Contact Information
Ohio Region
24100 Chagrin Blvd.
Suite 300
Beachwood, OH 44122
Phone: (216) 464-3022
ohio@ortamerica.org
Jurisprudence Awards
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
5:30 PM
The Union Club
honoring
Ann Aber
Senior Vice President,
Chief Legal Officer & Secretary,
JOANN
&
Brent D. Ballard
Managing Partner Emeritus
Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP
HONORARY CO-CHAIRS
David Gilbert, Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
Stewart Kohl, The Riverside Company
Heather Lennox, Jones Day
Adrienne Ferraro Mueller, Jones Day
Daniel Walsh, Citymark Capital
EVENT CO-CHAIRS
Kenneth B. Liffman • Jill G. Okun • Shawna L. Rosner
STEERING COMMITTEE
Kevin S. Adelstein • Gary Desberg • Danielle Garson • Adam Glassman • Jason Hochman • Suellen Kadis • Greg Marcus • Michael Perlmuter • Niki Schaefer
PRESIDENT, OHIO REGION
Todd E. Gurney
DIRECTOR, OHIO REGION
Alyssa Giterman
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
The Jurisprudence Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the legal profession and their community.
The award was established in 1996 and has since honored over 45 attorneys and jurists in Cleveland. To review our past honorees, please click “Jurisprudence Award History.”
Past Events
2023 Jurisprudence Awards
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
5:00 PM ET at the The Union Club
honoring
Patricia A. Shlonsky
Partner-in-Charge, Cleveland Office, and Group Leader, Employee Benefits Practice and Tax Practice,
Ulmer & Berne LLP
&
Taras "Terry" Szmagala, Jr.
EVP and Chief Legal Office,
Eaton
EVENT CO-CHAIRS
Kenneth B. Liffman • Jill G. Okun • Shawner L. Rosner
EVENT COMMITTEE
Kevin S. Adelstein • Gary Desberg • Danielle Garson • Adam Glassman • Jason Hochman • Suellen Kadis • Greg Marcus • Michael Perlmuter • Niki Schaefer
PRESIDENT, OHIO REGION
Todd E. Gurney
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, OHIO REGION
Alyssa Giterman
For more information, please contact Alyssa Giterman at 216-464-3022 or ohio@ortamerica.org
What is the Jurisprudence Award?
The ORT America Jurisprudence Award is ORT’s highest national award presented to members of the legal community who have established new directions for the enhancement of their community and their profession and serve as a role model for others.
In Ohio, the award presentation is in its 24th year. The event has a rich history of honoring outstanding lawyers from the private practice sector, business community as well as jurists in our community.
2021 Jurisprudence Awards honoring
Jill F. Helfman and Paul J. Singerman
Jill F. Helfman
A well-respected attorney and family advocate, Jill serves as co-partner-in-charge of the Cleveland office of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP and as chair of Taft’s Domestic Relations practice. Her practice focuses on family and divorce law, particularly in high net worth cases. Jill is certified by The Ohio State Bar Association Family Law Specialty Board as a specialist in the field of Family Law in Ohio and as an arbitrator through the AAML Matrimonial Arbitration Training Institute.
With extensive experience and a confident, patient approach, Jill consistently earns the respect of her clients and peers. Her experience ranges from analysis and litigation of complex business valuation issues to property division, support and difficult custody matters. A trusted advisor to high-profile clients, Jill provides regular legal counsel to business owners, professional athletes, physicians, lawyers, and other prominent professionals.
Jill is a fellow of the prestigious American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and is a former president of the Ohio Chapter.
Throughout her career she has served the greater Cleveland community in a number of volunteer positions, including acting as former chair of the leadership board for the University Hospitals Partnership for Families and as a board member of Park Synagogue.
Jill is the recipient of multiple honors for her practice of law, including:
- Band 1 honoree in Family/Matrimonial Law in the 2020 edition of Chambers High Net Worth
- Elected into the Society of Benchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Law
- Northeast Ohio’s 2018 Notable Women in Law by Crain’s Cleveland Business
- Lawyer of the Year for Family Law in Cleveland by Best Lawyers in America (2014 & 2017)
- Cleveland Jewish News 2015 Difference Maker
- Ohio Super Lawyers for Family Law, honored each year since 2004
- Top 100 Ohio Super Lawyers 2021
- Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers 2021
- Top 50 Cleveland Super Lawyers 2021
- Top 25 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers 2021
Jill graduated from the University of Michigan and received her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She and her husband Brad live in Solon. They are the parents of three adult children: Jared, Lindsey and Justin.
Paul J. Singerman
Paul J. Singerman is a Principal and the Chairman of the Cleveland law firm of Singerman, Mills, Desberg & Kauntz Co., L.P.A., a transactional, real estate law firm of which he is a founding principal. Paul’s practice is focused primarily in the areas of real estate law, secured lending, and business law.
Paul has been named an “Ohio Superlawyer” by Cincinnati Magazine every year since 2004, and has been named in The Best Lawyers in America every year since 2007. In 2019, he was named Best Lawyers’ 2019 Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” and was named Best Lawyers’ 2021 Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” in 2021.
Paul received his B.A. degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1980 and his J.D. degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where he graduated Order of the Coif, in 1983.
Paul is extensively involved with community and charitable organizations. He is a member of the Board of Directors and a Vice Chair of the Cleveland Jewish Publication Company, the publisher of The Cleveland Jewish News and The Columbus Jewish News. Paul is a past President and an Emeritus Director of The Cleveland Jewish News Foundation. He is also is a member of the Board of Trustees and is the First Vice President of the Cleveland National Air Show. Paul is an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees and is a past President of Temple Israel/Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.
Paul is a long-time resident of Solon, where he lives with his wife Kim. Paul and Kim have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.
2019 Jurisprudence Awards honoring Michael J. Frantz and Anne L. Meyers
Michael J. Frantz, Founding Partner, Frantz Ward LLP. Read his bio here.
Anne L. Meyers, Founding Partner, Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis. Read her bio here.
ORT America will award ORT’s highest national award presented to members of the legal community whose professional and personal lives have: Substantially improved the quality of life for their fellow human beings; created role models for others to emulate; established new directions for the enhancement of their profession and their community.
VIEW OUR 2019 SPONSORS HERE
Jurisprudence Awards Co-Chairs
Jill G. Okun, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP
Kenneth B. Liffman, McCarthy Lebit Crystal & Liffman, Co. LPA
Steering Committee
Gary Desberg, Singerman Mills Desberg & Kauntz Co. LPA
Michael Ellis, Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC
Robert U. Fein, Red Stone Equity Partners
Todd Gurney, The Eisen Law Firm
Tod Northman, Tucker Ellis LLP
Michael Perlmuter, Alex N. Sill Co.
Richard “Dick” Rosner, Retired, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP
Shawna Rosner, Direct Recruiters, Inc.-Legal Solutions Group
William W. Schonberg, Benesch
Tribute Committee Co-Chairs
Scott M. Lewis, Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis
High R. McKay, Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP
James B. Niehaus, Frantz Ward LLP
Barbara Roman, Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis
Ohio Region 2018 Jurisprudence Awards honoring Mario Ciano and David Paris
Mario Ciano, Former Managing Partner, Reminger Co, LPA
David Paris, Managing Partner, Nurenberg Paris