James Spallino

Practice Areas

Jim is a partner in the firm’s Personal & Succession Planning practice. He counsels high-net-worth individuals and families on estate planning, including family business succession planning, multigenerational planning, gift tax planning, charitable giving, college savings planning, private family foundations, and asset protection planning strategies. Jim also advises clients on international estate planning matters, including cross-border planning, pre-immigration planning, planning strategies for foreign clients with U.S.-sitused assets and/or family members living in the U.S., and planning strategies for U.S. clients with assets abroad. He represents fiduciaries in estate and trust administration matters and charitable organizations in endowment fund and planned giving matters. Jim also has experience representing professional athletes in their estate planning matters.

Jim is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2017 for Nonprofit/Charities Law and Trusts & Estates and was named Best Lawyers® Nonprofit/Charities Law 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland. Jim is also a member of the University Hospitals Diamond Advisory Group and the Cleveland Museum of Art Gift Planning Network and a founding member of the Cleveland Metroparks Estate Planning Advisory Committee.

Jim is a frequent speaker and writer on international estate planning matters and other estate planning topics.