Independence Lawyers

Attorney Brandon Henderson founded his own law firm, Brandon J. Henderson Co. L.P.A., in 2003 after his experience working for a multitude of law firms during law school. HMW is comprised of our two partners: Brandon Henderson and Justin Weatherly. Attorneys Brandon Henderson and Justin M. Weatherly lead our criminal defense team. They exclusively focus on criminal defense law and have dedicated their careers to pursuing justice for their clients. At HMW Law - Ohio Trial Attorneys, we can provide the legal representation you need for your criminal or personal injury case. Our team recognizes the profound effects a legal matter...

Michael Pelagalli is highly skilled in the area of Internet defamation. His work is on the technological forefront of removing damaging content from the Internet, combatting cyber-attacks, and uncovering the identity of anonymous Internet users. Michael assists clients in securing the removal of damaging content from hundreds of websites across the Internet.

Martin Bielat LLC was founded on the idea of providing valuable legal solutions for environmental and real estate issues. The firm, started in 2019 by Martin Bielat, Esq., focuses on two key areas of law – environmental and real estate – but also takes clients in a wide variety of other practice areas like collections, business management, and estate planning.

Nestled in the innovative Cleveland-Marshall Solo Practice Incubator near Playhouse Square, Martin Bielat LLC prides itself on working conjunctively with its clients in order to illuminate the best solution. The firm recognizes that all cases are unique and that sometimes arriving...

Scott focuses on Wage & Hour litigation, ERISA claims, personal injury, and medical malpractice. His pragmatic, attentive, and aggressive approach to all cases has helped build his successful reputation, being selected to the Rising Stars list 2012-2017 and Super Lawyers 2019-2022. Scott was awarded the Best Lawyer Award in 2023. Scott is a lifelong Clevelander who loves this city and treasures his ability to represent people across the Greater Cleveland Area. His mother’s parents were Holocaust survivors and his parents instilled in him the value and need to fight for the little guy. He does this every day in his work....

I am an AV-Preeminent attorney in Cleveland, Ohio, with 28 years experience as a civil litigation and trial lawyer. I focus my practice on discrimination, overtime, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and employee rights generally. I also represent businesses in commercial litigation matters. I am a dedicated, passionate advocate for people whose employment and civil rights have been violated. I believe that people need a lawyer who will level the playing field in disputes with their employer and the government. In addition to my practice, I am an adjunct Professor Law at Cleveland State University. I received a...

Peter H. Weinberger is a managing partner at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber. In 2013, he was selected as Lawyer of the Year in Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs by Best Lawyers in America®. He was also voted Lawyer of the Year for Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs in 2012. He is one of Ohio’s Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers Association. He is admitted to practice in the Ohio Supreme Court, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 4th and 6th Circuit U.S. Courts of Appeals, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr....

Since 2005, Nicole Fiorelli has successfully represented numerous clients in consumer class action and wage and hour litigation. She has taken on the government and large national corporations in cases in Ohio and throughout the United States. She handles a wide range of claims including minimum wage and overtime violations, consumer fraud and statutory violations, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment.

A few of Nicole Fiorelli’s career highlights include:

Obtained a six-figure verdict against a national fitness club chain that failed to pay overtime to some of its employees and ultimately negotiated a favorable settlement for the class;
Defeated summary judgment...

Katie became a personal injury and medical malpractice attorney because she worked on the other side of these cases and learned how she wanted to use her talents. She wanted to help people and fight for them, not work for large insurance companies figuring out the least amount of money to pay someone facing a catastrophic loss. Katie is intelligent, compassionate, and a fierce advocate for her clients who treat them with kindness and empathy while always fighting for their best interests. When she’s not in the office, Katie loves traveling with her husband, reading and writing, and spending time with...

As a property tax attorney, Robert (“Kip”) has extensive experience in the area of property tax litigation, and related matters. For nearly 25 years, he has handled property tax matters in all 88 Ohio counties and in various jurisdictions throughout the country. In addition, Kip has represented clients in civil, business and family law disputes inclusive of litigating cases and arguing appeals in the Courts of Common Pleas, Appellate District Courts, Federal District Courts and the Supreme Court of Ohio. Recently, Kip successfully argued and established legal precedent in favor of Ohio taxpayers in Groveport Madison Local Schools Bd. of...

