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Closely Held & Family-Owned Businesses

Business Services

Walter Haverfield’s Business Services Group proudly provides counsel around your business needs to deliver comprehensive assessments, detailed plans, and thorough guidance. For over 90 years, we have provided a full range of legal services to family-owned and other closely held businesses representing companies from all industries.

Practice Group Leader

Jacob B. Derenthal, Chair

216.928.2933

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Our Closely Held & Family-Owned Business Difference

As a proactive and innovative business advisory and advocacy law firm, the Walter Haverfield advantage instills confidence and security for our closely held and family-owned business clients.

Areas of focus include:

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Joint Ventures
Sale of Business
Capital Raising and Lender Financing Transactions
Customer and Vendor Contract Drafting, Negotiation, and Disputes
Entity Selection and Formation
Tax and Succession Planning
Strategic and Growth Strategies
Owner Relationships and Control Structures
Executive Compensation
Employment Law Compliance and Employee Benefits
Real Estate Purchase/Sale and Leasing Transactions
Protection of Trade Secrets and Intellectual Property
Risk Management and Mitigation

Closely Held & Family-Owned Businesses Team

Rick Amburgy

Rick L. Amburgey

Partner

Danielle L. Buchinsky

Associate

Lorraine Catalusci

Associate

David J. Crandall

Senior Partner

Jacob Darenthal

Jacob B. Derenthal

Chair
Partner

Sachin V. Java

Associate

Tim Jochim

Partner

Irene MacDougall

Irene M. MacDougall

Partner

Christopher P. Reuscher

Partner

Chuck Schaefer

Charles R. Schaefer

Partner

Jackie Stelling

Of Counsel

Recognition

Our business attorneys in our Cleveland and Columbus offices are consistently ranked and recognized by Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, and more. At Walter Haverfield, we pride ourselves on becoming each client’s trusted corporate advisor for all their business needs.

Best Law Firms | 2025

Regional Rankings | Cleveland

Tier 1
- Banking and Finance Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Construction Law
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
- Economic Development Law
- Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Litigation – Real Estate
- Litigation – Trusts and Estates
- Real Estate Law
Tier 2
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Litigation – Environmental
- Tax Law
- Trusts and Estates
Tier 3
- Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
- Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
- Litigation – Construction
- Litigation – ERISA

National Rankings | USA

Tier 3
- Banking and Finance Law
- Litigation – Real Estate

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