Mentor Lawyers

I am dual certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation, and as a Specialist in Elder Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. I am one of twenty-three attorneys with this dual certification. I devote my practice to those issues uniquely affecting the elderly, the disabled and their families. Having been raised by a parent with early onset Parkinson's Disease, and having witnessed a grandparent spend over sixteen years in a nursing facility suffering from Alzheimer's, I gravitated early in my career towards the practice of elder and disability law. I established my Law...

Paulette F. Balin has been practicing law since 1978. She was raised in Timberlake, OH and went to Laurel School in Shaker Heights. In 1975 she graduated magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She received her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis in 1978, and passed the Ohio Bar in 1978 and Florida Bar in 1980. Paulette first opened her practice in Cleveland, Ohio in 1980. She has broad experience and success in handling Social Security Disability, SSI, and Long-Term Disability cases. Her legal experience covers cases addressing a large...

Jon D. Axelrod is the founder of Axelrod Law Offices in Willowick, and he has shaped the firm to reflect his deepest values. Mr. Axelrod believes that attorneys should provide effective legal direction while giving compassionate care to the client. He understands that legal decisions carry a great deal of distress and pressure, whether the client is considering bankruptcy, undergoing a divorce, or is accused of a crime. His primary aim is to provide peace of mind to his clients. Our firm accomplishes this through our personal relationship with each client and our devotion to providing the strongest legal care...

Attorney Heather Moseman grew up in the Midwest and applies the values learned there to the practice of law. She aims to make sure that the legal problems that are presented to her are solved in the most cost-effective and straightforward way possible. Heather obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota. She applied her degree in the service of the chronically disabled, chronically mentally ill and for senior citizens for seven years in both Chicago, Illinois and the Cleveland area. In 2000, Ms. Moseman determined to help people on a...

I’m from a family that helps those who need help. I know that I could be the one that needs help, so I treat others as I would want to be treated, the Golden Rule. I believe in helping those that meet me halfway. So, if you do your part, I will do mine. This goes for people who need disability benefits & those in trouble with their taxes. I can help both groups of people, and the team of disability lawyers in our firm will always give you our best! I have been working in disability...

I started practicing disability law because I enjoy fighting for the little guy and I can relate to how a person's health can derail an entire family. I come from a solidly blue-collar background and did not even know what a lawyer was when my uncle was in a terrible accident in 1993 that left him permanently disabled. I remember how confused we all were when the government denied his application for Social Security Disability benefits after many months of waiting. It was pretty clear to our family that a person who could not walk to the bathroom without severe...

We serve Lake County, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Ashtabula Counties. We are often serving clients in local municipal courts as well as the county courts. We strive to understand each clients unique needs in family and landlord tenant matters. We have experienced attorney's that all offer a 30 minute free consultation. We are discreet and care about each client. We never forget that the client is number 1 priority and appreciate those entrusting our office with their legal needs.

Attorney Hector G. Martinez, Jr., is the principal of the law firm, The Martinez Firm. He attended The Ohio State University (B.S. in Business Administration - 1993) and Case Western Reserve University School of Law (J.D. -1997). His practice focuses on criminal defense, with an emphasis on drunk driving defense. Mr. Martinez is N.H.T.S.A. certified, having attended the N.H.T.S.A. Standardized Field Sobriety Testing course in 1999. He is a member of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Lake County Bar Association. He is a frequent lecturer on Ohio Traffic Laws, as well as...

Tim Misny is an experienced Ohio personal injury lawyer. For over 30 years, Mr. Misny has worked to fight for his personal injury and medical malpractice clients to obtain fair compensation.

Aggressive pursuit of personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice cases. "AV" rating (highest rating possible) by Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory.

Life-long Clevelander. Passionate about my family. Have spent my entire career trying to help guide other families through rocky times, whether with divorce/dissolution or child support; or through probate. Also, over a decade of experience drafting carefully executed and individualized Estate Planning documents for individuals and families.

Experience Magistrate, Lake County Domestic Relations Court March 1992 - December 31, 2002 Magistrate, Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court July 1997 - December 1998 Acting Judge, Painesville Municipal Court March 2008 - continuing Education Bachelor of Business Administration, Kent State University, 1983 Juris Doctor, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, 1989 Admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of Ohio, the Federal District Court and the United States Supreme Court. Professional Organizations Lake County Bar Association Ohio State Bar Association Ohio Womenâs Bar Association Family Law Committee, Lake County Bar Association Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges (former member) Ohio Association...

