While Tanja has extensive experience in the litigation of complex family law cases, she firmly believes in the utilization of creative divorce resolution methods (including the collaborative divorce model and mediation). Tanja has successfully completed Professional Mediation Training provided by the Ohio Supreme Court, including Specialized Family and Divorce Mediation Training. She has fully satisfied the requirements established by the Supreme Court of Ohio Dispute Resolution Section under Rule 16 of the Rules of Superintendence to serve as a domestic relations and family law mediator in all Ohio Courts. In addition, Tanja has extensive experience in guiding clients through the "no court" option of collaborative divorce.
Child Support
Tanja Holecek heads the family law practice at the Cleveland law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan. She provides personalized, compassionate assistance and guidance in premarital and post-marital issues, including divorce, dissolution, child support and spousal support, and other sensitive family law matters. She also has deep experience in cases involving children’s issues, including child support, custody, and visitation matters for unwed parents.
Child Custody and Visitation
Tanja also represents clients in cases involving children's issues, including custody and visitation matters for unwed parents. Additionally, she provides customized legal workshops to professional athletes, offering family law guidance and insight.
Adoption
Paternity
Premarital Agreement
Guardianship
Our experienced attorneys also will help you understand the guardianship process in probate court. If a loved one is in need of a legal guardian due to diminished mental or physical capacity, we will work with you to set up the guardianship and assist throughout the administration process.
Spousal Support
Cleveland family law attorney Tanja Holecek has over 30 years of experience in the practice of family law, offering her clients personalized, compassionate assistance and guidance in pre-and post-marital issues. Her expertise includes divorce, dissolution, collaborative divorce and mediation, child support and spousal support, and other sensitive matters.
Juvenile Delinquency cases involve criminal or unruly conduct by a person under the age of 18. While a person under the age of 18 can be charged with the same crimes as an adult, the focus of the juvenile justice system is to rehabilitate juvenile offenders rather than to strictly punish the offender. We provide experienced representation in defending juveniles involved in criminal matters, while looking for solutions to rehabilitate and prevent future transgressions.
DUI/DWI
We defend individuals charged with misdemeanor crimes, including traffic violations, OVI/DUI, driving under suspension, domestic violence, assault, underage consumption of alcohol, and more.
Wrongful Death
Traffic Violations
Moving violations can lead to expensive fines and points on your driver’s license. These points can result in higher insurance premiums and even a suspended driver’s license. We will defend those facing traffic violations and help reinstate a driver’s license or obtain driving privileges for those facing a driver’s license suspension.
Burglary
We aggressively represent individuals charged with felonies, including drug trafficking, drug abuse, multiple OVI/DUI offenses, assault, theft, burglary, and more.
Bridey advises and counsels clients on a wide variety of civil issues, including municipal and public law, employment law, administrative law, zoning, real estate, and corporate law. Bridey has prosecuted enforcement actions and defended numerous clients in litigation, has prepared contracts, lease agreements, memoranda of understandings, and other legal documents for individuals, businesses, and public clients. She has litigated in numerous state and federal courts and has practiced before administrative agencies, like the Ohio Court of Claims, the State Personnel Board of Review, and the Board of Tax Appeals. Bridey is the Secretary of the Geauga Bar Association, as well as Chair of the Fee Disputes Committee and member of the Courts Committee. She is a resident of Bainbridge Township with her husband, Matt, and their two sons, Finn and Colm.
Mergers and Acquisitions
We understand that every business transaction is different and our attorneys bring well-honed legal skills, carefully crafted agreements, and, when needed, creative thinking to get the deal done. Whether you are involved in a merger, acquisition or business purchase, or preparing for the sale or divestiture of your business, we focus on identifying the appropriate structure for the transaction, spotting potential issues and devising strategies to overcome them. We work to negotiate agreements that balance the size and complexity of the transaction with the needs of our clients. We seek to identify risk, both anticipated and unanticipated, and advise our clients on ways to structure transactions that balance the need to minimize that risk with the need to move forward. We also assist clients with the dissolution, liquidation and winding down of an entity that has ceased operations.
Business Formation
Vitale, a Hudson resident, joined the firm in 2007. He handles a variety of real estate and business-related matters, including real estate development, business formation and organization, residential subdivision development, commercial leasing, bank financing and property tax appeals. He represents homeowner and condominium associations on various issues including corporate compliance and collections. Vitale also serves as outside general counsel for one of the largest concrete contracting companies in Ohio, handling a broad range of matters including corporate compliance, liens, civil litigation, bonding succession planning, bank financing, and business collections.
