Brouse McDowell Announces New Practice Chair Appointments

Brouse McDowell, a leading regional business law firm, is pleased to announce that as of January 1, 2017, Amanda M. Leffler and Caroline L. Marks have been named co-chairs of the firm’s Insurance Recovery Practice Group, Terry W. Vincent has been named chair of the firm’s Tax Practice Group, and Kerri L. Keller and Michael P. O’Donnell have been named co-chairs of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group.

Amanda Leffler is a member of one of the most experienced insurance coverage groups in the nation; she is routinely successful in compelling insurers to honor their coverage obligations. Amanda has experience in both negotiating claim resolution prior to litigation and prosecuting coverage cases against insurers who have denied claims. She has assisted in recovering over one hundred million dollars for policyholders and has expertise in numerous types of coverage disputes, including general liability, construction, directors & officers, property, asbestos, and environmental liability. Amanda is certified as a Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association and is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated through Martindale-Hubbell. She serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Akron (Class 31), the Ohio State Bar Association, Akron Children’s Museum, and is Vice Chair of United Disability Services. Amanda is also a member of the Akron, American, Ohio State, and Federal Bar Associations. She has been named among Ohio Super Lawyers® through a peer-and achievement-based review conducted by the research team at Super Lawyers®, a service of Thomson Reuters legal division from 2014-2017, and named Top 25 Women Cleveland Super Lawyers® and Top 50 Women Ohio Super Lawyers® from 2015-2017. Amanda earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toledo, and her Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law. She and her family reside in Akron.

Caroline Marks will serve as the Insurance Recovery Group’s practice chair for the Cleveland office. Caroline, who is certified as a Specialist in Insurance Coverage Law by the Ohio State Bar Association and serves on that association’s Insurance Law Specialty Board, devotes her practice to complex insurance coverage disputes. She also has significant appellate experience, having started her career as a clerk at the Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals and the Ohio Supreme Court. Caroline is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan, Ohio State, Florida State, American, and Federal Bar Associations, as well as the John M. Manos Inn of Court. She has been named among Ohio’s Rising Stars™ (2012-2014) and Ohio Super Lawyers® (2015-2017) through a peer- and achievement-based review conducted by the research team at Super Lawyers®, a service of Thomson Reuters legal division. Caroline earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia and her Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Terry Vincent is a tax attorney with over 30 years of experience, starting his career with the IRS in Washington, D.C. and Cleveland, Ohio. He represents clients on a variety of IRS examinations, appeals, collection and criminal matters. Terry also represents public bodies and non-profit entities on issues affecting formation, business operations, bidding procedures and Sunshine Laws. He serves as Special Prosecutor for the Central Collection Agency (“CCA”), initiating criminal proceedings in communities throughout the State of Ohio to enforce and support their municipal income tax ordinances. Terry is a member of the American, Cleveland Metropolitan and Federal Bar Associations, as well as the Taxation Section and Federal Taxation Subcommittee of the Ohio State Bar Association. He is also a member of the Case Western Reserve University Estate Planning Advisory Council. Terry serves as a barrister for the William K. Thomas Inn of Court and is a former board member for Lawyer's Guild of Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. He earned his Bachelor of Science from The University of Akron, his Master of Taxation from The University of Akron College of Business, and his Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law. Terry is an active corporate citizen in Lakewood, where he and his wife reside.

Kerri Keller focuses her practice on business and commercial litigation, which includes contractual disputes, business torts, employment and benefits law, and insurance recovery. Kerri serves as both lead and local counsel in a wide variety of litigation matters and has substantial and diverse experience. She is currently a member of the Northern District of Ohio Advisory Group, a court-appointed panel charged with providing information on matters of interest to the court, assisting in the implementation of court-adopted programs, and bringing to the court’s attention matters of interest to the bar and the community. Kerri is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Akron Bar Association, and serves on the Economic Growth Board for the City of Hudson. She has been named among Ohio Super Lawyers® through a peer-and achievement-based review conducted by the research team at Super Lawyers, a service of Thomson Reuters legal division from 2015-2017. She is a member of the Akron, Ohio State, and Federal Bar Associations. Kerri earned her Bachelor of Arts from Cleveland State University with honors and her Juris Doctorate from The University of Akron School of Law, cum laude. She and her family reside in Hudson.

Michael O’Donnell is the co-chair of the Litigation Practice Group, and also a member of the Business Restructuring, Bankruptcy & Commercial Law Practice Group. He has a wide variety of complex litigation experience primarily for sophisticated corporate clients with respect to product liability, contract disputes, premises liability, employment, 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. Michael is a former member of the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure and current member of the John M. Manos Inn of Court. He is Legal Counsel to the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County and a Life Member of The Judicial Conference of the Eighth District. Michael was named among the Rising Stars™ through a peer and achievement-based review conducted by the research team at Super Lawyers®, a service of Thomson Reuters legal division from 2013-2017. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance from John Carroll University, and his Juris Doctorate from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Michael is also a member of the Rocky River City Council where he resides with his family.