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Mallo Legal Clinic founder remembered
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: January 29, 2019
When attorney George D. Mallo agreed to take on a case, he prepared extensively, trying to anticipate any tactics or maneuvers that the opposition could present to discredit his arguments, while making sure that the client was aware of the best and worst case outcomes, said solo practitioner Eugene Elias.
Mallo mentored Elias, who was also his cousin when he first began practicing in the mid-1990s.
“George cared deeply about his clients and he gave each case his all, regardless of the person’s ability to pay,” said Elias. “He taught me so much about the law and what I learned continues to shape the way I practice today. Sometimes I feel as though he is still here with me in the office.”
On Dec. 15, 2018 Mallo, who practiced in Akron and Las Vegas, passed away peacefully at the age of 71 while surrounded by loved ones, after battling health problems for years.
“My husband had a heart of gold,” said his wife Joanna. “He loved his family, friends, the law and golf. He left an impression on everyone he met.
“We didn’t have children, but his niece, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephew viewed him as a father/grandfather figure. They all came to him for advice.”
Born in Akron on Nov. 3, 1947, he was the third of Offie and Rose Mallo’s five children.
He was named after his grandfather, who was one of the founders of the St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Akron. Mallo was a lifelong member of the church and offered his services as legal advisor.
Mallo grew up in Fairlawn and lived right across the street from Elias.
“Our fathers both came over from Lebanon,” said Elias. “George was my brother’s age and I was the little kid they used to take around with them. He was like a big brother to me.”
Mallo received his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University and his juris doctor from the school now known as Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law.
A longtime member of the Akron Bar Association, Mallo began his legal career as a solo practitioner, founding the Mallo Legal Clinic in the 1980s. Mallo also served as special counsel to former Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher for three years.
Mallo met his wife Joanna at an AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association) reverse church raffle. They were married on July 24, 1983.
“George had a great personality and sense of humor,” said Joanna.
“He had a brilliant command of the law and focused on using his law license to help people. That was the concept behind the legal clinic. He believed you should not have to be wealthy to see a lawyer. He would even pay the bus fares of some of his clients so they could get to his office. He never turned anyone away.”
In the mid-1990s Mallo was diagnosed with an Intramedullary spinal cord tumor, which left him neurologically paralyzed from the waist down.
“George made a comeback and through sheer will he was able to walk again with assistance, allowing him to continue practicing law and playing golf,” said Joanna.
While he was recuperating, Elias moved his practice into the law clinic, which had several locations at that time.
“I set up in the Portage Lakes office and George would call me every day and tell me what needed to be done,” said Elias. “He was very hands-on that way.
“Outside of the office, he was a ‘life of the party’ kind of guy, who always had good stories to tell. If he was at a party or bar, there would be a crowd gathered around him listening to his stories.
“He always made people feel good about themselves.”
Elias said he kept his office in the Portage Lakes location even after Mallo returned to work.
Mallo continued running the legal clinic while commuting back and forth between Ohio and Las Vegas, where he and Joanna owned a home.
He was also licensed to practice law in Nevada and around 2005 Mallo closed the legal clinic and moved to Las Vegas full time.
He became general counsel to his brother John’s business, Budget Rent a Car and Truck Rental of Las Vegas, a position that he continued to hold right up until his death.
Tom Mallo, who recently took over as president, said his uncle did a “fabulous job” for the company.
“My Uncle George was a very well respected lawyer and his knowledge and counsel had a major positive impact on the company. He had a way of getting everyone to look at things from different legal perspectives.
“He was a mentor to me personally,” said Tom. “We also spent a lot of time together outside of work. He loved to debate any topic and play the devil’s advocate to get you to see all points of view. We were very close.”
His wife Joanna said it was around the time that Mallo moved to Las Vegas that he had a relapse and needed to use his wheelchair all the time.
“In 2011, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, but he still kept going,” said Joanna. “The doctors called him a medical miracle.”
Attorney James Armstrong served as co-counsel on several of Mallo’s cases.
“I have known George since I started in private practice,” said Armstrong, a partner at Leipply & Armstrong. “George had a case in 2003 involving one of his regular clients before a judge with whom I had worked and he was looking for someone to assist on the case.
“He called Gerald Leipply to see if he could borrow me and we got along very well and ended up working on other cases together,” he said. “George had a lot of health problems that prevented him from getting around easily so I would appear in court for him.
“He was a brilliant lawyer. I used to joke with him that I did not understand why he spent money on the Revised Code {book} because he knew it all by heart.”
Armstrong said the last time he saw Mallo was in November 2006 when he traveled to Las Vegas to see him in order to complete a case.
“George was not doing very well,” Armstrong said. “I was very lucky to have him as an early mentor. He stressed that you have to read every line someone writes in a pleading or brief so you understand what it says and then double check the cases that are cited to make sure they support the claim.
“We also shared our Orthodox Christian faith, which we both valued greatly.”
Akron attorney Donald L. ”Doc” Walker said Mallo was always willing to answer a legal question or help out in any way that he could.
“He was the nicest guy you would ever want to meet,” said Walker. “He had a kind word and a smile for everyone. I was shocked when I heard that he passed away.”
A funeral service was held on Dec. 22, 2018 at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, followed by interment at Rose Hill Burial Park.
A celebration of life memorial also took place in Las Vegas on Jan. 13 at Canyon Gate Country Club.
Mallo is survived by his wife Joanna (Cerrone); siblings John, Teresa and Michael; nephews John Jr., Joe, Tom (Petra) and Ryan; niece Laurel as well as great-nieces and great-nephew Danielle, Alexandra, Vincent and Ella.
His parents Offie and Rose and his brother Larry preceded him in death.