Business Disputes
Collins has been actively engaged in litigation practice for more than 30 years in a wide variety of industries common to the State of Ohio. He has been first chair in numerous jury trials to conclusion, bench trials and arbitration proceedings in a wide variety of commercial and business law cases. He has represented class representatives and opt out plaintiffs in major federal antitrust class action cases in Ohio and California. He has served as receiver and counsel to a receiver in more than 50 state court cases in recent years, where he managed and sold and/or acted as counsel for a national wholesale lumber business, a regional airport fixed base operation, downtown Cleveland office towers and store fronts, and dozens of commercial and residential structures. He is designated under loan documents to serve as the operator of a Northeast Ohio marijuana grower upon specified events. While a trial lawyer by trade, Tim enjoys blending his legal skills with business issues to achieve efficient solutions for clients, or for courts requiring a receiver or a liquidating trustee.
Business Transactions
Our lawyers have significant experience handling all facets of business and corporate law, from entity formation to complex business transactions. We work with companies big and small, in diverse industries. We understand and work to balance the competing needs of investors, managers, lenders and equity owners. We counsel clients on a wide range of business matters, from general day-to-day business operations to contract negotiation, equity financing and restructuring, joint ventures, tax issues and financing. We take a proactive approach to advising our corporate clients by helping them evaluate risk, negotiate and develop effective strategies and accomplish their business objectives. Many of our clients engage us as outside general counsel to assist with company issues on a regular basis, including guidance on corporate formalities, contract drafting and negotiation, employment matters and dispute resolution.
Limited Liability Companies
He is a recognized litigator in Ohio and has handled litigation throughout the United States on behalf of corporate clients. He obtained a jury verdict in excess of $8 million dollars after a month-long trial in the Northern District of Ohio on a breach of contract case. In addition, he obtained a judgment on behalf of a note holder against borrowers and guarantors in excess of $6.3 million. Spellacy has extensive experience and knowledge in business divorce litigation involving partnerships, limited liability companies and other business entities.
Trade Secrets
Intellectual Property
We also represent clients involved in intellectual property disputes and litigation, helping resolve or litigate issues of infringement, trademark oppositions and cancellations, and trade secret and unfair competition violations.
Unfair Competition
Antitrust
Elizabeth Collins has broad commercial litigation experience in both state and federal court. She practices commercial litigation, class action litigation, antitrust litigation, probate litigation, employment litigation, foreclosure litigation, construction litigation and receiverships.
Chris has extensive experience in the field of alternative dispute resolution. He routinely serves as a court appointed arbitrator and hassuccessfully completed Professional Mediation Training as provided by the Ohio Supreme Court. Chris also serves as a mediator for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and regularly acts as a private mediator in workplace disputes involving claims of discrimination, harassment and wrongful discharge.
Employment Discrimination
Hicks advises businesses on a broad range of issues including labor and employment matters, operational issues, and transactions. He litigates matters for business clients in state and federal court, including cases involving wrongful termination, employment discrimination, misappropriation of trade secrets, violations of non-compete agreements, shareholder disputes and other business issues. He represents businesses in wage and hour investigations as well as health and safety investigations. He also defends charges of discrimination filed with the EEOC and state agencies. Hicks also has significant experience in the acquisition, development, leasing and sale of commercial properties. He joined the firm in 1994 and became a Principal in 2001. He and his wife and three sons reside in Bainbridge Township.
Employment Litigation
Elizabeth Collins has broad commercial litigation experience in both state and federal court. She practices commercial litigation, class action litigation, antitrust litigation, probate litigation, employment litigation, foreclosure litigation, construction litigation and receiverships. She served as counsel for the receiver of the John Hartness Brown (JHB) building in downtown Cleveland, the Westin hotel in downtown Cleveland, and several other businesses, hotels, commercial and residential properties throughout Ohio. While in law school, Liz was an intern for Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor of the Supreme Court of Ohio and an extern for Judge Patricia A. Gaughan of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Liz was also the executive editor for the Journal of Law and Health and was a member of the National Moot Court team. She recently spent two years devoted to federal multi-district litigation practice in Washington, D.C.
Simple or complex real estate issues can arise at any time. Our firm has a long and distinguished history of representing clients in real estate matters dating back to our founding in 1931. Today, we remain one of Northeast Ohio’s premier firms handling real estate matters.
Premises Liability
We represent clients against those who allow dangerous conditions to exist on their property. These cases may involve, but not be limited to, slippery floors, inadequate security, unprotected construction and amusement park accidents.
