Lori Pittman Haas

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...

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...

David Skall is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs. David, who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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.

Erica L. Calderas has extensive experience representing commercial clients of varying sizes as plaintiffs and as defendants in complex matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Erica has a deep understanding of a wide range of litigation matters impacting businesses, including business torts, contract disputes, consumer protection claims, trademark infringement, employment disputes, fraud claims, enforcing and defending against claims regarding non-competition agreements and tr...

With 20 years of experience representing clients both inside and outside of the courtroom, Sean provides targeted, creative, and assertive legal strategy. He has represented clients both large and small, such as one of the top tier health insurers in the country, one of the most recognized hospital systems in the world, North America’s largest flat-rolled steel producer and supplier of iron ore pellets, a fortune 500 company that provides title insurance and settlement services to the r...

Howard Bobrow is chair of Taft's Venture Capital and Emerging Companies practice. His practice is primarily devoted to mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital. Howard is a trusted advisor to private equity funds, venture capital funds, and emerging growth companies. He counsels private equity and venture capital funds and other institutional investors, as well as angel investors, on all aspects of acquisitions, dispositions, capital formation, and private placements. How...

Patrick J. Krebs is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Real Estate Law. Patrick J., who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John Monroe focuses his practice on real estate and land use issues. He handles matters such as real estate transactions, including sales, acquisitions and leasing; real estate litigation, including landlord-tenant disputes, boundary disputes, title issues and zoning matters; manufactured home park law; and administrative appeals from governmental bodies. Mr. Monroe’s recent notable cases and transactions include: -Successfully prosecuted and argued an unconstitutional zoning ordinance/...

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...