Login | May 14, 2024
Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick opens an Akron office
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: August 11, 2023
Toledo-based Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick has opened an Akron office after a team of experienced insurance recovery attorneys from Brouse McDowell joined the firm this spring.
On May 15, a group of 12 partners, associates, paralegals and an e-discovery manager officially began working at Shumaker.
Partners Amanda Leffler, P. Wesley Lambert, Lucas M. Blower and Stacy RC Berliner and associates Michael Class and Sarah Sears are all working in Akron, while partners Andrew Miller and Joseph Cole are located in Toledo, and of counsel Joseph Thacker is in Sarasota, Florida.
“Shumaker is a national firm with an incredible depth of bench in almost any practice area a business client could need,” said Leffler, who is the managing partner of the Akron office. “Joining the firm was an opportunity for us to grow the insurance recovery practice on a national level.
“Shumaker is very community focused and has a collaborative culture so it was a perfect fit for us.”
Located at 121 S. Main St., the Akron office is the firm’s 11th location in the U.S. and its third in the state of Ohio. In addition to Toledo, the firm also has an office in downtown Columbus.
“This acquisition is a significant step in our strategy to expand our presence in key practice areas, such as insurance recovery,” Columbus office managing partner Mike O’Callaghan stated in a press release. “We look forward to the growth opportunities that this expansion will bring as we continue to make a positive and impactful difference for our clients and the communities we serve.”
“As natural disasters, cyberattacks, and other catastrophic events continue to impact businesses, the demand for insurance recovery services has increased exponentially,” Jennifer Compton, chair of the management committee at Shumaker, stated in the release. “Our new colleagues bring a wealth of experience to our insurance recovery practice and are well-equipped to support our clients nationwide. We also are excited to expand our presence in Ohio with the addition of this excellent team.”
A native of Akron, Leffler received her bachelor’s degree in political science from The University of Toledo in 1999 and earned her juris doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law in 2002.
Leffler began her career as a summer associate at Brouse McDowell in 2001 and became an associate in 2002. She was promoted to partner in 2009.
During her more than 20 years at the firm, she focused on insurance recovery and complex commercial litigation.
From 2018 to 2022, she was a member of Brouse’s executive committee.
Leffler’s other leadership roles at the firm included serving as chair of the litigation and insurance recovery practice groups and the marketing committee. She was also a member of the hiring committee.
Leffler said she’s always enjoyed her work.
“I love helping our clients ensure they get the insurance coverage that they paid for,” said Leffler. “When a company experiences a large loss or faces a significant liability, it turns to its insurer for help.
“Unfortunately, insurers don’t always step up to the plate and it is incredibly rewarding to help our clients navigate a world that is often unfamiliar to them.”
A member of the Akron, Ohio State and American bar associations, Leffler previously served on the Akron Bar Association Board of Trustees and was an at-large member on the OSBA Board of Governors.
She is currently a co-chair of the American Bar Association Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee’s CGL Subcommittee.
She also chairs the board of Leadership Akron and is a board member at the Greater Akron Chamber, where she received a 30 for the Future award in 2009.
In addition, Leffler is a member of the distribution committee at the Sisler McFawn Foundation and serves on the boards of the Welty Family Foundation and the St. Sebastian Parish Foundation.
“I have grown as a professional, as a leader, and as a person as a result of my work in the community, and it has always been incredibly important to me to give back,” said Leffler. “Shumaker values service in the same way and its lawyers actively support nonprofits in each of our locations.
“I am thrilled to be with a firm that is so focused on being a true difference maker for our community.”
Blower primarily grew up in Medina County and obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science and his juris doctorate from The University of Akron.
He started his career in 2006 as a summer associate at Brouse McDowell, becoming a partner in 2015.
“Shumaker is a great fit for the next chapter of my practice,” said Blower, who focuses on insurance recovery and other general litigation. “I believe Shumaker will allow me to expand into new markets and help new clients.”
A member of the Akron and Ohio State bar associations, Blower serves on the OSBA’s Insurance Coverage Law Specialty Board and on the Summit County ADM (Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health) Services Board.
Blower, who graduated from Leadership Akron Signature Class 39 in June, is also a member of the Heart to Heart Leadership board.
“I believe it’s very important for attorneys to give back to their communities,” said Blower.
Berliner has spent her entire career handling insurance recovery matters on behalf of corporate policyholders.
Born and raised in Lorain, Ohio, she received her bachelor’s degree in political science from The College of Wooster and earned her juris doctorate from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
She began her career in 2003 as an associate in the Cleveland office of Calfee, Halter & Griswold.
Six years later, she started as an associate at the certified women-owned Ohio-based law firm Thacker Robinson Zinz (TRZ). She was later promoted to partner.
In the summer of 2018, TRZ combined with Brouse McDowell and Berliner became a partner in Brouse’s Insurance Recovery Practice Group.
“I enjoy insurance recovery work because I am able to help corporate policyholders in difficult times and assist them in obtaining insurance proceeds to get them back on their feet and demonstrate how best to protect their assets.
“There are not that many insurance recovery attorneys and being able to do what I love on a larger scale for more clients is very exciting.”
A member of the Ohio State and Cleveland Metropolitan bar associations, Berliner is the chair of the CMBA’s Insurance Law Section.
She’s also active in her local school organizations and activities and said she “looks forward to continuing to support the community.”
Raised in Cincinnati, Lambert attended The Ohio State University, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance, and earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2003.
Lambert began his career as an associate at a Cleveland firm where he primarily handled business and class action litigation.
He joined the Akron office of Brouse McDowell as a partner in December 2014, focusing on business and insurance litigation and general business counseling.
He’s now a member of Shumaker’s Litigation and Disputes Service Line and primarily handles insurance recovery and business/commercial litigation.
“The insurance recovery practice area offers me the chance to assist clients in maximizing the value of their insurance assets,” said Lambert. “I also enjoy representing clients in commercial business disputes and assisting them in resolving disputes using a pragmatic approach I have developed over years of practice.
“I really enjoy my work, which involves working through complex issues and gives me the opportunity to work with, and against, excellent lawyers on a national scale.”
A member of the Akron Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Insurance Law Section, Lambert serves on the Federal Bar Association Trial Academy Committee.
He’s also a member of the Judge John M. Manos American Inn of Court and serves on the boards of the Akron Children’s Museum and the American Red Cross (Greater Akron and the Mahoning Valley Chapter).
“I value giving back to the community and one of the things that was attractive about Shumaker is that the firm holds the same values,” said Lambert.