Pishnyak to Present Webinar on Deadlock-Breaking Mechanisms in LLC Operating Agreements

The Cleveland Association of Paralegals (CAP) is hosting a complimentary CLE Lunch and Learn!

Join us Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. via Zoom for an insightful session on Special Needs Trusts presented by Daniel J. McGuire and Natalie Browning of Mansour Gavin LPA.

This is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge or refresh your understanding of Special Needs Trusts—and earn 1-hour of free CLE credit!

Event Details:
Topic: Special Needs Trusts
Date: Thursday, October 24, 2024
Time: 12:00 p.m. (via Zoom)

Join Zoom Meeting:
Click here to join
Meeting ID: 845 0496 3183
Passcode: Special

Don’t miss out on this valuable session—reserve your spot today!

Mansour Gavin LPA, founded in 1954, is a well-established law firm with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio, providing a wide array of legal services to individuals and successful corporations, both privately held and publicly traded.

Mansour Gavin is pleased to welcome Tyler Berry to the firm! Tyler focuses his practice on real estate law, business transactions, and litigation, including general commercial litigation. As part of Mansour Gavin’s real estate group, he brings extensive experience in business and real estate transactional drafting, eviction defense, and commercial lease negotiation and drafting.

Tyler earned his J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and holds a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Design from Cleveland State University. He has dual Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Sustainability from Miami University.

Mansour Gavin LPA, founded in 1954, is a well-established law firm with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio, providing a wide array of legal services to individuals and successful corporations, both privately held and publicly traded.

Katie Epperson* has been selected for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s 2024-25 Leadership Academy, a highly regarded and selective program offering leadership and professional development programming. The program features leadership assessments, coaching, and opportunities for community engagement with legal and civic leaders.

The Leadership Academy, now in its 8th year, is a 10-month program that offers attorneys with at least five years of experience the chance to enhance their leadership skills. Candidates must demonstrate a passion for the legal profession and civic engagement, a commitment to leadership development, and enthusiasm for building connections with legal and community leaders in Greater Cleveland. The program includes partnerships with top professional development firms, offering participants tailored consultations and group sessions with leading legal minds.

Mansour Gavin LPA, founded in 1954, is a well-established law firm with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio, providing a wide array of legal services to individuals and successful corporations, both privately held and publicly traded.

*Katie Epperson is now known as Katie Tinnel.

Mansour Gavin LPA is thrilled to announce that 12 of our lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and 3 have been recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has been universally recognized as the definitive guide to legal excellence.

“For more than 40 years, the rigorous methodology of Best Lawyers has ensured the integrity and esteem of our legal recognitions,” said Phillip Greer, CEO of Best Lawyers. “We are proud to continue offering potential clients the highest standard of credibility through our Best Lawyers awards as they seek legal counsel.”

Tony Coyne, President and Managing Partner of Mansour Gavin LPA, added, “We are incredibly proud of our attorneys who have been honored this year. Their dedication and expertise exemplify the high standards of excellence our firm strives to uphold.”

Mansour Gavin congratulates the following lawyers named to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America:

Timothy A. Boyko – Corporate Law, Elder Law, Real Estate Law, and Trusts and Estates

Charles T. Brown – Litigation – Trusts and Estates

James A. Budzik – Litigation – Labor and Employment

Diane A. Calta – Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Real Estate, and Real Estate Law

Anthony J. Coyne – Corporate Law, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law

Brendon P. Friesen – Corporate Law

Daniel J. McGuire – Trusts and Estates

John W. Monroe – Corporate Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Real Estate, and Real Estate Law

Edward O. Patton – Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Litigation – Insurance

Tatyana Pishnyak – Corporate Law

Michael P. Quinlan – Trusts and Estates

Bruce G. Rinker – Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law

We would like to congratulate the following lawyers recognized in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.

Katie Epperson* – Insurance Law

Kenneth E. Smith – Corporate Law and Insurance Law

Kathryn E. Weber – Corporate Law, Litigation – Real Estate, and Real Estate Law

About Best Lawyers
Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected lawyer ranking service in the world. For 40 years, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Best Lawyers awards are published in leading local, regional and national publications across the globe.

About Mansour Gavin
Founded in 1954, Mansour Gavin LPA is a full-service law firm with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio. The firm provides trusted counsel to individuals and privately held and publicly traded companies across corporate, litigation, real estate, labor and employment, environmental, estate planning, and related areas of law.

*Katie Epperson is now known as Katie Tinnel.

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our friend and colleague, Dennis R. Wilcox.  Dennis earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from The Ohio State University in 1974 and remained a proud Buckeye and active alumnus throughout the course of his life. In 1977, Dennis graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he was awarded the Order of the Coif.

After graduating law school, Dennis embarked on a long and illustrious career in the legal profession, practicing primarily in the areas of public finance, governmental law, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, securities and real estate transactions, and commercial litigation. Over the course of his over 40-year career, he served as outside legal counsel to the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland, and the Blanchard Valley Port Authority. In the public finance sector, Dennis acted as bond, underwriter’s, or issuer’s counsel in over $10 billion in financings. The impact of his work can be seen throughout Northeast Ohio, including such iconic facilities as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Gateway Sports Complex including Progressive Field and the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cleveland Browns Stadium, The 9 Hotel, and the Flats East Bank development projects.

Dennis’ devotion to his clients was only exceeded by his devotion to his wife Shelley and his two children, that he raised in his adopted home of Cleveland Heights, where he served as a member of City Council for 15 years including acting as President of Council and Mayor. His commitment to community was further demonstrated by his active participation in the Democratic Party, including sitting on the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Executive Committee.

