About Us

BakerHostetler is among this year’s members of the Commission 50, a recognition by the Greater Cleveland Partnership for our progress in creating, enhancing and sustaining diversity and inclusion strategies. With more than 15,000 members, GCP is one of the largest metropolitan chambers of commerce in the nation.
BakerHostetler's Cleveland Office has been recognized by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and its Green Initiative Committee as a "Green Certified" law firm for 2010-2012. The certification is given to firms that "work with the CMBA in making strides to lessen the impact of the legal profession on the environment."

For nine decades, attorneys of BakerHostetler have served Cleveland companies and the community. In fact, the commitment of our firm’s founding partners to the city precedes their dedication to the firm. Newton D. Baker was a former mayor and other founding partners played key roles in his administration.

Today, the firm continues to serve the area’s traditional industrial base, while representing leading companies in the services sector—now the area’s largest and fastest growing area of business. More than 200 local attorneys counsel multinational manufacturers, health care institutions, retailers, real estate developers, financial services companies and other businesses on their global transactions, corporate governance, antitrust, intellectual property, environmental and other matters.

BakerHostetler was named by Corporate Board Member magazine as being among the top law firms in Cleveland. The publication developed its list by surveying corporate directors and general counsel in 25 metropolitan areas across the United States.

Business
Nationally and locally, the Cleveland Business practice represents clients on a wide range of transactional and operational activities.

Bankruptcy and Commercial Law
Our bankruptcy lawyers counsel large- and middle-market debtors, creditors and purchasers of financially distressed businesses in business workouts, complex reorganizations, bankruptcy proceedings and credit management Code matters.

Intellectual Property
Cleveland attorneys work with clients to protect and commercialize a wide variety of intangible assets. We represent clients in manufacturing, technology, software, e-commerce, media, entertainment, sports, toys, hospitality and numerous other industries. Our Intellectual Property attorneys counsel on trademarks, domain names, copyrights, trade secrets and patents, protecting assets such as software, technology and data. We help clients exploit those assets through licensing, joint ventures, sales and other transactions.

International
We have advised clients on activities in more than 100 countries. These business dealings have involved acquisitions, mergers, restructuring, tax planning, financing (secured and unsecured), joint venture formations, licensing transactions, intellectual property protection and all aspects of commercial relationships.

Mergers and Acquisitions
With extensive experience in sophisticated, middle-market merger and acquisition transactions, we provide comprehensive counsel to clients completing domestic and international mergers ranging from $20 million to more than $2 billion. We also regularly represent buyers and sellers in corporate, international, transaction financing, real estate, environmental law and antitrust/Hart-Scott-Rodino clearance.

Private Capital
Our Private Capital attorneys advise venture capital, private equity and other growth and acquisition clients nationwide. We advise these clients in fund formation, capital raising, investments and acquisitions, and the management and occasional liquidation of portfolio companies.

Real Estate
Our Real Estate attorneys have supported some of Cleveland’s most significant revitalization projects. We represent small and large clients in leasing (retail, commercial and industrial), financing, acquisitions and development projects (including hotels and other hospitality projects) across the country.

Litigation
Our litigation attorneys represent clients in matters from class action and commercial litigation to high-profile white collar crime and confidential corporate investigations.

Class Action Litigation
Our Cleveland office has extensive experience in defending large national class actions involving a wide range of legal claims and several industries. We have, for instance, defended major automobile insurance carriers, large financial services companies, and clients in antitrust price-fixing and customer allocation cases. We also have considerable experience in defending class actions based on employment practices, environmental claims and chemical releases or explosions.

Commercial Litigation
Our extensive commercial litigation experience encompasses defending and pursuing all types of business-related claims such as contract, fraud, civil conspiracy, RICO and business torts. The firm’s commercial litigators frequently appear in state and federal trial and appellate courts and are experienced in arbitration, mediation and all other forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Product Liability
Our trial attorneys have extensive experience in the defense of product liability claims ranging from cases involving heavy machinery to consumer products. We defend individual cases, mass filings and class actions involving pesticides, drugs and medical devices.

Toxic Tort
Our attorneys provide clients toxic tort defense locally and nationwide. We represent clients in cases involving possible exposures to asbestos, lead, radioactive materials and other substances and organic solvents. We represent clients in oil, gas, chemical and other industries, handling individual cases, mass filings and class actions.

Trade Regulation
The Cleveland office is active in the firm’s trade regulation practice. Our attorneys are experienced in antitrust counseling, civil and criminal enforcement, and representation of national trade associations and other clients in regulatory matters before various government agencies.

White Collar Crime and Corporate Criminal Investigations
Led by former federal and state prosecutors, our White Collar Crime and Corporate Criminal Investigations team represents clients during federal and state investigations and prosecutions, and conducts investigations on behalf of clients with potential claims for fraud and other business crimes.

Tax, Personal Planning and Employee Benefits
Cleveland is home to our firm’s Tax, Personal Planning and Employee Benefits practice. With more than 30 attorneys, it is the  largest practice group of its kind in Cleveland. Further distinguishing our depth of resources is the frequent tax policy counsel and representation our Washington, D.C., Government Policy group provides local companies and high-wealth individuals.

Tax
Our attorneys advise corporate and individual clients on their tax compliance and planning needs. We provide clients with insight into applications and interpretations of the Internal Revenue Code, and work on their behalf with the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Customs, and offices within the Executive branch. We also assist clients with outbound and inbound investments and work with hybrid instruments and cross-border financing transactions, including assisting our clients in evaluating and tailoring transactions developed by the investment banking community. We represent clients in tax disputes and audits with federal and state taxing authorities, ranging from the early administrative stages through the state and federal court process.

Personal Planning/Trusts and Estates
Our services range from trust and estate administration to formation of complex interrelated trusts and exempt organizations. We provide confidential counsel and representation to financial institutions and individual fiduciaries on key issues arising from the administration of trusts and estates. We represent closely held businesses, charitable trusts and foundations and other exempt organizations. In addition, our attorneys have represented numerous fiduciaries in litigated matters, including a case that ultimately resulted in complex claims involving billions of dollars.

Employee Benefits
For decades, BakerHostetler has designed customized plans and programs and developed plan documents for a wide variety of organizations. These organizations include those with bargaining unit employees, larger corporations with unique employee benefits programs, smaller entrepreneurial ventures that later grow to become successful medium and large businesses, and hundreds of other clients with thousands of unique situations. We have planned, designed, developed, amended or terminated more than one thousand retirement, welfare and executive compensation plans, programs or arrangements for clients nationwide.

Employment and Labor
The Employment and Labor Group helps clients strengthen efforts to attract and maintain a productive workforce. During corporate transactions, our due diligence activities can include evaluation of collective bargaining issues, employee benefits and compensation programs, and issues related to legal compliance connected to employee separations and plant closings. We also have extensive labor negotiations and litigation experience. From the planning stages through to termination, we have counseled clients locally and nationally on more than 1,000 retirement, welfare and executive compensation programs.

Market Focus
We also provide focused counsel in specific industries and market segments, including environmental and media law, information and technology, real estate and health care.

Environmental Law
Since the earliest days of the federal air and water acts, the Cleveland office has maintained an active Environmental Law practice. We have represented clients on such federal and state matters as the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and environmental audits.

Health Care
We represent several of our area’s leading health care institutions, as well as nursing and convalescent facilities, practice plans, physician practices and other provider entities.

Media Law
We are nationally renowned for representing prominent media and communications companies, including major newspapers, television and radio broadcasters, and telecommunications companies.