Education

• San Francisco State University

  (B.A., cum laude, 2009)
  Dean’s Honor List 2008, 2009

• Case Western Reserve University School of Law

  (J.D., 2013)
  Dean’s Honor List 2010, 2011 Klatsky Fellowship Recipient, John Wragg Kellogg Prize

Admissions

• State of Ohio
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Represented a school district in successfully challenging the constitutionality of a controversial state law that allowed residents of certain Ohio communities to more easily change their assigned school district despite the risk of racial segregation among affected students (Plain Local School District Board of Education v. Mike DeWine, No. 2:19-CV-5086, 2020 WL 5521310 (S.D.OH Sept 11, 2020).
• Represented self-directed IRA custodian in putative class action alleging aiding and assisting a Ponzi scheme in violation of the Ohio Securities Act, which resulted in a seminal decision from the Ohio Supreme Court on a certified question of first impression on the reach of secondary liability under the Ohio Securities Act (Boyd v. Kingdom Trust Co., 154 Ohio St. 3d 196 (2018)).
• Represented executor, as part of litigation team, and prevailed at the Ohio Supreme Court in precedent setting matter regarding the requirements for the presentation of a claim against a decedent’s estate. (Wilson v. Lawrence, 150 Ohio St.3d 368, 2017-Ohio-1410).
• Defended national bank in litigation alleging breach of fiduciary duty and violations of the Ohio Uniform Fiduciary Act; obtained summary judgment on all claims in a decision that was affirmed by the Fifth District Court of Appeals. (Tsepas v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA, 2017-Ohio-1272 (Ohio 5th Dist. Ct. App.)).
• Defended major financial institutions in customer disputes in arbitration before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and in state court, including defending against claims under state and federal securities and consumer protection laws, common law fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and similar allegations.
• Represented corporate fiduciaries in defense of claims for breach of fiduciary duty, breach of trust, and in actions for removal.
• Successfully represented a client at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement bond hearing after the client had been detained due to the expiration of her F-1 Student Visa.
• Assisted international students with applications for work authorization through F-1 Optional Practical Training and the H-1B process on behalf of numerous corporations in Silicon Valley.
• Advised international students on securing F-1 Student Visas and the immigration process, including working to change their immigration statuses once they were in the United States.
• Defended multinational natural resources company, as part of litigation team, in $100 million breach of contract and tort action, assisting in all phases of litigation and appeal, and developing defense strategy.
• Defended retail pharmacy in unfair competition and trade secrets matter, and after obtaining transfer to the Eastern District of Michigan for lack of personal jurisdiction, drafted motion to dismiss that was granted, in part, dismissing with prejudice significant number of the plaintiff’s claims. (Prescription Supply, Inc., et al. v. Moussa “Mark” Musa, et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-12070 (E.D. Mich. February 27, 2017)).
• Defended self-directed IRA custodian in numerous cases in and outside of Ohio against customer claims under state and federal securities and consumer protection laws, along with tort and contract claims.

Client Alerts

• "Ohio Supreme Court Clarifies the Definition of “Participating in or Aiding” Securities Fraud," Ulmer & Berne LLP Client Alert (November 2018)

Presentations

• “From the Trenches of Fiduciary Litigation: Exculpatory Clauses (and Other Key Defenses),” Ulmer Webinar (April 2019)
• “From the Trenches of Fiduciary Litigation: Exculpatory Clauses (and Other Key Defenses Available to Trustees),” CMBA Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law Section (February 2019)
• “When Waving Bye-Bye to a Bad Advisor is Not Enough: A Firm’s Potential Liability for a Former Advisor’s Criminal Conduct,” Ulmer Hot Topics in Financial Services & Securities Litigation Seminar (November 2018)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Ohio State Bar Association

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Stella Maris, Inc. (Board of Directors 2017-present; Board Secretary 2019-present)
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association The 3Rs – Rights, Responsibilities, and Realities Program (High School Classroom Volunteer 2017-present)

HONORS

• The National LGBT Bar Association “Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40” Award Recipient (2021)
• Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars list (2017-2021)
• Named to the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Commercial Litigation (2021)
• Crain’s Cleveland Business “Forty Under 40” Award Recipient (2018)

• Ulmer Partner Daniela Paez Named to National LGBT Bar Association’s 2021 Class of Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40
• Ulmer Elects Six Attorneys to Firm Partnership
• Ohio Super Lawyers Honors Ulmer Attorneys in 2020 Lists
• Ulmer Congratulates 60 of Its Attorneys Named to the 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers List
• Ulmer Attorney Daniela Paez Named to Crain’s Forty Under 40 Class
• Ulmer Congratulates 59 Attorneys Named to the 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers List
• Ulmer Congratulates 55 Attorneys Named to 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers List