According to Inside Business, the attorneys listed are part of a group considered to be “Northeast Ohio’s top legal minds.”  Only the top one percent of Northeast Ohio’s attorneys was selected for this honor.  All winners were nominated by colleagues outside their firms and chosen by a panel of their peers.  

Ulmer & Berne attorneys recognized this year include: 

Jeffrey Baddeley
Joseph A. Castrodale
Timothy J. Downing
Bill J. Gagliano
Frances Floriano Goins
James A. Goldsmith
Richard G. Hardy
Ronald H. Isroff
Marvin L. Karp
Craig S. Miller
Michael N. Ungar 

Ulmer & Berne, established in 1908, is a full-service Midwest regional firm with 175 attorneys in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Chicago.  Ulmer & Berne represents publicly traded and privately held companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, public bodies and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.ulmer.com. 

Detailed information on Ulmer & Berne’s “2010 Leading Lawyers” follows.

Jeffrey Baddeley has more than 20 years of experience representing debtors, financial institutions, landlords, equity investors, bondholders and other parties in restructuring matters.  He has experience in industries ranging from health care to construction, manufacturing, and automotive.  He has represented debtors, banks, commercial landlords, committees of unsecured creditors and purchasers of distressed assets in state and federal proceedings, receiverships and out-of-court restructurings. Mr. Baddeley has advised banks and credit card issuers with regard to state and federal law, including merchant agreements, Truth in Lending Act, Community Reinvestment Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act issues. Jeff has been named to both "The Best Lawyers in America" (Woodward/White) and "Ohio Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines. 

Joseph A. Castrodale, a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, represents numerous publicly traded companies and large privately-held businesses, with his practice focusing on complex commercial litigation and class action litigation in courts and other tribunals throughout the country.  Mr. Castrodale has been named to “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White), “Ohio Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines, and “Leading Lawyers” by Chambers USA which described him as “creative and passionate” on clients’ behalf. 

For more than 20 years, Timothy J. Downing has been helping companies develop and implement policies to attract top employees, protect their confidential information, resolve conflicts with suppliers and vendors and when necessary, defend companies when sued either by vendors or suppliers or employees who claim to have been discriminated against on the basis of age, race, sex, disability or sexual orientation.  He also advocates on their behalf in the halls of Congress and in the Ohio statehouse.  In addition to being named a “Leading Lawyer” by Inside Business magazine for the past six years, Mr. Downing also has been named an “Ohio Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines.  He is a frequent speaker before, and leader in, many state and national professional associations and serves in leadership positions on the Boards of Directors of many local and national organizations, including the Cleveland Film Society, the Great Lakes Theater Festival, the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio and the Human Rights Campaign. 

Bill J. Gagliano chairs the Firm’s Real Estate Group and for close to 30 years has represented private and publicly held property owners, contractors, real estate developers, as well as non-profit and governmental entities.  Mr. Gagliano’s expertise includes construction law, affordable housing, real estate development, property taxation and abatement, and leasing.  In the corporate  area, he concentrates on general business counseling.  Mr. Gagliano’s litigation practice focuses on property ownership disputes, title insurance litigation, construction claims and leasing matters.  He has served as Vice-Chair of the Red Cross National Board of Governors.   In addition to being named a “Leading Lawyer” by Inside Business, he has been recognized as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers” by Chambers USA, an “Ohio Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines, and was named to the “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White). 

Frances Floriano Goins is recognized for her representation of businesses in corporate governance, disclosure, compliance matters, and internal and regulatory investigations.  She assists clients in complex business disputes in the areas of securities, governance, shareholder rights, D&O liability and commercial banking.  Ms. Goins has successfully defended numerous public companies in derivative and class shareholder suits, and has managed hostile control contests involving public and private companies.  She chairs the Developments Subcommittee of the ABA Business Law Section Committee on Director and Officer Liability and is an author of Best Practices in Securities Litigation, published by Aspatore Books.  Ms. Goins also chairs Ulmer & Berne’s Financial Services Industry Group.  She was named by Cleveland Magazine as a Top Gun litigator, and was named an International Legal Professional of the Year in 2004.  She has also been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White) and recognized as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines. 