Construction Litigation
Wheelock guides numerous corporate clients through a variety of business issues, including company formation, risk management, transactional matters, acquisitions and sales. He handles many construction law matters, from contract negotiations to litigation. His practice includes real estate transactions and development involving both residential and commercial properties. He has significant experience in assisting both individuals and businesses in the development of estate plans and succession plans. Wheelock provides probate and trust administration for all types of estates. He, along with his wife and two boys, is a resident of Parkman Township in Geauga County.
Real Estate Transactions
Listati, a resident of Willoughby Hills, joined the firm and became Managing Principal of the Cleveland office in 2010. Earlier in his career, he was the Assistant General Counsel for LTV Steel Company, Inc., as well as the Corporate Secretary for six short line railroads owned by LTV. Listati served as lead counsel in a complex international commercial arbitration before the ICC Court of Arbitration held in Paris, France; lead counsel in the sale of six idled steel facilities valued at over $60 million; lead counsel in the trial and appeal of several zoning and land use matters; and in numerous commercial, product liability, medical device and medical malpractice trials, mediations and arbitrations. He also devotes a substantial portion of his practice to real estate transactions, as well as general corporate counseling of smaller and medium-sized businesses. Listati speaks fluent Italian and is proud to represent numerous Italian companies in the United States.
Eminent Domain
Markowitz, a resident of Pepper Pike, joined the firm in 1975 and has been a partner since 1978. He has significant expertise counseling clients on matters related to real estate development, oil and gas leasing, land use planning, and zoning law. He advises an array of clients on such matters, including builders, real estate developers, counties, cities, and townships, and appears before planning commissions, zoning boards of appeals, township trustees and city councils throughout northern Ohio. Markowitz currently serves as Law Director for the Village of Chagrin Falls. He represents property owners in real property tax reduction appeals and eminent domain proceedings. He advises business clients on a wide variety of matters related to their structure, governance, management, financing, and acquisitions and sales. His practice also involves civil litigation on a host of issues confronted by businesses and their owners including shareholder disputes, trade secret issues and employment related matters. Dale is a frequent seminar speaker on land use, zoning and eminent domain law. When not practicing law, he enjoys golfing and skiing.
Easement
Land Use and Zoning
We have been at the forefront of municipal and zoning issues ever since such regulations were first adopted in the area. We have litigated such matters from the local courts to the United States Supreme Court. We have extensive experience making presentations to local administrative agencies on behalf of our clients, and we also engage in mediating zoning and appropriation cases between governmental agencies, developers and landowners.
Property Damage
Liber, a resident of Chagrin Falls, joined the firm in 2010 and became Principal in 2012. He has more than 30 years of litigation experience in the successful resolution of complex civil disputes in advance of litigation, and through arbitration, trial and appeals in courtrooms in many states, primarily Ohio and Florida. John has achieved multiple million-dollar verdicts and settlements on behalf of injured individuals. He also represents businesses and corporations in complex construction and insurance claims, achieving resolution of equipment and property damage losses. Liber was a former Assistant State Attorney in Miami, Florida, under then State Attorney Janet Reno (later U.S. Attorney General).
Dynes started his career as a trial attorney for Nationwide Insurance where he represented the company and its insureds. He then continued his litigation practice with Williams, Moliterno & Scully, representing multiple insurance companies and other self-insured entities. He now litigates a multitude of civil matters, but also focuses his practice on a variety of other disciplines such as business and corporate issues; zoning and real estate; municipal and public entity law and personal injury and wrongful death. He serves as an acting judge in the Painesville Municipal Court; is legal counsel to the Lake County, Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority and Laketran; and also serves as general counsel to a number of privately held corporations. When not practicing law, he enjoys playing hockey and skiing.
Medical Malpractice
Our attorneys understand the complex physical, emotional and financial issues you face when dealing with personal injury, medical malpractice or with the wrongful death of a loved one. We work tirelessly to obtain the best outcome for you, whether that can be obtained through negotiations with the insurance company or vigorously pursuing your case through all stages of litigation.
Whether your estate planning needs are simple or complex, we can bring peace of mind to you and your family.
Wills
Trusts
Rachel, a native of Geauga County, joined the firm in 2021. She enjoys working with clients on matters related to estate planning and probate/trust administration. She assists clients with the development of customized estate plans and advises clients to determine if updates or revisions are necessary to existing plans. Rachel also handles estate administration in Geauga, Portage, Cuyahoga, and surrounding counties. She also counsels clients on divorce, dissolution, and custody matters.
Znidarsic, a Lake County resident, joined the firm in 1976 and was made Principal in 1979. He has significant experience counseling business clients on a host of transactional issues including mergers, acquisitions, sales, and financing. He also assists business clients pertaining to business formation, organization, governance, financing and management. He also assists clients in the areas of estate planning and tax planning.