Peter N. "Pete" Lavalette

Rudolph A. Peckinpaugh, Jr. is a trial and appellate attorney with a concentration in the defense of medical, hospital and other professional liability claims in the state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and licensing boards in the State of Ohio. He has handled a variety of cases in the obstetrical, orthopedic, anesthesia and internal medicine areas and has lectured on subjects dealing with risk management, record confidentiality and the defense of medical malpractice litigation....

With experience as a professional negotiator, a professor of organizational behavior and change, and nearly 25 years as a business lawyer, Fadi V. Nahhas takes a broad view of transactions. His unique personal and professional background has shaped both his practice and his approach to clients. Mr. Nahhas served as chair of the Eastman & Smith’s Executive Committee of the Firm and functions as outside general counsel on diverse needs of midsize businesses involved in a variety of in...

Patrick A. Sadowski’s current practice areas include nonprofit organization formation and taxation; estate planning; Medicaid planning; probate, estate and trust administration; estate, trust, gift and income taxation; general business law, including mergers and acquisition and business succession planning; and real estate.

Gregg A. Peppel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Gregg A., who practices law in Toledo, Ohio, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gregg A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Thomas J. Gibney concentrates his practice in the areas of human resources management in the private and public sectors, employment litigation, private and public sector labor negotiations and contract application, workers' compensation, and federal and state safety regulation litigation. He is a member of Eastman & Smith. Mr. Gibney is a frequent lecturer on the Affordable Care Act, National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Occupational Safety and Health Act, Family and Medical Leave Act (FML...

Heidi N. Hartman, member, concentrates her practice in the areas of employment law, labor law and related litigation. She has represented large and small employers in a variety of industries -- including automotive, education, manufacturing and health care -- in a wide assortment of employment matters and disputes. Ms. Hartman counsels employers to resolve situations with their employees and regularly defends employers in litigation if charges are filed in administrative agencies, such as the...

Peter O. DeClark is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Peter O., who practices law in Toledo, Ohio, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Peter O. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Casey Talbott is a member of Eastman & Smith Ltd., concentrating his practice in the defense of significant personal injury, wrongful death, and insurance coverage actions. He also has significant experience counseling railroad companies with respect to operations concerns throughout the State of Ohio. Mr. Talbott received his undergraduate and law degrees from The Ohio State University. He is a member of the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys, National Association of Railroad Tria...

PERSONAL INJURY & INSURANCE LAW After graduating from Case Western Reserve University Law School in 1996, Margaret first worked for the Erie County Prosecutor’s Office before joining Murray & Murray. She works to be an advocate for her clients and help them in the best and most meaningful way possible. Presenting a case to the court and having the clients understand just how much the firm cares about their very personal and individual claims is very important to her. Margaret is...

PERSONAL INJURY & CONSUMER PROTECTION No different than most kids, I dreamt of being a hero as a child and there was no bigger hero in my life than my father. He often told us stories about the people who were relying on him to resolve their tragedies. I always knew that was the kind of person I wanted to be. After earning my law degree from the University of Dayton in 1991, I joined the firm and began helping those who had been harmed with no place to go for justice. Areas of Practice: P...