Law firms announce new attorneys, committee moves | Legal Affairs

Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP

Mackenzie Rini joined Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP’s Cleveland office as an associate attorney in its labor and employment practice area.

“We are very excited to welcome Mackenzie to our growing labor and employment team,” Steven E. Seasly, chair of Hahn Loeser’s labor and employment group, said in a news release. “Her experience will add depth to our practice.”

Rini works on complex disputes and guides clients through legal issues that may arise during the employment relationship, from hiring through termination, according to the release. Rini also handles matters dealing with subrogation and breach of contract claims.

Admitted to practice law in Ohio, Rini spent over five years at a subrogation law firm in Cleveland. She began her time there as a law clerk in 2016, transitioned to staff attorney in 2018 and became an associate attorney in September 2019. Rini was recently selected as an Ohio Rising Star by Ohio Super Lawyers.

Rini earned her J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2017, where she earned certifications in Westlaw Next and Lexis Advance Cleveland-Marshall Law Library Research. She received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from The Ohio State University in Columbus in 2014.

Minc Law

Internet defamation law firm Minc Law in Orange recently added attorneys Caroline Ford, Michael Pelagalli and Christina Williams.

Ford worked for the firm for two years while attending law school and has been specifically trained by the firm’s experienced attorneys on the complexities involved in the niche field of internet defamation law and litigation, according to a news release.

Ford earned her law degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and her bachelor of science degree in international studies and journalism from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Pelagalli represents large corporations, executives, medical professionals, small businesses and individuals in defamation matters, and his proven track record of success in and out of the courtroom is demonstrated by the numerous favorable jury trial verdicts, six-figure settlements for his clients and successful petitions for injunctive or other equitable relief he’s achieved, according to the release. As lead counsel, he tackles all aspects of the litigation, trial and appeals processes on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, the release stated.

Pelagalli earned his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and his bachelor degree from Miami University. He is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

Williams is an accomplished litigator and trial attorney with a proven track record of winning cases for her clients at the trial court and appellate levels as well as at the Ohio Supreme Court, and has represented individuals, major insurance companies and other large corporations throughout her career, according to the release.

Williams earned her law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, magna cum laude, and her bachelor degree from Case Western Reserve University. She is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association.

“We are thrilled to have Michael, Christina and Caroline join our team,” said Aaron Minc, founder and principal of Minc Law. “Each of them brings the professionalism, empathy and results-driven mindset that are part of the firm’s core values, which guide everything we do. The firm and our clients will benefit from their backgrounds and experience.”

Publisher’s note: Aaron Minc is a member of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company Board of Directors.

Ulmer & Berne LLP

Ulmer & Berne LLP announced that partners Daniel A. Gottesman, Jennifer Snyder Heis, Eric M. Robbins and Michael N. Ungar were elected to Ulmer’s management committee effective Jan. 1. Each will serve an important role on the committee, which is a 10-member group responsible for guiding the operations and strategic direction of the firm, according to a news release.

“We welcome this extraordinary group of partners to our management team,” Scott P. Kadish, managing partner, said in the release. “They are accomplished lawyers who have the keen judgment, unique insights and leadership skills we want to see in members of our management committee. I am highly confident they will thrive in guiding Ulmer’s strategy and focus on providing exceptional client service and that they will help us continue to build on our firm’s success.”

Gottesman, co-group leader of the firm’s health care practice group, will serve his first term on the management committee. A corporate attorney in Ulmer’s Cleveland office, he applies his extensive mergers and acquisitions experience to advise health care clients on a variety of corporate, real estate, and transactional matters and represents private equity funds, family offices and long-term care investors and providers in structuring, negotiating, documenting and closing complex M&A transactions, real estate acquisitions and divestitures, joint ventures, leases, and private placements, the release stated. In addition to his practice, he serves as president of Cleveland Community Mikvah, Inc., and as a board member of the Hebrew Academy of Cleveland. In recognition of his legal accomplishments, he has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars list and The Best Lawyers in America for Mergers and Acquisitions Law.

