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Longtime business attorney returns to Roetzel & Andress
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: July 12, 2012
Several years after he left to pursue other endeavors, attorney Jeff Leonard has returned to the Akron and Cleveland offices of Roetzel & Andress to resume his practice in the business services group.
“Jeff is one of the finest and most knowledgeable transactional attorneys in northeast Ohio,” said Bradley Wright, partner-in-charge of the Akron office. “He has a significant background in mergers and acquisitions, and he will bring a lot of depth to the area.
“We always look to bring in top notch talent to the Akron office, so when he became available it was a no-brainer to bring him back.”
The full service law firm has over 200 lawyers and offices in 13 cities, including Akron, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, as well as five in Florida, and one in Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.
Leonard first joined Roetzel & Andress in 2001 as a member of the business services group after working in the Columbus office of Baker & Hostetler, the Akron office of Brouse McDowell and serving as general counsel and head of business development at Main Street Gourmet.
In 2009, he left to take a position as general counsel at First Communications, continuing to serve as counsel at Roetzel until the end of the year. In 2010 he decided to go it alone, starting The Leonard Legal Group Co. LPA, where he focused on business and tax matters.
“It was both liberating and limiting at the same time,” said Leonard. “My focus is mergers and acquisitions and it requires a support system. I did have some contractual relationships with other lawyers, but in the end I decided I needed a larger platform.
“I had worked at Roetzel for eight years, and it was a great place with a lot of great people, so when I made the decision to return to a larger firm it was the logical place to go.”
An Ashland, Ohio native, Leonard received his juris doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Now a resident of Fairlawn, he is a member of both the Ohio and American bar associations and is a certified public accountant.
Leonard said his time away as well as his in-house work has proved to be invaluable, giving him a broader perspective of the legal profession.
“It is always good to have been both a client and an attorney,” said Leonard. “Being a consumer of legal services helps you see things from a client perspective.”
For now, Leonard said he plans to focus on growing the firm’s corporate practice and taking on challenging assignments.
“The business services group is one of the areas where the firm is placing an increased emphasis, so it should be an exciting time,” said Leonard.
He is currently vice chair and on track to become the chairperson of the board of trustees at the Akron Area YMCA next year.
“I have always been involved in the community, and the YMCA will be my main focus over the next two years,” Leonard said.