Joe’s practice is focused on estate planning, estate and trust administration, and general corporate/business law. His clients include high net worth individuals and families, young professionals and entrepreneurs, business owners and physicians, dentists and other medical professionals. This representation has led to many long-standing relationships.

Joe’s experience in estate planning, probate and estate/trust disputes enables him to bring creative ideas to the table to help heirs, beneficiaries, trustees and executors in estate and trust litigation matters. In conflict situations involving will contests, trustee removal and abuse of elderly due to undue influence, incompetency or fraud, Joe works closely with the firm’s litigation team in achieving our client’s goals.

Another important part of his practice is representation of business owners in the variety of legal issues that arise in the course of the operation of their business. Such matters include general contract review, resolution of shareholder disputes, buy-sell agreements, the starting, sale or acquisition of a business and business succession planning.

Joe obtained his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1980. He also graduated from the Cleveland State University Graduate School of Business attaining his Masters of Business Administration degree. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the Cleveland State University.

Joe is a member of the Ohio, Cleveland and Lake County Bar Associations and Estate Planning Council of Cleveland. He is also a member and Past Chairman of the American Cancer Society Planning Giving Committee (Lake/Geauga/Ashtabula County Units), member of the Catholic Lawyers Guild (Speaker’s Bureau) and a former member and past Chairman of the Mentor Municipal Planning Commission.

He also served on the Promoting Philanthropy Committee of the Cleveland Foundation. Joe is a well-received speaker on estate planning and charitable gifting issues at numerous Continuing Legal Education seminars and presentations for charitable organizations. He takes great pleasure in assisting clients in achieving their charitable goals. Prior to joining Flannery Georgalis, Joe was a partner and chairperson of the Probate and Estate Planning Group at Ziegler Metzger LLP.

Education

Cleveland – Marshall College of Law (J.D., 1980)
Cleveland – Graduate School of Business (M.B.A., 1980)

Admissions

Ohio
Northern District of Ohio
Southern District of Ohio

Professional Associations and Memberships

Ohio State Bar Association
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association – Member
Lake County Bar Association

Published Works

The Durable Power of Attorney – Its Use and Abuse, Lake County Bar Association, Lake Legal View
The Durable Power of Attorney – An Essential Planning Tool, Crain’s Cleveland Business, November 2, 1998

Classes/Seminars

The Value of Estate Planning, American Cancer Society
Ohio Estate Planning – Revocable Living Trust, Lohrman Education Services – Ohio CLE
Presenting Family Wealth, American Cancer Society
Estate and Tax Planning: Qualified Retirement Plans and IRAs, National Business Institute, 2008 to 2008

Pro Bono Activities

American Cancer Society
Catholic Lawyers Guild