Teresa G. Santin Partner

Teresa practices primarily construction litigation, resolving disputes arising from public, industrial, commercial and residential projects. She represents general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers and public entities in disputes involving construction agreements, unjust enrichment, mechanic’s liens and statutory violations. She frequently litigates claims of poor workmanship, incomplete or incorrect work, defective construction, schedule delay, unapproved change orders, payment and performance bonds and mechanic’s liens. Teresa also drafts, reviews and negotiates construction contracts on behalf of owners, general contractors and subcontractors.

Teresa has significant experience resolving matters through alternative dispute resolution, particularly arbitration. She frequently arbitrates construction and commercial disputes, handling several arbitrations at any given time, typically before the American Arbitration Association (AAA). Teresa also serves on the AAA Panel of Consumer Arbitrators.

Likewise, Teresa frequently practices in state and federal courts.

She also has significant commercial litigation experience, including business and bankruptcy related issues. In these contexts, she has represented small and large entities, trustees, and individuals in disputes such as those involving breach of contract, fraud, misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and statutory violations. Representative matters involve breaches of master services agreements, operating agreements, co-location mining services agreements, hosting services agreements for cryptocurrency mining, distribution agreements, lease agreements, franchise agreements and trust agreements.

Finally, Teresa represents both Chapter 7 trustees and consumers in matters against debt settlement, debt negotiation, debt adjusting or debt consolidation companies that have promised to quickly and economically settle consumer debts, but have failed to deliver on those promises.

Teresa has been on the Ohio Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list since 2017, a distinction that recognizes no more than 2.5% of attorneys in each state who have been in practice for under 10 years or who are under 40.

Teresa recently concluded a three-year term on the board of directors at Joseph's and Mary's Home, a medical respite care center that offers temporary housing to homeless men and women with medical conditions and seeks to stop the cycle of homelessness by taking a holistic approach to their healing.

Teresa is a member of the NAIOP Women's Leadership Network, which helps facilitate career growth, personal development, and professional networking with female peers across the Northern Ohio region. She is also a member of the Women in Law section and the Real Estate Law section, Construction Law Subcommittee, of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.