Jonathan Drake

Associate

Cleveland
T +1.216.861.6127
F +1.216.696.0740

Overview

Jonathan Drake assists his colleagues in the areas of federal income tax, state and local tax and employee benefits as he works to build his practice.

Jonathan’s interest in the tax sector of the legal field drives his developing practice. His internship experience with various local Ohio municipalities and government agencies allowed him to work with private corporations and developers, seeking to obtain approval for various state and local economic development incentives. Building on his tax experience, he has also aided various clients in resolving tax issues in other areas such as understanding developing federal income tax regulations and changes and compliance of employee benefit plans.

Additionally, Jonathan has spent time on numerous merger and acquisition transactions to better understand corporate structures and attain critical business knowledge to aid in his overall practice. Dedicated and hard-working, he seeks to understand his clients' goals and motivations in order to achieve the best possible outcome for them.

Select Experience

  • Assists employers and service providers regarding executive compensation and employee benefit plan issues, specifically focusing on compliance of technical legal requirements in a variety of scenarios such as merger and acquisition transactions, IRS audits and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigations.
  • Assisted a 401(k) plan sponsor with a DOL Employee Benefits Security Administration investigation and IRS audit, where various fiduciary breaches and prohibited transactions were at issue.
  • Provided support for the corporate diligence and benefits compliance of a complex Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction.
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Experience

  • Assists employers and service providers regarding executive compensation and employee benefit plan issues, specifically focusing on compliance of technical legal requirements in a variety of scenarios such as merger and acquisition transactions, IRS audits and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) investigations.
  • Assisted a 401(k) plan sponsor with a DOL Employee Benefits Security Administration investigation and IRS audit, where various fiduciary breaches and prohibited transactions were at issue.
  • Provided support for the corporate diligence and benefits compliance of a complex Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) transaction.
  • Conducted research and helped prepare presentations on various ESOP topics, analyzing and outlining the structure and nuances of complex ESOP transactions.
  • Assists clients with preparing applications for the DOL's Voluntary Fiduciary Correction Program.
  • Performed research and provided analysis of income tax issues such as niche partnership tax activities, conservation easement regulations and tax credit requirements.
  • Assisting clients with multi-state sales tax compliance and overcollection remediation by working with state agencies to engage voluntary disclosure agreement (VDA) programs.

Recognitions and Memberships

Prior Positions

  • BakerHostetler: Summer Associate (2020)
  • Franklin County Board of Commissioners: Legal Extern (2019 to 2021)
  • Franklin County Auditor: Legal Extern (2019)
  • West Virginia State Capitol: Legislative Intern (2017)

Admissions

  • Ohio

Education

  • J.D., The Ohio State University Michael E. Moritz College of Law, 2021; Events Editor, Journal on Dispute Resolution; Student Bar Association
  • B.A., Marshall University, 2018, summa cum laude