News Archive

Fortune magazine has selected Eastman & Smith Ltd. for inclusion in its 2012 Top Ranked Law Firms.

Eastman & Smith Ltd. is proud to present its attorneys who have been selected for inclusion in the 2012 Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars.

Eastman & Smith Ltd. lit up with Christmas spirit in its recent donation of shoes to a local elementary school.

Melissa A. Gerber, associate, passed the Ohio bar exam in October.

Comprehensive estate planning includes not only planning for death, but also for the possibility that a sudden event. . .

In conjunction with Best Lawyers in America, U.S. News and World Report has published a compilation of the top law firms in the country in several different practice areas.

Thirteen attorneys from our Toledo office have made reappearances in Best Lawyers in America.

Eastman & Smith Ltd. member Mark A. Shaw and associate Garrett M. Cravener were awarded summary judgment in a premises liability action before the Fairfield County Common Pleas Court.

Carrie L. Sponseller received the Ohio State Bar Foundation's 2011 District Community Service Award for Attorneys 40 and Under for District Four.

It promises to be a busy year for litigation member Stu Goldberg. On July 1, Mr. Goldberg assumed the presidency of the Toledo Bar Association, and becomes the eighth TBA president from our law firm.

The following associates have been elected to membership at Eastman & Smith Ltd.

Associate Jared J. Lefevre, in conjunction with his wife Amelia, have founded an acting company, Second Stages Toledo.

Eastman & Smith is proud to be a supporter of the fifth annual Ohio Conference on Freight.

Eastman & Smith members Joseph A. Gregg and Heidi N. Hartman secured a defense victory in a workers' compensation case.

Eastman & Smith Ltd. is pleased to announce that it has affiliated with attorneys formerly practicing at Watkins, Bates & Carey LLP of Toledo.

Thomas J. Gibney recently represented a manufacturer in the Sixth Circuit Appellate Court.

Life insurance proceeds on policies owned by the insured are included in the estate of the insured for federal estate tax purposes.

Stu Goldberg will be sworn in as president of the Toledo Bar Association at the organization's annual meeting on June 14.

Attorneys Mark A. Shaw and Garrett M. Cravener published two articles in the Toledo Bar Association newsletter regarding health care reform.

Published in the Toledo Bar Association's April 2011 newsletter is Eastman & Smith attorney Matthew D. Harper's article on Atticus Finch.

Attorneys Matthew D. Harper and Tiffany E. Cavanaugh defended a molding company at trial which had been sued for conversion of personal property.

Estate planning clients often are concerned about who will take care of changes in their estate plans or the future administration of their estates if their attorney dies, retires, or is otherwise unavailable to assist them.

On March 16, 2011, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) announced rescission of its motor carrier safety rules regulating not-for-hire light-weight commercial vehicles used in commerce.

The attorneys and staff of Eastman & Smith Ltd. are saddened to announce the passing of our friend and colleague, John T. Landwehr, who died Friday, February 25. John was a member of the Firm's Labor & Employment Practice Group and the first general counsel for Eastman & Smith.

The tax bill passed by Congress in December 2010 increased the estate tax exemption to $5,000,000 for two years and introduced portability of the exemption for married couples. As a result, individuals may be tempted to conclude that they do not need estate planning, at least not yet.

Eastman & Smith is pleased to announce that seven of its lawyers have been named 2011 Ohio Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine.

Congress, to the surprise of most observers, included very favorable estate tax provisions in the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 (the 2010 Act), which was enacted December 17, 2010.

Mark W. Sandretto, an attorney with Eastman & Smith since 2005, was recently admitted to the State Bar of Michigan.

With the estate tax exemption dropping to $1 million in 2011 unless Congress acts by year-end, annual exclusion gifts in 2010 (up to $13,000/donee, or $26,000/donee from a married couple who elects to split gifts) are an especially attractive way to reduce the donors estate.

As you may be aware, the Ohio franchise tax has been phased out over the last several years for many Ohio corporations.

Frank D. Jacobs has been honored by the Library Legacy Foundation as the 2010 Outstanding Community Volunteer.

Joseph A. Gregg and Richard L. Johnson recently represented a national food manufacturer in a workers' compensation matter in Lucas County Common Pleas Court.

A divorced individual will rarely wish to leave assets to an ex-spouse at death. During divorce proceedings, a court injunction will often prevent an individual from changing his or her estate plan. However, when the divorce is final, certain changes should be made to the estate plan.

Eastman & Smith was named by U.S. New and World Reports as a "tier one" Toledo, Ohio, law firm in several practice areas.

Many seniors are eligible for a little-publicized monthly benefit from the Veteran's Administration (VA), the Aid and Attendance Benefit.

Trying to settle on what to gift to a teenager when he or she reaches eighteen? A car? A deposit for an apartment? A trip overseas?

Toledo Business Journal, a monthly business newspaper focusing on economic development and related issues in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, published its second annual list of "Who's Who in Toledo Area Law." This list was compiled based on nominations provided by attorneys and clients.

Fourteen attorneys from our Toledo office have made a reappearance in Best Lawyers in America.

Eastman & Smith Ltd. is pleased to announce that Carrie L. Sponseller and Nicole A. Flynn are now members of the Firm. Ms. Sponseller has been an associate with Eastman & Smith since 2001, Ms. Flynn since 2006.

Dinner, raffle and a local author will all be part of the Black Swamp Conservancys September 16th event. Appreciating the Great Outdoors, Pass it On is the title of Matt Andersons speech taking place that night.

Life insurance death benefits are generally thought to be tax-free, but are not necessarily so (as the old song goes).

Ohio is currently one of the few states which still have a state estate tax (Michigan and Florida, for example, do not).

The attorneys of Eastman & Smith Ltd. are pleased to announce the opening of their new Findlay office at 510 South Main Street in downtown Findlay.

Eastman & Smith attorney, Frank D. Jacobs, has been appointed to the Ohio State Bar Association Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Specialty Board.

On March 27, 2010, E&S member Stu Goldberg received the American Heart Association's Legacy of Achievement Award at the Heart Ball.

Recently, Eastman & Smith attorneys Mark A. Shaw and Holly L. Hollandsworth secured a favorable decision from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in a personal injury case based on negligence and products liability theories.

Eastman & Smith was honored by the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) of the University of Toledo College of Law at last week's annual Torrence R. Greene scholarship banquet.

The attorneys and staff of Eastman & Smith Ltd. are saddened to announce the passing of our friend and colleague, James W. ("Jim") Millon.

On Friday, February 5 attorneys and staff at Eastman & Smith Ltd. participated in "Go Red For Women Day," an American Heart Association initiative designed to bring awareness about heart disease, the number one killer of women in the United States.

Eastman & Smith attorneys Mark A. Shaw and Holly L. Hollandsworth recently secured a favorable decision from the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas in a personal injury case.