Paul R. Shugar

Attorney Janet L. Lowder has devoted her career to defining, promoting, and protecting the legal rights of the elderly and of persons with mental and physical disabilities. Janet's activities have encompassed individual representation, litigation on a local and state-wide scale, representation of agencies and county programs serving people with disabilities and the elderly, legislation, and publication in professional journals. Janet is a recognized authority on Medicaid issues and estate pla...

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...

Edward (Ed) Patton is a seasoned trial attorney with a focus on corporate and business law , civil litigation , insurance defense , toxic tort, and asbestos defense. He offers strategic counsel to clients on international import and export activities, including establishing corporate compliance programs for international trade and NAFTA initiatives. Ed boasts significant knowledge and experience in governmental compliance, encompassing licensing procedures for international exports, product m...

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...

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...

With over 40 years of legal experience, Patricia Ritzert focuses on governmental law, public finance, and business law as a member of the firm’s Corporate and Business Law group. Her extensive background includes serving as an assistant law director for the cities of Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, as well as various Ohio port authorities. Ms. Ritzert’s experience spans a wide range of local government issues, including employment, land use, taxation, finance, claims for and against tow...

Dustin B. Rawlin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, Commercial Litigation and Product Liability Litigation - Defendants. Dustin B., 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 Dustin B. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Veronica Garofoli focuses her practice in the areas of probate litigation, probate and estate administration, and estate planning. She provides representation for issues that can complicate the settling of an estate or trust, such as probate and trust disputes involving will contests, charges of undue influence, and breach of fiduciary duty actions. She also advises fiduciaries and families in guardianship, trust, and estate administrations. Veronica is experienced in reviewing, designing, an...

Lisa Monihan is a Partner in the Trusts & Estates Practice Group, and she also serves as a practice group co- coordinator. Her practice is focused on wealth transfer planning for individuals and fiduciaries, including income, gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning; trust and estate administration; multi-generational family issues; retirement planning; succession planning for closely-held businesses; and charitable planning. A client once told Lisa that the decision to...

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