Insights
Brouse McDowell Names Several New Practice Chairs
May 11, 2023
Brouse McDowell is pleased to announce several leadership appointments, effective immediately.
Nicholas Capotosto has been with Brouse McDowell for the entirety of his legal career. He has served as an elected member of the firm’s Executive Committee and on the firm’s Associate Review Committee. Nick’s focus is representing clients in litigated matters, and he has extensive experience in business and shareholder disputes, enforcing non-competition agreements, and defending against product liability claims. Nick has handled large, complex probate and estate litigation involving high net worth clients and closely held businesses. Nick also has extensive experience in matters involving title insurance policies and real estate disputes. Clients have called upon Nick to represent them in high stakes litigation matters in state and federal courts all over the United States. Nick served in the U.S. Air Force and attained the rank of Captain. He earned his BS from the United States Air Force Academy, his MBA from Western New England College and his JD, cum laude, from The University of Akron School of Law.
Michael O’Donnell has a wide variety of complex litigation experience, including product liability, contract disputes, premises liability, employment, insurance recovery, trade secrets and real estate. He also has significant first and second chair jury and bench trial experience as well as appellate experience before state and federal courts throughout Ohio. He previously served as Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group and is looking forward to returning to this role. He also served as a member of Hiring Committee and managed the firm’s Summer Associate Program. Michael will serve as the President of the Lawyer’s Guild for the 2023 - 2024 year and is a Master Bencher in the John M. Manos Inn of Court. He is a former member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure. He earned his BSBA in Finance from John Carroll University and his JD, summa cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Paul Rose founded the firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice Group and is an experienced business litigator focusing with particular focus on cases concerning complex insurance coverage disputes. He often assists clients in obtaining insurance recoveries without resorting to litigation. He has led seminal cases and has practiced in trial and appellate courts throughout Ohio and in the Ohio Supreme Court, as well as the courts of various other states. He also has appeared in various federal courts, including the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He is a past chair of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. He has served as President of the Scanlon Inn of Court, which is the Akron Chapter of the National Inns of Court. Paul is certified as a Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. He is ranked in Band 1 for Insurance (Ohio) by Chambers USA (2020-2022) and The Best Lawyers in America© in the Insurance Law and Litigation - Insurance sections (2013-2023). He earned his BA, with special distinction, from the University of Oklahoma, and his JD with honors, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Patricia Gajda has served on the firm’s Executive Committee since 2013. Her practice focuses on corporate transactions and M&A, general corporate counseling, and joint ventures. She has extensive experience negotiating and structuring acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, equity investments, joint ventures, corporate structuring, development agreements, licensing agreements, general supply and other commercial agreements, and corporate succession planning. Pat has advised and represents both privately held and publicly traded clients. In 2023, Pat was named Commercial Transactions/UCC “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland by The Best Lawyers in America© and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© for Corporate Law since 2018 and for Commercial Transactions/UCC Law since 2015. Pat has served on the Board of Bar Examiners for the state of Ohio since 2019. She earned her BSBA, magna cum laude, from John Carroll University, and her JD, magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Laura Fryan focuses her practice on counseling health care providers, hospitals, health plans, and health care companies. She has experience providing strategic guidance and legal advice to assist providers and business owners with a variety of issues including HIPAA, Stark and Anti-Kickback compliance, vendor agreements and employment contracts, overpayments and government investigations, reimbursement from commercial and government payors, facility bylaws and peer review plans, and state and federal licensing. She also facilitates transactions, including joint ventures, leasing of physician practices, and the buying and selling of hospitals, physician groups, and other health care related entities. Laura currently serves as Chair of the Marketing Committee. She was recognized as an ‘Up and Coming’ attorney in Healthcare (Ohio) by Chambers USA 2022 and as a ‘One to Watch’ for Health Care Law by The Best Lawyers in America© in 2022 and 2023. She earned her BA from Grove City College before earning her MBA from The University of Akron, and her JD, summa cum laude, from The University of Akron School of Law.
About Brouse McDowell
Brouse McDowell is an established, full-service business law firm based in northern Ohio. With 80+ attorneys across offices in Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, and Youngstown, Ohio as well as Naples, Florida, the firm serves clients across the region and far beyond. The firm has more than 100 years of history and continues a long tradition of delivering sophisticated legal counsel to clients that range from sole proprietorships to the nation’s largest corporations. Practice areas include business restructuring, business bankruptcy and commercial law; business transactions and corporate counseling; cybersecurity and data privacy; environmental; health care law; insurance recovery; labor and employment; litigation; litigation and information management; real estate and construction; tax; trademark, copyright and trade secrets; and trusts and estates. The firm is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and values the perspectives that professionals of diverse backgrounds bring to the work and workplace. The firm routinely taps the skills and experience of attorneys and staff for meaningful leadership roles.
- Partners Nicholas P. Capotosto and Michael P. O’Donnell have been named Co-Chairs of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group.
- Partner Paul A. Rose has been named Chair of the Insurance Recovery Practice Group.
