Meyers Roman Enhances Strategic Capabilities

 Cleveland, OH | November 10, 2020 – Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis is pleased to announce the addition of Nicholas C. York, Joseph M. Saponaro, Joni Todd, and Michael Scheiman. All four attorneys bring both legal and business leadership experience, enhancing the firm’s strategic capabilities offered to its clients. While many other law firms are scaling back their recruiting efforts and attorney rosters due to the effects of COVID-19, Meyers Roman continues to grow its team of attorneys, increasing headcount by 20% since January 2020.

“We are thrilled to have Nick, Joe, Joni and Michael join Meyers Roman,” said Seth P. Briskin, Managing Partner of Meyers Roman. “Beyond their legal experience, these four attorneys bring diverse professional backgrounds: Nick, a successful entrepreneur in a broad portfolio of industries and at national law firms; Joe, a former C-level executive for a private company; Joni, a former Director of Litigation, Assistant General Counsel; and Michael, a former financial industry Registered Representative. Our firm is well positioned for deliberate growth, adding strategic practices and leaders to better serve our clients and community. Meyers Roman continues to set itself apart from our competition – attracting top caliber attorneys while maintaining the entrepreneurial culture that has helped us serve as trusted advisors to our expanding client base.”

Nick York has spent his career at the intersection of business, law, and government working as an attorney, entrepreneur, and strategic business advisor to clients ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, universities, and national non-profit organizations. In addition to a 25+ year legal career in leadership roles at large law firms in Cleveland, Columbus, and Chicago, Nick has been an owner, investor, and director of several companies, including his existing holding company KASER Enterprises, LLC. The combination of Nick’s leadership experience and ownership roles provides him with a unique perspective, allowing him to deliver a higher level of value to clients. Joining Meyers Roman as a partner in the Business & Corporate Group creates the synergies and platform to enhance Nick’s efficiency and effectiveness in working with business advisory clients.

Nick’s prior professional leadership roles include being the founder and former Chair of the Public Law and Finance Group and former Chair of all Business Transactions practices at a major national law firm, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at the University of Akron, Vice Chair and board member of several well-known local business organizations including COSE, and board member of an organization championing entrepreneurship at the national level. He is currently president of Ohio Information Technology Association (OITA) – a statewide industry trade association – and an investor/partner in a renewable energy company, international business advisory firm, and information technology firm operating in the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America.

Nick has also served in leadership roles in a variety of community and non-profit organizations focused on improving the lives and conditions of the communities around him. He is a co-founder and board member of the Mindful Nation Foundation (MNF), which brings together the best in cognitive science, community leadership, and proven techniques to develop community programs to improve the lives of Veterans, Children, Teachers, Healthcare Providers, and Leaders.

Nick earned his law degree from Capital University Law School and his bachelor’s degree in political science from Ohio University.

Joseph Saponaro joins the Real Estate Group as a partner and brings more than 20 years of legal experience and leadership managing complex regional and national real estate transactions including acquiring, selling, leasing, financing, and developing commercial real estate at large national and global law firms and in-house at a major national real estate development firm. Prior to practicing law, Joe served as Chief Administrative Officer for a national, private company for over 10 years. He applies this firsthand C-level business experience and insight to advise clients as they address organizational and external challenges while implementing strategic objectives and managing daily operations.

In addition to his involvement in community and professional organizations, Joe is the past Chair of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) Real Estate Institute and current Vice Chair of the Retail Leasing Committee for the ABA Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section. He was named as an Established Leader to the CMBA 2018 Inaugural Leadership Academy further strengthening his leadership skills. Joe has also been selected by his peers as an Ohio Super Lawyer in the fields of real estate law and corporate law every year since 2017.

Joe earned his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, master’s degree in economics from Cleveland State University, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University.

As the newest partner in the Litigation Group, Joni Todd understands firsthand the importance of presenting practical advice that allows businesses to achieve their goals while minimizing risk. Having worked at law firms and as in-house counsel, she most recently served as the Director of Litigation and Assistant General Counsel of a publicly-traded company with more than 20,000 employees in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Joni was responsible for providing legal advice and guidance to all business areas on a wide range of legal issues and strategic initiatives including field operations, contract negotiations and disputes, consumer claims, media relations, and risk management.

Joni has represented consumer retail companies, title insurance companies, lending institutions, corporate entities, and individuals nationwide in mediations, hearings, depositions, trials, and arbitrations throughout here career. She has extensive experience counseling clients on labor and employment matters and investigating and defending companies in pending employee claims, class action and individual plaintiff litigation, arbitrations, and mediations. She has also represented clients in a wide variety of other legal matters including consumer, credit compliance, contract, and intellectual property claims, and litigation.

Joni was named a Rising Star in the 2010, 2012, and 2014 editions of Ohio Super Lawyers. She earned her law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University.

Michael Scheiman joins the Business & Corporate Group, focusing his practice on representing private equity firms, closely-held businesses, and public and privately held entities in domestic and cross-border transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, debt and equity financings, real estate and other strategic transactions, and other general corporate governance matters. He also assists clients with state, local, and federal tax issues, controversies, corporate acquisitions, dispositions, and tax-free reorganizations and restructurings, executive compensation matters, and tax-exempt organization matters.

Michael is a former Registered Representative, having earned his FINRA license (Series 7). Before practicing law, he was a CPA (inactive) focusing his practice on individual, corporate, and fiduciary taxation matters with firms in Chicago and Cleveland.

Michael earned his law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, a master’s degree in accounting and taxation from Cleveland State University, and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola University of Chicago.