While many attorneys will state that they practice law throughout the State of Ohio, Attorney Hux is likely part of a much smaller amount of attorneys who have actually lived in the Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland areas. This means that Attorney Hux actually knows the people of Southwestern Ohio, Central Ohio, and Northeast Ohio, in addition to the unique challenges each region brings.

Attorney Hux’s desire to help those in need has always been a cornerstone of his identity. That desire to help people, coupled with an innate ability to connect with people from all walks of life, has led...

Jacqueline Greene joined Friedman & Gilbert in February 2014. Jacqueline’s civil rights practice focuses primarily on police and prison/jail misconduct, wrongful convictions and wrongful imprisonment, and other government misconduct.

Jacqueline also provides criminal defense representation in federal, state, and municipal criminal cases.

In addition, Jacqueline serves as Co-Coordinator for the Ohio Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. In this capacity, Jacqueline recruits and organizes pro bono criminal defense attorneys for political criminal cases in the Greater Cleveland area, defends protesters herself, and represents the NLG in civil litigation. Jacqueline also trains and organizes NLG Legal Observers (who observe law enforcement conduct at...

Subodh (rhymes with “abode”) Chandra (rhymes with “tundra”) is the founding and managing partner of The Chandra Law Firm LLC. Chandra’s practice focuses on high-profile civil and appellate litigation, including civil-rights, employment, and business litigation; and on internal investigations and white-collar-criminal law, in both federal and state courts. The litigation that Chandra handles often has a crisis-communications, public-policy dimension.

Before founding the firm, Chandra served as Director of Law of the City of Cleveland, a billion-dollar corporation. Chandra led the work of an 82-lawyer department with both criminal and civil divisions. He also sometimes served as the City’s acting...

Matthew S. Flemming joined the Hoffman Legal Group in December 2013 after passing the Ohio State Bar Examination in November 2013. Due to his recognition within the legal community, Matthew was named an Ohio Rising Star in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 which is an award issued to only the top 2.5% of attorneys under the age of 40 in Ohio.

Matthew was born and raised in Northeast Ohio, graduating from Solon High School in 2005. In order to prepare himself for the challenges of guiding clients through the legal system, Matt enrolled in the University of Akron's School...

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...

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.

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.

Erika provides estate planning counsel to families and assists families in various aspects of elder law, including long term care planning and Medicaid planning. Erika has now translated that global experience into advocating for and counseling individuals and families in Northeast Ohio. Erika received her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2005 and her J.D. from the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in 2009. She is an active member of the Latvian community, participating in various local and national Latvian social and cultural organizations. She resides locally with her family in Chagrin Falls,...

Vania Stefanova is the head of the Immigration Litigation Division at Herman Legal Group, providing services in removal/deportation defense and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals. An immigrant from Bulgaria, Vania has over 20 years of experience in immigration law. Throughout her successful career, she has handled matters in all areas of immigration law. From family-based immigration such as relative and fiancé petitions – to business/employment and investment immigration (e.g. E, L, R visas, EB1/2 immigrant petitions) – to naturalization, Vania works tirelessly to give our clients the best advice and outcomes possible.

Howard Skolnick has always focused his firm on communicating effectively and timely with his clients, while fighting aggressively for the best results against insurance companies. Following a serious accident in a third world country, Howard felt the pains of his clients all too well as went through the long hard battle to recovery and life after the accident. For thirty years, Howard, an invited member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, has zealously represented seriously injured clients in both State and Federal Courts, litigating cases involving a variety of causes of action, such as wrongful death, birth/brain injuries, medical malpractice, nursing...

Susan’s unique background in technology, privacy, advocacy, and justice allows her to provide a holistic perspective to effectively handle defamation law matters for her clients. Prior to joining Minc Law, Susan worked in the Special Investigations Division of the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office where she was involved with the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, and the Cold Case Unit. There, she gained invaluable experience understanding the investigative process and managing cases involving traumatic events. As a clerk for the Supreme Court of Ohio, she helped address complex and novel issues of law. During...

