Overview

The core focus of Jake's practice is working to find and guide businesses to solutions. He enjoys solving the problems, big and small, that confront businesses of all sizes across various industries. From formation, to governance, to growth, Jake has a demonstrated understanding on how to navigate a business' legal needs.

Jake has experience advising both buyers and sellers on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, from preliminary discussions through closing. Jake also regularly counsels landlords, tenants, buyers, and sellers on various real estate matters, from lease or purchase negotiations through title and environmental reviews.

Jake also has experience counseling borrowers and lenders on the various elements of any successful capital stack. Whether through traditional lending or the use of new markets tax credits or historic tax credits, Jake is able to ensure the best outcome for his client.

In his spare time, Jake enjoys being outside with his wife and daughter and cheering on the Green Bay Packers.

Representative Matters

• Represented a community development entity in a $9.6 million transaction which helped finance the development of a new, local hospital campus.
• Represented a community development entity in an $8 million transaction which helped finance the redevelopment of historic buildings into a mixed-use development in Northeast Ohio.
• Represented several financial consulting firms across several states in the sale of non-controlling ownership interests to private equity partners.
• Represented a real estate developer in the closing of a capital stack that included $3.2 million in federal and state historic tax credits and a $5.8 million construction loan to allow for the redevelopment of a historic building in Northeast Ohio to multi-family housing.
• Represented a healthcare provider, as tenant, in its lease negotiations for a new 26,271 square-foot clinic.
• Represented an accounting firm in connection with its acquisition of an Illinois based accounting firm, that will assist and help leverage its growth within the Illinois and Chicago market.
• Represented Olympic Steel in connection with its acquisition of a manufacturer of products constructed largely of coated carbon and stainless steel, headquartered in Kansas.

Courts & Bar Associations

• Ohio State Bar Association
• Akron Bar Association

Professional Honors & Awards

• Dealmakers Rising Star, Smart Business® (2025) 
• Donald M. Jenkins Award for Highest Scholastic Achievement for the Class of 2022

Professional & Civic Affiliations

• Vantage Aging, Board Member
• Akron Bar Association - Membership Committee, Member
• Torchbearers Akron, Class of 2025
• Open M, Board Member
• Refuge Host Homes, Board Member
• Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest Committee, Committee Member
• Northampton-Cuyahoga Valley Rotary Club, Member

Presentations & Publications

• Corporate Transparency Act Update, December 2023
• New Small Business Reporting Rule, Webinar, December 2023
• HB 305: A Step in the Right Direction for Ohio’s Students, 55 AKRON L. REV. 219 (2022)