Michael W. Schauer

Mike Schauer is a Partner in the Business and Real Estate practice groups. Prior to joining the firm, Mike served as in-house counsel for closely held companies and worked closely with ownership to facilitate rapid and sustained growth across business units throughout the United States. 

Mike advises and assists clients on transactional, employment, cybersecurity, and real estate matters. His day-to-day corporate practice encompasses entity formation, commercial contracting, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. His employment practice includes assisting employers with ADA, FMLA, workplace safety, and other work-related issues, as well as negotiating employment and severance agreements. 

Mike studied law at the John Marshall School of Law in Chicago, serving as the Articles Editor on the Review of Intellectual Property and graduating in 2015. Prior to law school, he earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Loyola University Chicago. He is also a registered patent attorney with the USPTO. 

Outside of his legal practice, Mike enjoys exploring the city and spending time with his wife and young family.

• Business Law
• Commercial Contracting
• Corporate and LLC Law
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Real Estate

Licensed to Practice

• Illinois
• Ohio

Education

• The John Marshall Law School, J.D., 2015
• Loyola University Chicago, B.S. Chemistry, 2012

Admissions & Associations

• State of Ohio
• State of Illinois
• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
  • Chair, Business & Banking Section
• Cleveland Intellectual Property Law Association, Member
• Cleveland Council on World Affairs’ Young Professionals Advisory Committee (YPAC), Member

Awards & Honors

• Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America since 2024 
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law
  • Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Mergers and Acquisitions Law
• Selected to the Ohio Rising Stars list: 2024-present

Articles & Presentations

• Status of Non-Competes - FTC Rule Change Update & Impact, ShopTalk! Workshop, October 2024
• The FTC, Non-Competes, Trade Secrets, and Where We Go From Here, Primerus Panel Discussion, September 2024
• FTC Rule on Non-Competes Struck Down, Client Alert, August 2024
• Brewing Business Success, Implications of The FTC’s Ban on Non-Competes & The Department of Labor’s Updates to Overtime Rules, Webinar, May 2024
• FTC Rule Banning Non-Competes, Client Alert, April 2024
• Sell Your Company, Not Your Cybersecurity Risks, Crain's Cleveland Business, ACG & M&A, January 2023
• What data breach? Considering Individual State Law in Data Breach Representations and Warranties, Crain’s Cleveland Business, ACG & M&A, January 2021
• Employer Required Vaccination Policies, Legal Update, January 2021
• The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Legal Update, July 2020
• Neutralize deal killers through early planning, Crain's Cleveland Growth and M&A Edition, January 2020