October 25, 2019
TWO LAW FIRMS JOIN CLEVELAND-BASED WALTER | HAVERFIELD
Acquisitions Strengthen Real Estate, Finance, Tax and Business Practices, Add Nine
Attorneys to Firm
CLEVELAND – Top ten Cleveland-based law firm Walter | Haverfield has acquired Hurtuk & Daroff Co., LLP, a Cleveland real estate and finance law firm with a nationwide practice and wide-ranging client base. Separately, Walter | Haverfield has acquired Nardone Limited, a tax planning and business services law firm headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
The acquisitions are part of a strategic initiative by Walter | Haverfield to expand its presence in Ohio and deepen the firm’s expertise in key practice areas.
“Our new colleagues at Hurtuk & Daroff have built a firm that has achieved national prominence,” said Ralph E. Cascarilla, managing partner, Walter | Haverfield. “They have a wide-ranging client base due to exceptional client-centered service, and they are recognized by their peers as outstanding practitioners. We are honored that they are joining our team with an office in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.”
Ed Hurtuk will be partner-in-charge of the Mayfield Heights office and a member of the Walter | Haverfield executive committee.
Walter | Haverfield, one of the ten largest law firms based in Cleveland, has experienced significant growth over the past several years. Since 2017, the firm has increased its number of attorneys by 30 percent and gained more than 1,300 new clients. The acquisition of Hurtuk & Daroff and Nardone Limited brings the total number of attorneys at the firm to nearly 90, allowing Walter | Haverfield to better serve the needs of both the Cleveland and Columbus markets.
Hurtuk & Daroff, a leader in real estate law and finance, provides counsel to developers, real estate investors, retailers, financial institutions, contractors and other participants in real estate transactions and finance. The firm, which has seven attorneys, has developed a substantial presence in local and national real estate transactions. It’s a distinction shared by Walter | Haverfield, whose developed real estate law practice is also ranked among the top in Northeast Ohio. This combination of practices elevates Walter | Haverfield’s real estate and real estate finance practice to one of the largest in the state of Ohio.
“For many years, we’ve been privileged to guide clients in significant transactions in Ohio and elsewhere throughout the country,” said Edward A. Hurtuk, partner. “Partnering with Walter | Haverfield is a natural next step for our firm because of the preeminent role its real estate practice group has played in deals that are transforming Cleveland and beyond.”
“We look forward to aligning the expertise of our respective teams to further advance the efforts of our real estate clients, which include many global cosmetics/beauty, apparel, jewelry and other retailers,” said Charles Daroff, partner. “We’re thrilled and proud to be a part of this expanded real estate services team.” Nardone Limited, founded and led by Vince Nardone, is a business services law firm with a nationwide specialty in buying and selling dental practices. The firm also represents clients throughout Ohio and surrounding states in matters related to tax and succession planning, employment issues and professional practice transitions. Nardone, who has a master’s in tax law, will be partner-in-charge of the Columbus office and a member of the firm’s executive committee.
“We’re eager to combine our business and tax law practices with those at Walter | Haverfield, and to leverage the collective expertise of our groups,” said Vince Nardone. “This consolidation marks the start of a new growth phase for us as Walter | Haverfield continues to expand in the Columbus market.”
“When we opened our Columbus office a year ago, we were on a mission to attract highly qualified professionals to expand our footprint in Central Ohio,” said Cascarilla. “I’m proud to say that we are standing by that mission by bringing on Vince Nardone. Their expertise allows us to continue to build an exceptional Columbus office that serves a wide spectrum of business clients and other professionals that are part of Nardone Limited.”
About Walter | Haverfield
Since 1932, Walter | Haverfield attorneys have served as strategic counselors to private businesses, public entities and high-net-worth individuals, providing creative and customized solutions that deliver outstanding results at an exceptional value. Our track record has allowed us to sustain year-after-year growth. Walter | Haverfield has more than doubled in the past decade to become one of Cleveland’s top ten law firms. Today, our team of nearly 90 attorneys is focused primarily in the areas of business services, real estate, intellectual property, education, labor and employment, tax and wealth management, hospitality and liquor control law, litigation and public law.