Shelley Fleming is currently focused on Consumer Class Actions, as well as claims pertaining to wage and hour laws, employment discrimination, and domestic relations issues. She conducts in-depth research on consumer protection claims and laws nationwide, and also drafts motions and appellate briefs. Prior to joining the firm, Shelley served as a Staff Attorney at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. In that position, she had the opportunity to conduct case management conferences, pre-trials, and settlement conferences. She attended civil and criminal trials and motion hearings. She drafted orders and opinions on discovery disputes, motions to dismiss and summary...

Personal Injury Litigation. Car Accidents. Truck Accidents. Slip and Fall. Dog Bites. Bad-Faith Insurance.

Kim Alabasi has practiced in the area of Immigration since 2004. Notably, Ms. Alabasi speaks Spanish fluently. She earned her undergraduate degree in Spanish/Sociology from Marquette University and later went on to work in Mexico, first as a teacher in Puebla, Mexico for two years, followed by a job with the non-profit group IMIFAP in Mexico City, Mexico. Ms. Alabasi worked for 7 years as bilingual clinical social worker with the Hispanic Unit of the Center for Families & Children in Cleveland prior to obtaining her law degree in 2003 and starting Alabasi & Associates in 2006. Ms. Alabasi...

Irving Rosner is the head of Dworken & Bernstein’s Workers’ Compensation Department which helps the Firm’s clients who are injured at work. Prior to joining Dworken & Bernstein in 1986, Mr. Rosner was a trial attorney and prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division, in Washington, D.C. and in Cleveland, Ohio. In Mr. Rosner’s seven year stint (1979-1986) at the Justice Department, he tried complex cases against some of the nation’s finest litigators. Meticulous planning, preparation, and strong advocacy were essential traits that Mr. Rosner brought with him to Dworken & Bernstein when he...

John Colan has a profound appreciation for the concepts of fairness and equity. His passion for ethics and doing right by clients helps him effectively advocate for plaintiffs who have been wronged by another person or business’s actions. (John even taught Ethics and Legal Issues at a technical college from 2014 to 2016.) One of his early positions was in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office, where he aggressively sought to hold criminals accountable for the suffering they inflicted on their victims (he maintained a 99.8 percent conviction rate on more than 1,000 crimes as an Assistant Prosecutor in the General Felony...

Erik L. Walter is a bold advocate for business clients in the areas of environmental law, oil and gas, commercial transactions, zoning and litigation for both individuals and corporations. He sits on numerous nonprofit boards in the community. Prior to joining Dworken & Bernstein Co., L.P.A., Erik was a shareholder with the law firm of Knaggs, Harter, Brake & Schneider, P.C. located in Lansing, Michigan. Prior to joining Knaggs, Harter, Brake & Schneider, P.C. in 1999, Erik served for nearly three years as the law clerk for the Honorable William E. Collette in the Ingham County Circuit Court located...

My goal in family law, divorce, child custody and related matters is to prevent problems and resolve issues in ways that cause the least conflict and cost for my clients. I welcome people who want to understand and have a voice in their case. Why? Participation is essential to constructively settling issues and moving forward in a positive direction. After thirty years in practice --more than seven of them as a trial magistrate hearing family law cases-- I offer strong advocacy and thorough knowledge of how the law and the courts work. In addition, I have an intense commitment to children's...

Patrick Murphy is a seasoned personal injury litigator with extensive experience in nursing home abuse, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. Time and again Patrick has been recognized as one of the top personal injury lawyers in his field.

Mr. Murphy received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from Kent State University. He was awarded his law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law where he was a vice chairman of the Moot Court Board of Governors.

He has been designated as an Ohio Super Lawyer, and one of the top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers since 2011. In...

Brenden Kelley, a seasoned litigator and dedicated attorney, is committed to delivering the highest caliber of legal representation to his clients, marked by honesty and affordability. Behind his boyish grin lies a remarkable journey that has shaped him into the lawyer he is today. Brenden’s legal lineage runs deep. Born into a family of legal professionals, he was groomed from a young age to follow in his parents’ footsteps. His father, Michael V. Kelley, was a distinguished trial lawyer known for championing the rights of Ohio Steelworkers. His mother, Lynn Arko Kelley, served as a former Cleveland Heights Municipal Court Judge...