- Partner Patricia A. Gajda has been named Co-Chair of the Business Transactions & Corporate Counseling Practice Group, joining Daniel L. Silfani.
- Partner Laura F. Fryan has been named Co-Chair of the Health Care Practice Group, joining Christopher M. Huryn.
Nicholas Capotosto has been with Brouse McDowell for the entirety of his legal career. He has served as an elected member of the firm’s Executive Committee and on the firm’s Associate Review Committee. Nick’s focus is representing clients in litigated matters, and he has extensive experience in business and shareholder disputes, enforcing non-competition agreements, and defending against product liability claims. Nick has handled large, complex probate and estate litigation involving high net worth clients and closely held businesses. Nick also has extensive experience in matters involving title insurance policies and real estate disputes. Clients have called upon Nick to represent them in high stakes litigation matters in state and federal courts all over the United States. Nick served in the U.S. Air Force and attained the rank of Captain. He earned his BS from the United States Air Force Academy, his MBA from Western New England College and his JD, cum laude, from The University of Akron School of Law.
Michael O’Donnell has a wide variety of complex litigation experience, including product liability, contract disputes, premises liability, employment, insurance recovery, trade secrets and real estate. He also has significant first and second chair jury and bench trial experience as well as appellate experience before state and federal courts throughout Ohio. He previously served as Co-Chair of the Litigation Practice Group and is looking forward to returning to this role. He also served as a member of Hiring Committee and managed the firm’s Summer Associate Program. Michael will serve as the President of the Lawyer’s Guild for the 2023 - 2024 year and is a Master Bencher in the John M. Manos Inn of Court. He is a former member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure. He earned his BSBA in Finance from John Carroll University and his JD, summa cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Paul Rose founded the firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice Group and is an experienced business litigator focusing with particular focus on cases concerning complex insurance coverage disputes. He often assists clients in obtaining insurance recoveries without resorting to litigation. He has led seminal cases and has practiced in trial and appellate courts throughout Ohio and in the Ohio Supreme Court, as well as the courts of various other states. He also has appeared in various federal courts, including the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He is a past chair of the firm’s Environmental Practice Group. He has served as President of the Scanlon Inn of Court, which is the Akron Chapter of the National Inns of Court. Paul is certified as a Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. He is ranked in Band 1 for Insurance (Ohio) by Chambers USA (2020-2022) and The Best Lawyers in America© in the Insurance Law and Litigation - Insurance sections (2013-2023). He earned his BA, with special distinction, from the University of Oklahoma, and his JD with honors, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Patricia Gajda has served on the firm’s Executive Committee since 2013. Her practice focuses on corporate transactions and M&A, general corporate counseling, and joint ventures. She has extensive experience negotiating and structuring acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, equity investments, joint ventures, corporate structuring, development agreements, licensing agreements, general supply and other commercial agreements, and corporate succession planning. Pat has advised and represents both privately held and publicly traded clients. In 2023, Pat was named Commercial Transactions/UCC “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland by The Best Lawyers in America© and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America© for Corporate Law since 2018 and for Commercial Transactions/UCC Law since 2015. Pat has served on the Board of Bar Examiners for the state of Ohio since 2019. She earned her BSBA, magna cum laude, from John Carroll University, and her JD, magna cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Laura Fryan focuses her practice on counseling health care providers, hospitals, health plans, and health care companies. She has experience providing strategic guidance and legal advice to assist providers and business owners with a variety of issues including HIPAA, Stark and Anti-Kickback compliance, vendor agreements and employment contracts, overpayments and government investigations, reimbursement from commercial and government payors, facility bylaws and peer review plans, and state and federal licensing. She also facilitates transactions, including joint ventures, leasing of physician practices, and the buying and selling of hospitals, physician groups, and other health care related entities. Laura currently serves as Chair of the Marketing Committee. She was recognized as an ‘Up and Coming’ attorney in Healthcare (Ohio) by Chambers USA 2022 and as a ‘One to Watch’ for Health Care Law by The Best Lawyers in America© in 2022 and 2023. She earned her BA from Grove City College before earning her MBA from The University of Akron, and her JD, summa cum laude, from The University of Akron School of Law.
About Brouse McDowell
Brouse McDowell is an established, full-service business law firm based in northern Ohio. With 80+ attorneys across offices in Akron, Cleveland, Toledo, and Youngstown, Ohio as well as Naples, Florida, the firm serves clients across the region and far beyond. The firm has more than 100 years of history and continues a long tradition of delivering sophisticated legal counsel to clients that range from sole proprietorships to the nation’s largest corporations. Practice areas include business restructuring, business bankruptcy and commercial law; business transactions and corporate counseling; cybersecurity and data privacy; environmental; health care law; insurance recovery; labor and employment; litigation; litigation and information management; real estate and construction; tax; trademark, copyright and trade secrets; and trusts and estates. The firm is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and values the perspectives that professionals of diverse backgrounds bring to the work and workplace. The firm routinely taps the skills and experience of attorneys and staff for meaningful leadership roles.
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