Dennis’ wise counsel will be missed throughout the Northeast Ohio legal community. What we will miss the most, however, is the friendship and mentorship he provided to anyone fortunate enough to know him. On behalf of the firm and all those who knew Dennis, we thank him for his unparalleled devotion to making the world a better place, whether for his clients, his community, or his friends and family. Dennis’ legacy will live on through those he knew and loved over the years.

Mansour Gavin LPA has been awarded a 2024 Top Workplaces honor by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling Respected & Supported, Enabled to Grow, and Empowered to Execute, to name a few.

“We are honored to be recognized as a Northeast Ohio Top Workplace for the third consecutive year. This achievement is particularly meaningful given the competitive field and only 212 companies selected as winners. It reflects the dedication and hard work of our entire team and we are committed to continuing to foster a supportive and dynamic workplace environment,” said Tony Coyne, Mansour Gavin President and Managing Partner.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

Mansour Gavin LPA is an established law firm founded in 1954 with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio. The firm provides a wide range of legal services to individuals and many successful privately held and publicly traded corporations.

Mansour Gavin is delighted to welcome Mary George, Dennis Robinson, and Lauren Osborne as they join our summer legal program. The program presents first and second-year law students with the opportunity to apply their legal education in a real-world environment. Candidates are chosen based on their exceptional academic performance, exemplary character, demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills, dedicated cultivation of advocacy and legal skills, and passionate commitment to both the legal profession and community.

Throughout the program, law clerks engage in activities to enhance their litigation and transactional skills and are encouraged to explore assignments across multiple practice groups. These assignments may include conducting legal research, drafting various legal documents such as motions, memoranda of law, opinions, and correspondence, attending court proceedings, participating in depositions, and preparing for and observing trials. The program is structured to expose law students to the multifaceted challenges of law firm work, offering them substantive legal assignments across a spectrum of disciplines.

Ken Smith, shareholder and co-chair of the firm’s Summer Law Program, expressed his excitement: “We are delighted to welcome this exceptional group of law students to our firm. As we teach the next generation of legal professionals, we are committed to providing them with immersive experiences in our day-to-day practice, engaging them in meaningful legal work.”

We are excited to welcome:

• Mary George, Cleveland State University College of Law, 2L
• Dennis Robinson, Cleveland State University College of Law, 2L
• Lauren Osborne, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1L

Mansour Gavin LPA is an established law firm founded in 1954 with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio. The firm provides a wide range of legal services to individuals and many successful privately held and publicly traded corporations.

On March 6, 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a decision in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a putative class of students from The Ohio State University. The suit alleged breach of contract and unjust enrichment against the University, seeking refunds for a portion of the tuition and fees paid during the spring of 2020 when the University suspended in-person instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court instructed the Tenth District Court of Appeals to ascertain if the University is “immune from suit in the Court of Claims regarding its decisions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic including to suspend in-person instruction, transition to virtual learning, restrict access to its campus, and provide pro rata refunds to students only for the recreational fee and for room and board.”

At the trial court level, the Ohio Court of Claims granted class certification on behalf of a class that included “all undergraduate students enrolled in classes at the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University during the spring of 2020 who paid tuition, the general fee, student activity fee, learning technology fee, course fees, program fees, and/or COTA bus fees.” The University appealed this decision, contending that the plaintiff’s claims were barred by the doctrine of discretionary immunity, which they raised for the first time on appeal. The plaintiff argued that discretionary immunity is an affirmative defense that cannot be raised for the first time on appeal and doesn’t apply to the case’s facts. The Court of Appeals acknowledged discretionary immunity as an affirmative defense but concluded that the trial court hadn’t conducted the necessary “rigorous analysis” before granting class certification.

The University appealed the Court of Appeals’ decision regarding discretionary immunity to the Ohio Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case on appeal. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that discretionary immunity was not an affirmative defense but a matter of subject matter jurisdiction that can be raised by a party at any stage, including the Court of Appeals. Consequently, the Ohio Supreme Court remanded the matter to the Tenth District Court of Appeals for a determination as to whether discretionary immunity applied to the University’s decision to suspend in-person instruction and only provide refunds for certain fees, excluding tuition refunds to students.

Mansour Gavin attorney Scott Simpkins is co-counsel for the putative class and presented oral argument in the matter before the Ohio Supreme Court. Scott’s litigation practice includes contract dispute, labor and employment, municipal/public entity, construction, real estate, and general commercial litigation.

Mansour Gavin LPA is an established law firm founded in 1954 with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio. The firm provides a wide range of legal services to individuals and many successful privately held and publicly traded corporations.

Tatyana Pishnyak has been elected to the Board of Directors of Global Cleveland, a non-profit organization dedicated to growing Northeast Ohio’s economy by welcoming and connecting international people to opportunities and fostering a more inclusive community for those seeking a place to call home.

Born in Ukraine and fluent in Ukrainian, Tatyana actively participates in legal clinics, including Global Cleveland’s Ukrainian Legal Clinic and Resource Fair in 2023, which provided free legal advice and resources to Ukrainians affected by the war. Additionally, she serves as a class of 2023-24 mentor for Global Cleveland’s Global Rising program. The nine-month development program was created to assist professional newcomers in learning to network and expand their social circles, become acclimated to the city, and strengthen their economic opportunities in Northeast Ohio.

Tatyana is a member of Mansour Gavin’s Corporate and Business Services group, where she focuses her practice in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, franchising, commercial contracting, healthcare, and finance and banking.

Mansour Gavin LPA is an established law firm founded in 1954 with offices in Cleveland and Independence, Ohio. The firm provides a wide range of legal services to individuals and many successful privately held and publicly traded corporations.