News

Mansour Gavin LPA has been recognized in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms^®, ranked by Best Lawyers^®, regionally in five practice areas. Firms included in the 2024 Best Law Firms® list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.

To be considered for this achievement, at least one lawyer in the firm must be recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. In August, we announced that 13 Mansour Gavin lawyers were recognized in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and 2 were included in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

“Inclusion in Best Law Firms® is a great honor achieved through commitment, dedication to our clients, and gaining the respect of our fellow law firms” said Tony Coyne, Mansour Gavin’s President and Managing Partner.

Mansour Gavin LPA received the following rankings from Best Law Firms®:

• Regional Tier 1
  • Cleveland
    • Corporate Law
    • Real Estate Law
• Regional Tier 2
  • Cleveland
    • Commercial Litigation
• Regional Tier 3
  • Cleveland
    • Insurance Law
    • Trusts & Estates Law

About Best Law Firms®
Best Law Firms® is the most credible rankings of exceptional law firms, rooted in a rigorous, peer-to-peer, industry-driven evaluation. Achieving a tiered ranking in Best Law Firms signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Ranked firms, presented in three tiers, are recognized on a national and metro-based scale. The research methodology includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms as part of the formal submission process.

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.

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.”

About

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 LPA has been awarded a 2022 Top Workplaces honor by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few.

“Companies need to authentically represent their brand to job-seekers,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “The employee experience needs to be on the mission-critical list. Leaders who embrace a people-first culture will benefit greatly. By giving employees a voice and showcasing your authentic culture through employer branding, organizations can attract those job seekers who complement their culture. Culture drives performance.”

ABOUT

Mansour Gavin LPA provides superior legal services and client-focused solutions for a broad range of clients in the areas of civil litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, estate planning and probate, intellectual property, environmental, and corporate and business law.

Through a collaborative team approach, we seek practical, value-added solutions for complex and routine legal and business issues for our clients of all sizes, including 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.

Mansour Gavin proudly welcomes our 2023 summer law clerks Melanie Murray, Grace Warren, and Brian Cook. Mansour Gavin invites talented second-year law students to participate in a summer legal program. Candidates are selected based on their outstanding academic performance and character, proven leadership and interpersonal skills, dedicated development of advocacy and legal skills, and passionate commitment to the legal profession and community.

Law Clerks become part of the team at Mansour Gavin. A designated mentor attorney provides personal guidance for each of them while they work on a variety of projects with attorneys across multiple practice areas. Law clerks receive daily opportunities to acquire hands-on litigation and transactional skills that may include conducting legal research, drafting motions, memoranda of law, legal opinions, correspondence, motions, jury instructions, reports, case evaluations and articles, attending state and federal court proceedings, assisting with and attending depositions, and preparing for, participating in, and observing trials.

The program is designed to introduce law students to the challenges of working in a law firm and to identify the skills new lawyers need to launch a successful legal career.

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 pleased to announce that 13 of the firm’s lawyers have been selected for inclusion in the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers in America® and 2 have been recognized as Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch®.  Best Lawyers is the legal profession’s oldest and most respected peer-review publication.

Anthony J. Coyne
Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law
Corporate Law
Real Estate Law

Timothy A. Boyko
Corporate Law
Trusts and Estates

Charles T. Brown
Litigation – Trusts and Estates

James A. Budzik
Litigation – Labor and Employment

Diane A. Calta
Commercial Litigation

Jeffrey M. Embleton
Employment Law – Management
Litigation – Labor and Employment
Commercial Litigation

Brendon P. Friesen
Corporate Law

Daniel J. McGuire
Trusts and Estates

John W. Monroe
Real Estate Law

Edward O. Patton
Commercial Litigation
Corporate Law

Michael P. Quinlan
Commercial Litigation
Trusts and Estates

Timothy T. Reid
Litigation – Insurance
Insurance Law

Bruce G. Rinker
Land Use and Zoning
Real Estate Law

Ones To Watch

Kenneth E. Smith
Corporate Law

Kathryn E. Weber
Corporate Law
Real Estate Law

Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers in America® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. More than 116,000 industry leading lawyers are eligible to vote and include more than 17 million evaluations on the legal abilities of other lawyers based on their specific practice areas around the world.

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.

We previously advised on the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) beneficial owner information reporting requirements for applicable companies under the Corporate Transparency Act. FinCEN is now accepting beneficial ownership information reports and has launched an online portal for companies to file their mandated reports. Reports can be printed and filled out or completed online here.

Companies are reminded that they will need to provide several categories of information for both the corporate entity and any beneficial owners, including:

• Addresses
• Tax Identification Information
• Registration Information
• Corporate and Individual Identification Documentation

The Corporate and Business Services attorneys at Mansour Gavin are prepared to assist with these mandatory filings. Those companies that are required to report that were in existence as of 12/31/2023 must file their BOI report no later than 12/31/2024. If a reporting company was formed between 1/1/2024 and 12/31/2024, you have ninety days from formation to file your BOI report. Companies formed 1/1/2025 and thereafter must file within 30 days of formation.

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 proud to announce that the following attorneys have been named to the 2022 Ohio Super Lawyers^® list!

Anthony J. Coyne, 2022 Ohio Super Lawyers^®
John W. Monroe, 2022 Ohio Super Lawyers^®

Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel.

Every year Super Lawyers selects attorneys from all firm sizes and over 70 practice areas throughout the State of Ohio using a patented multiphase selection process. Only up to five percent of the lawyers in the state are named to Super Lawyers, and no more than 2.5 percent are named to the Rising Stars list.

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.