Nicholas Wille

Aanchal Sharma is a Partner at the Firm and her multifaceted practice combines business and commercial litigation with real estate disputes and trust and estate litigation. These practice areas also make her uniquely suited in the more specialized area of trust, estate and probate litigation, often involving corporate or financial institutions as fiduciaries. In this area, she has experience in fiduciary litigation, during which she often assists in the prosecution and defense of clients invo...

Pamela Pantages has more than 31 years of experience as a trial attorney. Having earned a master’s degree in speech pathology/audiology, she successfully pursued a medical career before going to law school. Her current law practice includes all areas of medical negligence, but with particular expertise in obstetric and pediatric malpractice. Board Certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Pamela is also an invited member of the distinguished Melvin M...

Donald Switzer (Of Counsel) is one of the founders of the firm. He has devoted his practice almost exclusively to the defense of physicians, hospitals and other healthcare professionals for over thirty years. Mr. Switzer’s caseload frequently consists of many high profile and high exposure lawsuits, including wrongful death, quadriplegia and other neurological impairments and cases involving significant economic damages. He has successfully defended physicians and hospitals in many coun...

John Gerak routinely advises employers on all aspects of the employment relationship. John has developed a reputation as a true business partner, assisting employers to avoid litigation through highly focused custom training, human resource policy and process improvement and legal compliance. In the event litigation cannot be avoided, John has extensive experience litigation sing-plaintiff employment cases as well as class action discrimination and wage and hour cases.

Kenneth Smith is a dedicated attorney practicing in civil litigation, advocating for companies and employers across a broad spectrum of their business needs. His practice areas include insurance defense , general civil litigation , labor and employment , and intellectual property law. Licensed in Ohio and all federal courts within the state, Mr. Smith has successfully represented clients in various legal settings including trials, arbitrations, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission proceedi...

Ashton Bizzarri is a Partner in the Firm’s Trusts & Estates Practice Group. She focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning and trust and estate administration, while also representing clients in trust and estate litigation. Prior to joining the Firm, Ashton was an Associate Attorney at two Akron law firms, focusing exclusively on estate planning and trust and estate administration. She was also a Trust Officer at Key Private Bank, where she handled trust administrations, w...

James F. Koehler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Securities. James F., 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 James F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Donald J. Richardson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Donald J., 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 Donald J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Sonja C. Rice is a partner in the firm’s Business Law Area, member of the firm’s Construction Law Practice Group, chair of the firm’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Sonja’s practice focuses on commercial transactions and the development and negotiation of a wide variety of commercial contracts, including master services agreements, supply chain and manufacturing agreements, professional services co...

Doug focuses his practice on employment litigation and counseling on human resource issues. His employment litigation experience includes representing employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in Ohio and throughout the region in wrongful termination, retaliation and discrimination matters arising under the Ohio Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Fam...