Heis, a product liability litigator in Ulmer’s Cincinnati office, will serve her first term on the management committee. She has more than 20 years of experience defending clients in a wide variety of industries, including pharmaceutical products, dietary supplements, consumer products and construction and industrial equipment, and represents clients in complex litigation, including multi-district litigation and consolidated court proceedings, as well as individual cases throughout the country, according to the release. Outside of her practice, she serves as an advisory board member of Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio and as a leader of the Defense Research Institute’s product liability and drug and medical device committees. She has been named to The Best Lawyers in America for product liability litigation – defendants and to Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2021 list of “Women Worth Watching.”

Robbins, group leader of the firm’s intellectual property and technology practice group, will serve his first term on the management committee. Based in Ulmer’s Cincinnati office, Robbins provides counsel to sophisticated clients in a range of industries on securement, ownership, licensing, infringement, dispute resolution and enforcement of patents, trademarks and copyrights. and prepares and facilitates ongoing prosecution of patent applications at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and has patent litigation experience in federal and International Trade Commission cases, according to the release. He oversees the entire international patent portfolios of several corporate clients and assists emerging businesses working to develop key technological innovations, the release stated. He is recognized by Chambers USA as one of Ohio’s “Leaders in Their Field” in intellectual property and has been named to The Best Lawyers in America for Patent Law every year since 2011, among other honors.

Ungar was re-elected to serve a new term on the management committee after having previously served multiple times as a member of this leadership group. Based in Ulmer’s Cleveland office, he serves as chair of the firm’s litigation department. Ungar is known for his courtroom and appellate victories involving complex commercial and financial services matters, including the defense of commercial, banking, professional liability, securities, broker-dealer, class action, consumer, product liability, pharmaceutical and medical device cases and is a highly respected mediator and arbitrator who is relied upon to help find solutions in contentious and complicated disputes, according to the release. He is a past president of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and a past president of The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland board of directors. A nationally recognized trial lawyer, Ungar has received several honors, including consistently being named one of Benchmark Litigation’s “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America” and being ranked in Band 1 for general commercial litigation by Chambers USA.

• The firm announced the addition of two associates, Joshua C. Berns, who joined the construction practice group and Sarah Katz, who joined the product liability practice group.

Berns joined Ulmer’s Columbus office where he focuses his practice on resolving construction disputes and assisting clients in all phases of construction projects, and he has experience helping clients throughout the industry achieve their goals by providing representation in a wide range of construction-related disputes and facilitating complex construction projects, according to a news release. His broad experience with the litigation process includes pleadings and motion practice, pretrial discovery and trial preparation. He also assists with catastrophic loss cases and has experience with commercial and insurance litigation, the release stated.

Berns is active in several local bar associations, including the Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus Bar Association and the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys. In recognition of his legal skill, Berns has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars. He earned his undergraduate degree from Kent State University and his J.D. with honors from Capital University Law School.

“Josh’s background working with contractors, design professionals, and others in the construction industry provides immediate value to our clients,” said Jason P. Conte, group leader of Ulmer’s construction practice group, said in the release. “We’re glad to add him to our team of dedicated construction attorneys that works day in and day out to help our clients achieve their best results.”

Katz joined Ulmer’s Cleveland office where she focuses her practice on product liability litigation and the defense of pharmaceutical, medical device and mass tort claims. She will represent a diverse array of clients in discrete cases, as well as multi-district, coordinated, and consolidated proceedings, and putative class actions, according to the release. She is experienced with all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution, from pre-litigation counseling through trial and appeal and handles key aspects of complex litigation, including pre-litigation counseling, motion practice, written discovery, taking and defending depositions, and trial preparation, the release stated.

Katz is admitted to practice in both Ohio and Colorado. She has also been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list of Rising Stars. She earned her undergraduate degree with honors from The Ohio State University and her J.D. with honors from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

“We’re very pleased to add another talented product liability associate to our growing practice in Cleveland,” Paul J. Cosgrove, group leader of Ulmer’s product liability practice group, said in the release. “Sarah’s litigation experience, ambition, and enthusiasm for helping her clients succeed makes her a great fit at Ulmer.”

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Information submitted by law firms.