DON HOWARD ,Esq. Juris Doctor. Marshall Law School 1977 Ohio Bar 1977 U S District Court Northern Ohio plus 2nd and 6th Circuit of the U S Court of Appeal Civil and Criminal Law No charge for initial consultation. Personal Injury - Probate - Family Law 216 849 - 4604 Office Shaker Hts. Ohio Will interview by Zoom or FaceTime after initial phone call. All major credit cards. No initial fees on personal injury or probate cases. LOCATION: (intersection of...

Jonathan T. Hyman is a partner and litigation attorney at Kohrman Jackson & Krantz P.L.L. in Cleveland, Ohio. Jon concentrates his practice in the representation of businesses in employment and labor disputes and counseling companies on various employment issues. He has written and lectured extensively on myriad employment law issues, including the FMLA, sexual harassment, discrimination, wage and hour issues, and background checks. Jon has been regularly interviewed and quoted by the local and national media on employment matters, including the National Law Journal, Business Insurance Magazine, Crain’s Cleveland Business, Inside Counsel, and Lawyer’s USA. He is also a member...

Mr. Kraus graduated from Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) in 1981 with a B.A. in Political Science. He received his law degree in 1984 from Case Western Reserve University School of Law (Cleveland, Ohio). He practiced law in a small family firm, Kraus & Kraus, from 1984 until 2000. In 2000, Mr. Kraus joined Dworken & Bernstein as an associate attorney and in July 2003, was made a partner in the firm. He has been a member of the Lake County Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Florida Bar. Mr. Kraus has also served as a mediator with...

Sanford A. Meizlish attended law school and graduated from Capital University Law School in 1979. Sanford Meizlish began practicing law in 1979.

Sanford Meizlish is an attorney at Barkan Meizlish, LLP, helping people with Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff issues. Barkan Meizlish, LLP has an office in Columbus, Ohio, serving the local community.

Sanford Meizlish was selected to Super Lawyers for 2009 - 2020. Super Lawyers is an exclusive list of top-rated attorneys in specific practice areas who were chosen after thorough evaluation of numerous criteria.

In addition to addressing Personal Injury - General: Plaintiff legal needs, he also assists clients with Personal...

Jerome Emoff received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in 1970, and his Juris Doctorate from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1974. Mr. Emoff is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the Ohio Supreme Court, and all other courts in the state of Ohio. Mr. Emoff concentrates his practice exclusively in all aspects of criminal litigation including federal and state cases at both the trial level and...

For fifteen years, I have been actively involved in environmental law, both as an attorney and as a regulator. I am a partner at the law firm of Frantz Ward in Cleveland and head the firm’s environmental practice. I represent businesses in all areas of federal and state environmental law, including laws governing hazardous waste clean up, brownfield redevelopment, solid waste, water, wetland and air regulation. Prior to joining Frantz Ward, I was in the senior management of Ohio EPA, holding the positions of Director, Assistant Director and Chief Legal Council. I also worked in the Ohio Attorney General's Office...

Grant Keating is a partner practicing in the firm’s Business and Commercial Litigation department. He employs a pragmatic approach to litigation and has successfully represented a wide variety of businesses and individuals at trial, appeal and in ADR. Grant has extensive experience in the following areas of law: banking and loan restructuring, breach of contract, Clean Water Act, commercial lease disputes, construction disputes, creditor’s rights, defamation, director and officer liability, e-commerce, employment disputes, environmental litigation, foreclosures, international discovery assistance pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §1782, mechanic’s liens, minority shareholder rights, Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act R.C. 1345.01 et. seq., professional negligence,...

Since 1991, Ken Cahill has been practicing family law, working toward outcomes that are in the best interest of families and children. Ken is a noted speaker on issues of family law and serves as chair of the Family Law Committee. Protecting dependent, neglected and abused children was the role of Family Law attorney Kenneth J. Cahill at the Lake County Prosecutor’s Juvenile Division representing the Lake County Department of Jobs & Family Services. Practicing Family Law since 1991, Ken started first as an Assistant Lake County Prosecutor enforcing and modifying child support orders before joining the Lake County...