Best Lawyers Near You in Middleburg Heights, Ohio for Trusts and Estates
David Lenz joined the Firm in 2006, became a Partner in 2013, and was elected to serve as Managing Partner in 2020. His practice focuses primarily on planning for and administering wealth transfer for individuals and families, in addition to counseling charitable organizations. David considers each client’s unique estate planning needs, creating comprehensive plans and helping families communicate their purpose and goals to the next generation. This often includes complex charitable, re...
Kevin R. Keogh is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law and Trusts and Estates. Kevin R., 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 Kevin R. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Arthur E. Gibbs III is a partner in the Trusts and Estate Planning Group and is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Florida. Art is an Ohio State Bar Association Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law and focuses on providing creative estate, tax and business planning advise to business owners and other wealthy individuals, as well as representing individuals, financial institutions, and non-profits in estate disputes. Art is a past Chair of the firm’s Cle...
Jennifer is a partner at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP. She serves as a high net worth family counselor with knowledge and understanding of sophisticated estate planning techniques and the broader needs of high net worth families. Her strength lies in communicating complex matters in plain terms and working collaboratively as part of an advisor team to provide practical counsel to multigenerational families consistent with their risk tolerance, goals, family dynamics, and desire for comple...
Chuck Adler joined the Firm in 1993 and became a Partner in 1995. He has a special interest in planning for individuals, families, and closely held businesses. Chuck counsels individuals and families on complex estate, charitable, financial, and retirement planning matters; on estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes; and on the organization and operation of private foundations. He also works with owners of closely held and family businesses on succession planning. Before joining the Firm,...
Christina D’Eramo Evans is a partner and Chair of the firm’s Cleveland office Estate Planning, Wealth Transfer & Preservation Section. Christina is an OSBA Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law and a fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Her practice is focused on assisting individuals and families with the transmission of their wealth in a tax advantaged manner that at the same time accomplishes desired intent and preserves...
Stephen H. Gariepy is a partner and National Co-Chair of Hahn Loeser’s Estate Planning, Wealth Transfer & Preservation Section. Steve focuses his practice on leading-edge estate planning techniques. His ability to design creative and comprehensive plans – and make them practical and understandable – has attracted clients nationwide from the ranks of Forbes 400, business owners, families and nonprofit organizations. Steve regularly counsels owners of privately held compan...
Charles Brown is an accomplished estate planning and probate attorney with more than 26 years of experience in probate litigation. He has previously served as Magistrate since 1988, and Chief Magistrate and Probate Court Mediator since 2009 for Cuyahoga County , the largest and most prominent probate court in the state of Ohio. Mr. Brown has handled thousands of cases involving all aspects of probate litigation, including wealth management and estate planning. He is a lecturer and continuing ...
Justin L. Stark is Chair of the Trusts & Estates Practice Group at Schneider Bell. Justin provides estate planning solutions to high-net-worth individuals and families. This includes preparing full estate plans, from Wills to Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts, as well as handling probate and tax matters. Prior to joining the Firm, he worked at one of America’s largest financial institutions, where he spearheaded a team of experts in investment management, financial and estate plannin...
Douglas C. Carlson has extensive experience in corporate, partnership, individual and estate tax matters. The primary emphasis of his practice is on transactional planning, including acquisitions and dispositions, reorganizations and limited partnership syndications, liquidations and executive compensation, including stock options and deferred compensation. He has substantial experience in compliance activities, controversy matters, and state and local tax matters. As a business law attorney,...
Tal Young has practiced trust and estate law for more than 45 years. He had been a Director and Shareholder of Spieth, Bell, McCurdy & Newell for a decade when it combined with Schneider, Smeltz, Ranney & Lafond in 2016 to form SSSB. Prior to that, he had been a Founding Partner of Young and Dietsch for 11 years, which followed 19 years as an Associate and Partner with Squire Sanders & Dempsey. He applies his years of expertise to handling a wide range of probate, trust, and estat...
Jim Bright has been practicing law since 1976. He applies his considerable expertise to advising individuals and families on estate planning, tax planning (including income and estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes), and charitable gift planning. He also provides counsel to trustees of private foundations on administration, initial formation, and tax qualification. Prior to the formation of SSSB, he served as President of Spieth, Bell, McCurdy & Newell Co., L.P.A. Jim is a Fellow of...
Mr. Boyko is an experienced attorney who practices in the areas of business and real estate law as well as probate and estate planning . He previously served as managing partner of the law firm of Boyko, Dobeck & Weaver before joining Mansour Gavin in late 2016. He is currently admitted to practice law in both the State of Ohio and the State of Florida, as well as the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio. Tim represents individuals, companies, and non-profit organizatio...
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...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.