Patrick J. Perotti is recognized for outstanding achievements in consumer class actions and employment discrimination, locally and nationally. He is the architect of the firm’s Ohio Lawyers Give Back initiative to distribute unclaimed class action funds to charities. As an award-winning national leader in the fields of consumer class actions, employment discrimination, and wage and hour litigation; with verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 billion dollars, he is regularly selected to lead class suits in Ohio and around the country. His reputation developed from a demand for outcomes which not only offered compensation to class members but also stopped unlawful government...

As a family law practitioner, Anna Parise helps clients through divorce, child support, spousal support, and custody. Highly rated in peer reviews throughout her career, she is active in bringing family law legal services to those who cannot afford it. Anna’s legal practice includes domestic relations, divorce, family law, child support, spousal support, and custody. Anna is also frequently appointed by trial courts in Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Lake Counties as guardian ad litem to protect the interests of children. Formerly with a small boutique firm specializing in labor law, Anna joined Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A. in 2005 becoming partner...

Richard Selby heads our Commercial Litigation Department. He has extensive trial experience with Dworken & Bernstein in both state and federal court. In addition to his litigation experience, Ric regularly consults with clients on employment related issues and is called in to assist at trial with the Class Action department when those matters go to trial. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star and was selected to be included in the 2019 edition of Best Lawyers in America. In addition, he is a Contributing Editor to Attorney At Law Magazine featuring articles on Employment Law.

Ric joined Dworken...

Kristen M. Kraus has extensive experience in handling civil jury trials in both state and federal court. She has litigated cases in nearly every county in Northeast Ohio, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Kristen joined Dworken & Bernstein upon graduation from law school in 2001. Since joining the firm, she has been representing victims of personal injury, as well as those injured in workplace accidents. A significant portion of her current practice is devoted to representing injured workers in workers’ compensation matters both at the Industrial Commission of Ohio and at the...

Joshua J. Strickland’s practices primarily in real estate and business transactions. He represents small and medium size businesses, real estate developers, landlords and non-profits in all of their business needs. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star. Josh focuses his practice in the areas of general business including formation, mergers and acquisitions, financing, employee relations, commercial transactions, intellectual property, construction development, and sales. His residential and commercial real estate practice includes sales, leasing, zoning, land use, oil and gas, environmental law and real estate, eminent domain and taxation.

Jo A.Tatarko focuses on Commercial Litigation, representing clients in the areas of breach of contract, lease disputes, construction disputes, business disputes, and all other aspects of business litigation. Jo devotes 90% of her practice to litigation. In 2007 when Jo first joined Dworken & Bernstein, she was as a member of our Workers’ Compensation practice group. She represented individuals who were injured at work, both at administrative hearings before the Industrial Commission of Ohio and in Common Pleas courts in Ohio.

Howard Rabb concentrates on estate, general business and bankruptcy matters. He regularly advises clients on business, estate and debt strategies. A lifelong Clevelander, he has a “Superb” AVVO rating.

Estate Planning: Howard’s practice involves an analysis of the goals of the client, an understanding of all relevant family relationships, and a comprehensive list of all of the clients assets. After obtaining this information, he will advise his clients as to whether a living trust or testamentary trust makes sense in order to address probate, distribution, or tax concerns. Typically, the estate planning will include wills, health-care power of attorney, living...

Jerry is a partner with Nager, Romaine & Schneiberg Co., L.P.A. and focuses his practice on the administration and litigation of workers’ compensation matters. Jerry has represented injured workers on thousands of matters before the Industrial Commission of Ohio. He also regularly is involved in the litigation and trial of workers’ compensation cases in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas as well as surrounding counties. In his fifteen years of practice, Jerry has successfully represented clients before the Tenth District and Eighth District Courts of Appeals. Jerry and his wife Kim have four children between the ages of thirteen...

Amanda Condon brings experience as an acting municipal court judge to her personal injury practice. She has earned a “Superb” AVVO rating and has been recognized as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in the U.S. Prior to joining Dworken & Bernstein in 2014, she worked at a small boutique firm specializing in personal injury. Amanda also previously served as a Magistrate in Lyndhurst Municipal Court, and from 2005 to 2012, was a prosecutor in Ashtabula County Eastern and Western County Courts. Amanda is currently an Acting Judge in Painesville Municipal Court.

This experience gives Amanda a unique perspective to...