtroom presentations.

”Mr. Plakas’ record of trial successes is unique in the broad spectrum of types of cases in which he has won multi-million-dollar verdicts. His successes include the highest defamation verdict in Ohio’s history – a $44 million verdict in the case of Gibson’s Bakery v. Oberlin College. A $14 million result against a hospital system for corrupt activities, and million dollar plus verdicts and judgments in business breach of contract, medical malpractice, employment sexual harassment, nursing home negligence, workplace safety cases and personal injury cases.

In addition to the record setting $44 million defamation verdict, he has won the highest verdicts in Stark County’s legal history in business litigation, employment harassment and nursing home negligence.

He has experience in protecting landowners in energy, oil/gas and other mineral extraction cases. Mr. Plakas has been involved in negotiating oil and gas leases and monitoring related operations since as early as 1982. He has also been involved in cases dealing with complex environmental and waste disposal.

Mr. Plakas also represents businesses and corporations that operate on national and international levels. He has successfully represented businesses in “bet the company” jury trials involving claims for tens of millions of dollars. He has also successfully represented businesses in age and sex discrimination, contract, intellectual property, and other commercial litigation.

Education:

The University of Akron , J.D., graduated 1976

Bar Admissions:

Ohio, Ohio State Bar Association

Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers for:

Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs, Akron (2019)
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Akron (2016)
Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Akron (2013)

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

Commercial Litigation
Litigation - Labor and Employment
Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
Oil and Gas Law
Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Awards:

2009 and 2013 Top 50 Northeast Ohio Area Attorneys by Super Lawyers Magazine
2010 - 2013 Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Ohio by American Trial Lawyers Association
2001 Outstanding Law Alumni of the Year Award by Akron University School of Law
Who's Who in American Law
Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel for Stark County Common Pleas Court appointment by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland
2013, 2016 and 2019 Best Lawyers in America: “Lawyer of the Year” in Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation
2003 - 2020 Selected by peers for inclusion in “Best Lawyers in America” – Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury Litigation
2004 - 2020 Named Ohio Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers Magazine
2009 - 2020 Avvo Top Lawyer - Rated "10" Superb
Mr. Plakas has since 1996 received an annual AV rating from the Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory, which is the highest possible rating for both professional ability and ethics.
2010 - 2016 and 2019 & 2020 Named to Ohio's Top 100 Attorneys List by Super Lawyers Magazine

Special Focus:

COVID-19

Lawyer Client Comments

"I have used Lee Plakas this year and last year and his work is outstanding."

Gary McAfee, McAfee Tool & Die, Inc., Uniontown

Ted Good, , Steinway Hall - Akron, Inc.

"Mr. Leonidas Plakas is extremely professional but personable at the same time and has always been exceptionally knowledgeable, factually correct, and responsive. He has a truthful reputation of excellence and dominance that is well deserved."

Joe Waggoner, Waggoner Chocolates, North Canton

"Attorney Plakas has an uncanny sense of reason, rationale, and strategic thinking. Fortunately for us, his clients, he also has the ability, and energized willingness, to communicate every bit of his sense both to us and to the bench on our behalf. Just as important as an issue of character and professionalism, he passes his enthusiasm, skills, and disciplines on to his young associates in a spirit of succession and comprehensive service to his clients. On all projects our "team" partners with his "team", under his leadership, and we have the very valuable and unique comfort of trust, knowing that they will never let us down."

Ted Good, , Steinway Hall - Akron, Inc.

"Lee has had a long history of honesty and integrity. He is a great family man and gives back to his community."

Gary McAfee, McAfee Tool & Die, Inc., Uniontown

"Mr. Lee Plakas is the most impressive trial attorney I have known; he is honest, thorough, and very knowledgeable."

David Schlosser, DDS, Stow Dental Group

"The firm's responses are exceptional and extremely professional. Moreover, the legal advice from Lee Plakas was outstanding and the legal team assembled was very understanding, experienced, and driven to provide detailed timely responses. It was very evident that Tzangas, Plakas, Mannos & Raies are very respected within the legal profession in the U.S."

Joe Waggoner, Waggoner Chocolates, North Canton

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Firm Details

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Plakas Mannos

http://www.lawlion.com

Headquarters

200 Market Avenue North, Suite 300

Canton, OH 44702

(330) 453.5466

2 Office Locations

in 1 Country

Lawyer Case History

Business and Commercial Litigation - Mercy Medical Center vs. Aultman Health System

Jury verdict in favor of hospital client against competing hospital health system that had entered into secret relationships and made secret payments to health insurance brokers to convert to group health consumers to its health plans and health system.

$10,145,00 verdict and attorney fee award in favor of client Mercy Medical Center.

9 weeks - longest civil trial in Stark County History
Largest business or commercial verdict held in Stark County history
Only known verdict finding that a non-profit health system had engaged in a Pattern of Corrupt Activities.

Professional Malpractice - Speers vs. Wikas

Medical malpractice/cosmetic laser surgery gone bad because of dermatologist's lack of familiarity with new laser operative equipment.

$1.3 million plus verdict and pre-judgment interest in favor of client/patient.

In addition to denying liability, defense raised issues of patient overuse of cosmetic procedures.

Nursing Home Negligence - Freudman vs. Emeritus/Landing of Canton

Client, 80 years old, residing in an assisted living facility, was erroneously given an anti-diabetic drug that was not prescribed for her, resulting in brain damage and death.

Verdict in favor of client/patient in the amount of $1,930,000 plus $554,174.17 for attorney fees and costs.

Largest assisted living or nursing home verdict in the history of Northeast Ohio. The defednant was represented by three seperate law firms from three different states, all of whom had lawyers in the courtroom at the same time. The Federal Court Judge handling the case ruled: "Lee Plakas is an impressive trial lawyer. He is prepared for his courtroom presentations." Page 19 of December 30, 2011 decision by Federal Judge. "Plaintiff's success in this difficult case was accomplished as a consequence of the demonstrable skills of attorneys Plakas and Frantz." Page 22 of December 30, 2011 decision by Federal Judge.

Employment Discrimination and Harassment - Employee as Client - Paar vs. Jackson Township

Case on behalf of former police chief of township for wrongful termination.

Verdict in the amount of $530,000 in favor of client former police chief.

Although there was no writeen employment agreement guaranteeing employment, the jury found in favor based upon concepts of promissort estoppel and implied contract.

Business and Commercial Litigation - S.D. Meyers vs. George, et al.

Successful defense of a claim against international Summit County based electrial transformer company client against a claim by business associates, alleging an ownership interest in the international operations of the company and its revenues amounting to tens of millions of dollars.

Defense verdict on behalf of electrical transformer company client rejecting the claims of ownership and recovery on counterclaim against claimants in favor of client company for claimants' unfounded allegations in the amount of $50,000.

Trial involved witnesses and transactions in Europe and Canada, including attempts by claimants to set up unauthorized business operations in Canada and Europe utilizing trade names and intellectual property of client.