Fairlawn, OH

Tim Misny

Tim Misny is a personal injury lawyer with over 40 years of experience representing victims of birth injury, medical mistakes, and catastrophic accidents in Columbus, Ohio, and throughout the United States. He is known for his dedication to clients, offering 24/7 direct communication and meeting clients at their convenience. Misny has secured significant settlements, including cases for $50 million and $42.5 million. His practice is built on a foundation of unlimited financial funding for cases and a network of national experts. Misny's inspiration to become a personal injury lawyer stems from a personal family tragedy involving his grandfather's wrongful death. He graduated from John Carroll University with a 3.9 GPA in Political Science and from Cleveland State University John Marshall College of Law, passing the state bar in 1981. He previously served as an Assistant Prosecutor for four years.

Deborah L. Ruby

Attorney Deborah Ruby founded her own law firm in 2002. She practices primarily family law and personal injury law. She holds a J.D., an MBA in finance, and a B.S.B.A. from the University of Akron. She is admitted to practice in Ohio and is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and Akron Bar Association, where she has held several leadership roles.

Peter Pattakos is an experienced trial lawyer with a track record of extraordinary success in defending the wrongly accused and obtaining justice for people whose rights have been violated by corporate and governmental interests. He has delivered winning closing arguments to juries in multiple civil cases and felony prosecutions, and successfully briefed and argued landmark appeals. He began his legal career at Jones Day before committing to representing individuals. He is a Bencher in the William K. Thomas Inn of Court, a Fellow of The Litigation Counsel of America, and has been named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list every year since 2019, and a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2016 and 2017. He is also a member of the Akron Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Corinne Hoover

Is the lead attorney of Hoover Kacyon, LLC’s Family Law Practice Group and is a Certified Specialist in Family Law. Corinne focuses her practice exclusively on complex family law issues, including high-asset or high-conflict divorce or child custody cases, high-net worth clients, adoptions, appeals, developing new issues of the law including surrogacy and embryo issues and same sex parenting and other cases on the cutting edge issues of the law or cases of first impression in the State of Ohio. Because of this, Corinne has earned her place as a proud member of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the highest-quality organization of professional family lawyers across the United States. As the mother of four young children, Corinne knows nothing is more important than family. Corinne has spent her entire career honing her skills as a trial lawyer so that she is in the best position possible to advocate for families who need her most as they face the most difficult moments of their lives. Now, Corinne uses her credentials as a certified specialist in family relations law to handle the most complex family law cases including high asset or high conflict divorce of custody cases, cases of private business ownership and complex business valuations, cases involving forensic custody and psychological evaluations and competing expert reports, and cases representing professionals such as professional athletes, lawyers, doctors, dentists, politicians, CEOs and business executives and owners (and their spouses against them!). Corinne has also had the honor of representing clients on the cutting edge of new laws and legal developments across the state. Corinne frequently argues cases of first impression in the courts of appeal and is sought after by both clients and other lawyers alike to take over complex cases once they reach the appellate court level. Notably, Corinne has even appeared in front of the Ohio Supreme Court and has additionally testified in front of the state legislature's Civil Justice Committee on controversial pending family law legislation. Corinne also has developed a particularly niche market of her practice in the arena of complex adoption law. What sets Corinne apart from her colleagues in the family law field is her hybrid of experience in both adoption law and other family law matters. For whatever reason, most lawyers who practice in domestic relations or juvenile court do not practice adoptions, which are heard in probate court. For the same reason, a lot of probate law attorneys say they practice probate law in general but do not do adoption matters. Practically speaking, these areas of law intersect and clients are best served with a lawyer who understands how one area of law affects the other. For example, perhaps a mother is fighting her ex-husband in domestic relations court over visitation and child support and is remarried and wishes for her new husband to adopt the child. A purely domestic relations lawyer may very well be able to assist with matters of visitation and support but not know how their actions in domestic relations court could ultimately affect the success of an adoption case later. It is for this reason that Corinne is regularly consulted as a family law specialist, not just by clients but oftentimes by other lawyers who acknowledge Corinne's unique hybrid approach can be of huge benefit to a case. Corinne is also a regular lecturer and instructor on Continuing Legal Education courses to other lawyers and judges dealing most often with the intersections of family law and adoption cases based on her experience in the fields. It is not uncommon for judges to remark that when they see Corinne on a case it involves an issue they have never seen before or something else particularly complicated. Corinne is willing to take on the messy cases such as this because her passion is protecting families because she knows nothing matters to her clients more. Her most crucial cases involve contested adoptions, adoption appeals, representing clients in situations where fraud or wrongful adoptions have occurred and oftentimes, opposing public children service agencies in their attempts to get involved in the private lives of families who could instead handle their own matters through private adoptions. Aside from complex litigation and messy family law cases, Corinne is also a firm believer in settlement and alternative dispute resolution when it serves her clients. Some clients express that they cannot afford to have a lengthy legal battle. Other clients say that emotionally or mentally they or their children cannot handle a contested case. With prior extensive experience as a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) in both domestic relations and juvenile court, Corinne understands that sometimes the most important role a lawyer can fill is assistance with reaching a fair settlement or compromise without a long drawn out battle. In addition to her fulltime family law practice, Corinne also serves as an attorney in governmental relations, representing individuals and political entities in complaints before the Ohio Elections Commission, advising clients on elections law and campaign finance matters and providing consulting services on intersections between legal and political matters. In the past, she has also served as Special Counsel to the Ohio Attorney General. Corinne is also a proud member of the JoAnn Davidson Leadership Institute. Corinne is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association Grievance Committee, charged with investigating complaints filed against judges and other lawyers across the state, as well as a Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellow. She is also an active member of the Akron Bar Association and a member of the Family Law Section, an Akron Bar Foundation Fellow and a Member of Board of Directors of the Akron Bar Foundation, the charitable wing of the Akron Bar Association.

