Meyers Roman Continues to Grow

Meyers, Roman is pleased to announce the addition of Deanna DiPetta and Nicholas Hanek to the Divorce and Family Law Group, J. Breton (“Bret”) McNab to the Real Estate Group, Christine (“Tina”) Socrates to the Estate Planning & Probate Group, and Elizabeth Stark to the Business and Corporate Group

“This diverse group of talented attorneys brings tremendous depth of experience and client service to Meyers Roman,” said Seth Briskin, Managing Partner of Meyers Roman. ”We are excited about our continued growth and our ability to attract talent to best serve our clients.”

Photo of Deanna L. DiPetta

Veteran domestic relations attorney Deanna DiPetta, Partner, brings more than 33 years of experience handling divorce and dissolution, custody and visitation litigation, and adoption. She has a varied and deep understanding of the complexities involved with domestic relations law including negotiating and litigating a broad spectrum of financial issues such as dividing complex marital estates, investment properties, business interests, unusual investments, mineral rights, complicated retirement plans, and separate property issues.

Deanna is a Certified Mediator, former Professor of Domestic Relations Law at Notre Dame College, and makes frequent television appearances to discuss family law-related issues. She co-authored and lectured on “Planning for the Possibility of Divorce” and “Estate Planning and Asset Management Issues” for the Estate Planning Institute.

Deanna is a member of Judge4Yourself, Violence Against Women Act Committee, Legal Aid Society, and Cleveland Museum of Art Women’s Council. She is a mentor to young lawyers through the Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. She actively volunteers for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Pro Bono Clinics, and Hospice of the Western Reserve

Deanna earned her law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and undergraduate degree from Cleveland State University.

Photo of attorney Christine Sabio Socrates

Christine Sabio Socrates, Partner and Chair of the Estate Planning & Probate Group, possesses over 25 years of experience in estate planning and probate law representing individuals, families, professionals and business owners. Tina’s practice spans the spectrum from simple wills and powers of attorney to revocable trusts and complicated trust planning including wealth transfer, business succession, asset protection and minimizing tax liability. She works closely with her clients’ financial, insurance and accounting advisors in a team approach to ensure her clients’ goals are met and optimized.

Additionally, Tina has extensive experience in probate/trust administration, adoption and guardianship representing fiduciaries in several counties throughout the state of Ohio.

She is a member of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan and Ohio State Bar Associations. Tina earned her LLM (Taxation) from Case Western Reserve School of Law, J.D. from Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and B.A. from Boston College.

Photo of attorney Nicholas J. Hanek

Nicholas Hanek brings diverse domestic relations legal experience in both private practice and in public service. In addition to his experience in private practice, he served as an In-House Attorney for a child welfare agency, an Assistant Prosecutor, and a Special Prosecutor for multiple jurisdictions. Nick assists clients as they navigate issues in domestic relations and juvenile courts surrounding divorce, child custody, domestic violence, property division, child support, and spousal support. His practice also includes assisting adults and juveniles facing criminal allegations in Municipal, Common Pleas, and Juvenile Courts.

Nick is a Ward 2 Councilman for the City of Brunswick, Vice Chair, Board of Commissioners for Medina County Metropolitan Housing Authority, and mentor in the Supreme Court of Ohio Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program

Nick attended the University of Akron School of Law and Case Western Reserve University.

Photo of J. Breton McNab

J. Breton McNab concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, energy, oil and gas, and business and corporate. He has extensive experience representing energy clients in the acquisition and disposition of leasehold and mineral interests and drafting certified oil and gas title opinions. Bret has also litigated various real estate issues including Ohio’s Dormant Mineral Act and Marketable Title Act. His background as both a coal miner and a commercial credit analyst provides him a truly unique perspective among attorneys.

Bret is a member of the Neighborhood Development Committee for the Old Brooklyn CDC, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and former Board Member and Vice Chair of Governmental Affairs for NAIOP, Northern Ohio Chapter. He has been recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers as a 2021 Rising Star for Energy & Natural Resources and as a 2021 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for both Energy Law and Real Estate Law.

Bret earned his law degree from Ohio Northern University College of Law and his undergraduate degree from the College of Wooster.

Photo of attorney Elizabeth A. Stark

Elizabeth Stark’s practice spans a variety of real estate and corporate matters. She has extensive experience in cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology, specifically involving national and international government regulation and compliance.

Liz is a member of NAIOP, Northern Ohio Chapter, and the Cleveland Metropolitan, Ohio State, and American Bar Associations.

She earned her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Saint Louis University.