Beachwood Lawyers

Craig W. Smotzer’s career as an advocate for the accused began after his graduation from Cleveland State University’s Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Having been born and raised in the Cleveland area, and after his undergraduate education at The Ohio State University, he returned home to attend law school.

After becoming licensed to practice law in 2006, he set out to better serve those who have been accused of crimes, those who have been wrongly accused, and to defend the rights that each of us have been guaranteed by our Constitution. He has effectively represented many clients who have been charged with all...

With pride. I am a triple barred attorney in three states. Ohio, NY. and Florida for 52 years, still active in Ohio and Florida. I have had a number of famous cases and was honored to be chosen to close our WW II embassy in Bonn, Germany. I help people. Highly rated on Google and AVVO. I enjoy providing personal service to people. I am a Supreme Court Mentor and teach lawyers for several years. Lecturing around the country in my areas of practice to lawyers and on behalf of publications and at universities was a pleasure. Thank...

Elizabeth L. Perla is the owner and attorney with The Perla Law Firm, LLC where her main areas of practice are estate planning, elder law, probate, and family law. She has an overall client rating on Martindale.com of 5.0 out of 5.0. She is a frequent speaker for local groups as well as NBI at continual education seminars on issues of estate planning and probate. Elizabeth served on the Steering Committee for the Young Lawyer’s section of NAELA, the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys. Elizabeth is a member of the Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law sections of the...

Katherine “Katie” McCormick has been a law clerk at Elk & Elk since 2017. Before joining Elk & Elk, she served as a judicial extern to Judge Christopher A. Boyko at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. She also interned in the Juvenile Division of the Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office.

Karen is the owner of Hummel Law, LLC. She has been an attorney since 2012, and practices mainly in the area of family law. She also practices in the areas of juvenile law and estate planning. Karen graduated from Cleveland State University with a B.A. in English in 1997, and from The University of Akron School of Law with a J.D. Degree in 2012. Karen has over fifteen years of experience in the legal field. For eight years, she worked as a Legal Assistant then as a Law Clerk. She attended law school in the evenings. ...

Brad Wolfe Law, L.L.C. is a criminal defense law firm which handles alleged felonies and misdemeanors in federal, state, municipal, and juvenile courts across Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. The mission of Brad Wolfe Law, L.L.C. is to resolve serious legal matters with satisfaction, efficiency, and compassion. The practice areas of Brad Wolfe, L.L.C. include: - Internet & Computer Crimes - White Collar Crimes - Sex Crimes - Theft Crimes - Drug Crimes - Violent Crimes - Weapons Crimes - Traffic Offenses - DUI/OVI Offense - Judicial Release Services - Record Sealing & Expungement Attorney Brad Wolfe firmly believes that each case deserves powerful and creative advocacy, and that every client be afforded his...

Robert Gross has worked with Elk & Elk since 1992. He is one of the first attorneys in Ohio to be certified as a specialist in the field of workers' compensation. He is currently Of Counsel to Elk & Elk representing injured workers before the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Industrial Commission of Ohio.

Managing the careers of professional athletes and coaches.

I always knew I wanted to do something in consumer protection. I started my first career out of graduate school as a policy analyst in the Office Of Public Safety for The Mayor of The City Of Los Angeles. I helped increase the quality of life of 12 million Angelenos and did not know any of them. So, I decided to move back to Cleveland to help the people I grew up with, saw on a daily basis, shared interests and cares with, and came to know and call friend.

II went to law school to do just...

Ian Friedman is a partner at the law firm of Friedman & Nemecek, L.L.C., based in Cleveland, Ohio. He has earned a fierce reputation for successfully defending individuals and organizations in complex criminal and white collar matters. He is a frequent author and lecturer on matters related to criminal justice. He represents individuals and entities across the United States and has served as counsel in Europe, Asia, and South America.

Ian is the current President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and past-President of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He was the first lawyer to...

Neil is an AV rated Super Lawyer and Board Certified Employment law Specialist. He is a passionate, resourceful and tireless advocate who has represented individuals and companies in employment and business disputes for over 30 years.

Neil began his legal practice at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Cleveland in 1986. He practiced employment law with his own firm from 1993 until 2016, when he joined Elfvin, Klingshirn, Royer & Torch, LLC.

Neil's knowledge and experience work for his clients. "I grew up on a Lake Erie winery. There I learned hard work and the values I use today. I...

I am a trial attorney in Cleveland, Ohio. I primarily focus on real estate litigation and business litigation. I have experience with contract dispute resolution for companies large and small, and I have represented both landlords and tenants in housing matters. I have litigated cases at the trial court and appellate court levels on the State of Ohio, as well as both the Northern and Southern District Courts of Ohio and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. I have successfully moved to deny certiori before the Supreme Court of Ohio. I am focused on dispute resolution and resolving client matters as quickly...

Joseph Paulozzi is the founder of Paulozzi LPA Injury Lawyers. Backed by decades of combined legal expertise, Paulozzi LPA Injury Lawyers serves clients throughout Ohio and is one of the state's leading full-service injury law practices. With six offices across Ohio, including Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Akron, Cincinnati and Grafton, the firm's attorneys have achieved notable success and recovered millions of dollars in awards and settlements for their clients. They work tirelessly by advocating on behalf of those adversely affected by car, truck, and motorcycle accident injuries, dog bites, slip and falls, nursing home neglect, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and all...

For more than fifteen years, Kristina has protected and counseled clients during the most difficult periods in their lives. She has developed a sophisticated federal and state practice with a particular focus on internet-based crimes. Her experience is regularly enlisted for complex cases involving allegations of sexual assault, and she has worked on national defense teams representing students and executives facing prosecution in the United States and abroad. Kristina is also extremely adept at working with families and defending juveniles facing prosecution, particularly when the child has a physical or mental disability.

Kristina has achieved great success protecting students and...

David M. Benson is a long-time resident of Cleveland Heights and a practicing attorney since 1993. He has represented hundreds of Ohioans, most of them in bankruptcies on behalf of consumers and small businesses. He has extensive experience in counseling clients on the most advantageous alternatives relating to debt issues, including mortgage foreclosure defense, loan modifications, deeds in lieu of foreclosure and short sales. In addition to bankruptcy and foreclosure issues, Mr. Benson’s practice has included civil litigation arising from small business disputes, debt collection abuse, workplace injuries, disability, motor vehicle accidents and real estate matters. Mr. Benson is...