James A. Goldsmith chairs the Firm’s Trusts and Estates Group and has more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of trust and estate planning and administration and succession planning.  His expertise also includes taxation, employee benefits and corporate law.  Mr. Goldsmith is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and a member of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland. In addition to being recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” by Inside Business magazine, Mr. Goldsmith has been named an “Ohio Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines, and has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White). 

Richard G. Hardy is chair of the Firm’s Corporate Restructuring & Creditors’ Rights Group and has more than 25 years’ experience representing debtors, financial institutions and other parties in restructuring matters.  His concentration includes commercial law and bankruptcy law.  His Chapter 11 and workout experience includes representing debtors, banks, commercial landlords, committees of unsecured creditors and purchasers of distressed assets. He is certified as a specialist in business bankruptcy law by the American Board of Certification.  Mr. Hardy has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White) and “Ohio Super Lawyers” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines. 

Ronald H. Isroff chairs Ulmer & Berne’s Employment and Labor Law Group.  Mr. Isroff’s 40 years of experience includes complex business litigation, employment and labor law, disputes involving trade secrets, unfair competition and non-competition agreements and intellectual property disputes.  He also has extensive experience in mediating employment, business and intellectual property disputes.  Mr. Isroff is a founding member of the Employment Law Inns of Court; was appointed to the Federal Court Panel of Mediators (Northern District of Ohio); and was also appointed as a Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Mediator. In addition to being named a “Leading Lawyer” by Inside Business magazine, Mr. Isroff has been named an “Ohio Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines, and has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White). 

Marvin L. Karp has more than 45 years of trial and appellate experience in business, corporate and insurance litigation, and has been listed in every edition of “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White) since 1983.  He is also named a “Leading Lawyer” in the field of litigation by Chambers USA.  Mr. Karp has been recognized as a Top 100, Top 50 and Top 10 “Super Lawyer” in the state of Ohio by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a Life Member of the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.  In 2004, Mr. Karp received the American ORT Jurisprudence Award for his many contributions to the legal profession and the community.  In 2007, he received The Ohio Bar Medal for “unusually meritorious service to the legal profession and the community.” 

Craig S. Miller chairs Ulmer & Berne’s Public Law Group and has over 30 years of experience that integrates public law/public contracts/government relations, urban redevelopment and financing, construction law, zoning and land use, and non-profit corporations. He assists companies with corporate headquarters relocation projects involving complex public and private financing.  He also advises private developers and companies on historic rehabilitation and new construction projects.  Mr. Miller represents local and regional public agencies in public law matters. He also counsels in real estate and eminent domain.  He was a former Director of Law for the City of Cleveland.  In addition to being named a “Leading Lawyer” by Inside Business, Mr. Miller has been recognized as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers” by Chambers USA and an “Ohio Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines. 

Michael N. Ungar chairs the Firm’s Litigation Department and currently serves as President-Elect for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.  His national business litigation practice encompasses a broad range of general business disputes, with a focus on commercial, banking, securities and broker-dealer matters, including arbitrations, class actions and other types of complex litigation.  Mr. Ungar also frequently serves as a mediator and arbitrator in business disputes.  In addition to being named a “Leading Lawyer” by Inside Business magazine, Mr. Ungar has been recognized as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” and as one of the “Top 10” attorneys in Ohio by his peers in Law & Politics and Cincinnati magazines. He has also been included in “Best Lawyers in America” (Woodward/White) and recognized by Chambers USA as a “Leading Lawyer.”

Ulmer & Berne, established in 1908, is a full-service Midwest regional firm with 175 attorneys in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Chicago.  Ulmer & Berne represents publicly traded and privately held companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, public bodies and nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.ulmer.com.

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