Lisa Monihan is a Partner in the Trusts & Estates practice group, and she also serves as a practice group co-coordinator. Her practice is focused on wealth transfer planning for individuals and fiduciaries, including income, gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning; trust and estate administration; multi-generational family issues; retirement planning; succession planning for closely-held businesses; and charitable planning.

A client once told Lisa that the decision to hire her was made because “[she] really listened to what I had to say; the other lawyers I interviewed were too busy trying to impress me with how smart they were.” Lisa establishes personal, long-term relationships with her clients and guides them through the legal, tax, financial, and family issues in their unique situations with empathy and compassion.

Lisa is a frequent speaker to professional and community groups on estate planning and related topics.

Practice Areas

  • Estate Planning
  • Probate and Estate Administration
  • Trusts and Trust Administration
  • Fiduciary Representation
  • Tax Law and Planning
  • Charitable Planning and Giving

Education

  • Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1984
  • John Carroll University, B.S. in Economics, 1979

Admissions & Associations

  • State of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • Ohio State Bar Association, Member
    • Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section Council, Executive Committee and Immediate Past Chair, '23-'25
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
    • Estate Planning, Probate, and Trust Law Section, Former Chair, 2008-2009
  • Ohio Women’s Bar Association, Member
  • The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow; State Laws Committee, Technology in the Practice Committee
  • Marvin R. Pliskin Advanced Probate and Estate Planning Seminar, Member, Planning Committee
  • Probate Law Journal of Ohio, Editorial Advisory Board, 2015-current
  • Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, Member and Former President 1994-1995

Awards & Honors

  • Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent®
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2018 for Practice Areas:
    • Litigation - Trusts and Estates
    • Tax Law
    • Trusts and Estates
  • Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
    • Tax Law, Cleveland 2024
    • Trusts and Estates, Cleveland 2023
  • Chambers High Net Worth: Private Wealth Law, 2018-present
  • Selected to the Ohio Super Lawyers® list: 2006-present
    • Top 50: Women Ohio Super Lawyers list: 2024
    • Top 25: Women Cleveland Super Lawyers list: 2024
  • Certified as an Accredited Estate Planner® by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils
  • Distinguished Estate Planner; awarded in 2013 by The Estate Planning Council of Cleveland

Community Activities

  • Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Development Committee, 2016-present
  • Union Club Foundation Board, Secretary 2017-current
  • Catholic Charities Corporation, Board of Trustees, 2003-2014
  • Volunteer Council of The Cleveland Orchestra, President, 1998-2001
  • The Junior Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra, President, 1997-1999
  • The Women’s Committee of The Cleveland Orchestra, Board of Trustees, 2000-2003
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, Planned Giving Committee
  • Lawyers Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland
  • Hathaway Brown Parent Association, President 2013-2014
  • University Hospitals, Diamond Advisory Group
  • Case Western Reserve University, Professional Advisory Group

Articles & Presentations

  • Ohio Update, Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, December 2023
  • OSBA Update, CMBA Hot Topics in Estate Planning 2023, June 2023
  • Ohio Law Update, ACTEC Great Lakes Regional Meeting, Chicago, December 2022
  • Legislative Update, Park National Bank Estate Planning and Ethics Seminar, November 2022
  • Ohio Legislative Update, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Estate Planning Institute, October 2022
  • Ohio Legislative Update, Marvin Pliskin Advanced Probate and Estate Planning Institute, September 2022
  • Summary of Written Testimony before Ohio House of Representatives Civil Justice Committee in opposition to H.B. 339, Probate Law Journal of Ohio, November/December 2021
  • Opposition Testimony on behalf of the Ohio State Bar Association concerning Proposed Electronic Wills Legislation, Ohio House of Representatives Civil Justice Committee, October 12, 2021
  • Making a Difference - The Ohio Legislative Process and Recent Developments for Estates and Trusts, Boy Scout Estate Planning Seminar, September 14, 2021
  • Ohio Enacts a Legal Malpractice Statute of Repose, Probate Law Journal of Ohio, May/June 2021
  • Starting Out: The Initial Client Interview, Fiduciary Responsibilities, Conflicts of Interest and Fees, Ohio State Bar Association, Annual Presentation 2019-2023
  • The Inside Scoop on Choosing an Estate Planning Lawyer, Crain’s Cleveland Business-Estate Planning, November 2020
  • Planning for Elderly Clients Below the Exemption Amount, Probate Law Journal of Ohio, July/August 2020
  • Dilemma for Executors and Survivors: Should Cares Act Economic Impact Payments to Decedents be Returned? Probate Law Journal of Ohio, July/August 2020
  • Estate Planning for Clients Below the Exemption Amount, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel Ohio Regional Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, May 4, 2019
  • The Art of Inheritance - Planning for Children of Assisted Reproductive Technology following Enactment of Substitute Senate Bill 232, West Shore Bar Assn., July 20, 2018
  • To Be an "Heir" or Not to Be an Heir" - That is the Question, Ohio State Bar Association, April 2017
  • Increase in Value and Number of Vehicles Which May be Selected by Surviving Spouse, Probate Law Journal of Ohio, January/February 2017
  • Assisted Reproductive Technology (Art) and Inheritance Rights, Akron Tax and Estate Planning Council, January 2017