October 6, 2022 – Ulmer & Berne LLP is proud to announce that retired partner Inajo Davis Chappell will be honored this week by the Ohio State Bar Foundation with the Ramey Award for Distinguished Service. This award is given annually to an Ohio attorney whose career has been exemplified by a lifetime of service to the public and the community.
“I worked with Inajo for 25 years here at Ulmer, and during that time I witnessed first-hand her incredible heart for service and her passion for the community,” said Patricia A. Shlonsky, Partner-in-Charge of Ulmer’s Cleveland office. “We are thrilled to see that her continuous commitment to public service and her significant accomplishments are being recognized in this way.”
Chappell retired from Ulmer in 2021 after 25 years with the firm. She formerly served as the Group Leader of the firm’s Nonprofit Group, which represents more than 100 exempt organizations, ranging from social service agencies to arts groups, health organizations, foundations, community development corporations, educational, and governmental institutions. Chappell also led the firm’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee as its Chair, guiding the firm in its diversity efforts and hosting educational programming to enhance the firm’s culture of inclusion.
In addition to her work representing nonprofit organizations and public institutions, Chappell handled a variety of legal matters for for-profit businesses. Her legal practice focused on various aspects of corporate law and governance, general business transactions, and commercial real estate acquisition, development, construction, and financing.
A respected civic leader, Chappell has served in dozens of key roles on the boards of nonprofit organizations, foundations, and professional groups throughout her career. She has held key leadership roles with The Cleveland Foundation and the Medical Mutual of Ohio Charitable Foundation, and currently serves on The MetroHealth System Board of Trustees, the ERIEBANK Ohio Advisory Board, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, and the Say Yes Cleveland Scholarship Board.
Chappell has received numerous civic and professional awards throughout her career and is consistently honored for her contributions to the legal profession and the community. She was recently recognized by Smart Business Magazine with the Smart Women Award in the Progressive Women category, and she was named for the second time by The Best Lawyers in America© as its “Lawyer of the Year” for Nonprofit/Charities Law in Cleveland. She has also been named a “Black Leader Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal and a “Notable Woman in Law” by Crain’s Cleveland Business, and Savoy Magazine lists her as one of the “Most Influential Women in Corporate America” and “Most Influential Black Lawyers.”
Each year, the Ohio State Bar Foundation hosts the All Rise Awards Celebration, when statewide honorees are recognized for leadership in their communities through volunteer service both in and outside of the legal profession. This year’s award winners will be honored on October 7, 2022, at The Exchange at Bridge Park in Dublin, Ohio. For more information about the event and this year’s honorees, click here.