Susan J. Lax

Susan J. Lax is the founding attorney and owner of Susan J. Lax R.N., M.S. LLC. She has been practicing law for over three decades and is licensed in Ohio, New Jersey, and Oregon. Prior to her legal career, she worked as a registered nurse for over 10 years, providing her with valuable medical knowledge that benefits her legal practice, especially in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Ms. Lax focuses on family law, personal injury, bankruptcy, estate law, and juvenile law. She has been recognized as one of the top 3 divorce attorneys in northeast Ohio for several years and is a past president of the Summit County Medical Alliance.

Joseph A. Kacyon

Is the lead attorney of Hoover Kacyon’s Estate Planning/Probate and Business Practice Groups, as well as an experienced family law litigator. Attorney Joe Kacyon completed his undergraduate studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He attended the University of Akron School of Law, where he participated in Law Review and graduated Magna Cum Laude in the top 10 of his class. Joe also holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Akron. Joe is licensed to practice law in Ohio and Pennsylvania and is a member of the Akron Bar Association, the Ohio Bar Association and the Pennsylvania Bar Association. Joe has been named to the top 10 best lawyers in Ohio for client satisfaction in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018and has been named as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the field of Estate Planning/Probate for 2017, 2018 and 2019. Now, Joe focuses his practice on family law litigation, business, and estate matters. Joe is an experienced litigator in courts throughout Ohio, in all of his fields of practice. Joe’s business background, both in education and business ownership experience, combined with years of representing clients in these types of matters, all make him uniquely qualified to handle the complex and various needs of clients looking to protect their families and assets. During law school Joe gained experience working for a US Federal District Court Judge and a US Circuit Court Appeals Judge. After law school, Joe began the law firm of Joseph Kacyon and Associates, where he acquired practices of retiring lawyers, learning from their decades of experience and knowledge, and building an additional client base based on his unique passion and energy. Joe has been named to the top 10 best lawyers in Ohio for client satisfaction in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and has been named as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in the field of Estate Planning/Probate for 2017 and 2018. Joe has a unique blend of experience in business, bankruptcy, probate, and family law that sets him apart from other lawyers in the field. Many family law attorneys do not practice business and bankruptcy law. There is a great deal of intersection between these areas of law. Very often a family law matter will include a business interest that needs to be divided or valued and having a grasp for business matters and business law is a great asset in those cases. Other times, an estate plan will require an understanding of the corporate structure of the family business. Unfortunately, other times a divorce will lead to a bankruptcy or vice versa and understanding how a bankruptcy affects a divorce proceeding may be crucial to getting the desired results. Joe’s Masters of Business Administration gives him a deeper understanding of business, business valuation, corporate structure, and bankruptcy than many attorneys can offer. Hoover Kacyon prefers to attach a team of lawyers to every case. Joe is often a part of cases that involve businesses, business law, bankruptcy or complex financial issues. Joe also has an excellent appellate record. Joe’s time as an extern for the Federal Courts including the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals gave him an inside perspective on the appeals process. His appeals include cases in family law, child support, custody, probate estates, probate guardianships, real estate, and criminal law.

Tad Orval Hoover

Is a family law litigator, as well as an experienced trial lawyer in matters of criminal and traffic law, and real estate matters. Tad knew from a very young age, like others in his family, that he was destined to be an attorney. The son of the Honorable Judge Kim R. Hoover and the grandson of the late Orval R. Hoover, Tad was raised in a family that values tradition and has left a strong imprint on the legal community in northeast Ohio. Because of this, Tad’s lifelong goal was to, alongside his sister, carry on a strong family tradition of excellence in the legal field in the same building his grandfather, father, and aunt and uncles have practiced before him. Since joining his sister, Corinne Hoover, at Hoover and Associates, LLC in 2011, Tad has focused extensively on Domestic Relations matters. In this role, Tad has counseled clients through high asset divorce cases, domestic custody and visitation matters, out-of-state and foreign custody disputes, and has successfully both brought and defended contempt actions and civil protection orders. Tad has handled both high asset divorce cases from the inception to completion at trial, and has also successfully minimized court involvement for his clients through negotiating advantageous settlements. Along with developing his family law practice, Tad has also gained considerable experience as a trial lawyer in criminal and traffic matters. Tad is experienced in negotiating desirable plea deals and has successfully worked with prosecutors throughout northeast Ohio to reach mutually beneficial results without going to trial. In addition, Tad is no stranger to jury trials and has successfully received not guilty verdicts for clients in complicated situations. Tad has handled advanced felony cases for felonious assaults, theft, trafficking in narcotics and various weapons charges. Additionally, Tad has become a regular at the Stow Municipal Court, representing clients on matters of OVI charges, traffic offenses, and domestic violence matters. For matters Tad has been unable to have dismissed, he has successfully sealed the record of every client who has applied for a record expungement, by ensuring the client presents a thorough and strong case. Now, at Hoover Kacyon, LLC, Tad, a partner attorney, heads up the firm’s real estate practice group as well, due to his experience in landlord tenant matters and other real estate and property disputes. Tad is very experienced in bringing eviction lawsuits, as well as advising clients how to avoid eviction issues by effectively managing properties and their businesses, so that they have more profit and less expenses for legal matters. Tad also brings a unique perspective to his real estate practice, not only as an attorney but as an experienced property manager himself, where he has lead his family’s own property management company for the last 10 years. Tad earned his bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and his law degree from the University of Akron School of Law. Tad enjoys an active lifestyle and loves supporting the sports teams of his Alma Matters, including Woodridge High School, in addition to all of Cleveland’s professional sports organizations. Tad completed the DWI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing as recognized by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration. Potential clients can visit https://www.nhtsa.gov/ for more information.