View more from News & Articles or Primerus Weekly

Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP
Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland, OH – David M. Lenz is Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell’s new Managing Partner, succeeding James D. Vail, who served as Managing Partner for 23 years.  The change comes as part of the firm’s strategic efforts to build on the long history of the firm and sustain that success with its next generation of attorneys and clients.  With the start of the new decade, Jim Vail felt that timing was perfect for this transition and the succession took effect on January 1, 2020.

When asked about his election as Managing Partner David Lenz responded, “My partners at Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP are some of the finest attorneys in Cleveland, and it is a tremendous honor to have been elected by them to serve as the next managing partner of our firm. For more than 150 years our firm has built a reputation of excellence in personal and thoughtful client service, and I look forward to helping to write the next chapter in that history as we continue to apply those values in our rapidly changing world. I also thank Jim Vail for many years of leadership and friendship.”

David Lenz joined the firm in 2006 and became a Partner in 2013.  His practice focuses on Trust and Estate planning and administering wealth transfer for individuals and families. Beyond representing individuals with respect to their personal charitable planning, David also counsels organizations on issues ranging from formation and filing of applications for tax-exempt status for start-up nonprofits to planned giving for established public charities and governance and compliance for private family foundations.

Lenz is certified by the Ohio State Bar Association as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law and was a part of the Ohio State Bar Association’s subcommittee that led to the adoption of the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act in Ohio in 2017.  He is a national speaker, author, and thought leader on estate planning with digital assets, charitable planning and purpose driven philanthropy.

Attorney Lenz also serves as a leader in the local legal community, primarily through his volunteer efforts with the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, where he is a past chair of its Estate Planning, Probate & Trust Law Section, its Estate Planning Institute, and its 3Rs Oversight Committee.  He was also recently elected to the national Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

With this recent transfer in responsibilities, the firm proudly celebrates 23 years of leadership by Jim Vail.  He is revered for his thoughtful guidance and unwavering commitment to clients and the legal profession and has provided the direction for the firm’s growth and outstanding reputation as one of the oldest and most respected law firms in Cleveland. To honor Vail’s legacy in the legal community, the firm has donated a gift in his name to the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation’s Stokes Scholars Program to support students with tuition for LSAT preparation courses.  Mr. Vail will continue to be an active partner, where the primary focus of his legal practice remains Business Law, Commercial Litigation, and Real Estate Law.

About Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP

Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP is a full-service law firm. With experience dating back to 1867, the firm focuses on delivering excellent client service by providing forward-thinking and creative solutions to complex legal problems. With more than 25 lawyers licensed to practice in five states and Canada, Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP provides its clients with a broad range of services, including business law, family law, litigation, real estate, taxation, trusts and estates.  SSSB is proud of the number of American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Fellows that practice at the firm.

To learn more about the firm please visit www.sssb-law.com

Schneider Smeltz Spieth Bell LLP is a member of the International Society of Primerus Law Firms.