AV® Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, Jennifer’s practice is devoted to representing companies and their directors, officers and employees in high-stakes business disputes. Jennifer regularly advises on a wide variety of matters including securities and shareholder litigation, corporate governance and fiduciary disputes, business torts, employment issues, real estate leasing and development, and complex contract disputes.
Jennifer has extensive experience representing clients in both state and federal courts throughout the United States, and serves as court-appointed mediator and evaluator for the Federal Court Panel of Alternative Dispute Resolution for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio as well as on the Board of Trustees for the Federal Bar Association, Northern District of Ohio Chapter. She has acted on numerous cases as a court-appointed arbitrator for the Court of Common Pleas for Cuyahoga County. Jennifer has taught several courses in recent years at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in the areas of focused problem solving, negotiation and counseling skills.
Jennifer has consistently been recognized by Super Lawyers® Magazine as an “Ohio Super Lawyer” and has been recently recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® in Commercial Litigation.
Prior to joining Matasar Jacobs, Jennifer co-founded a business litigation firm with offices in Cleveland and New York City, and previously was a litigation partner with the national law firm of Thompson Hine LLP.
Professional Activities
- Court-appointed Mediator and Evaluator in Federal Court Panel of Alternative Dispute Resolution, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (2011-present)
- Arbitrator, Court of Common Pleas, Cuyahoga County, Ohio (1998-present)
- The Federal Bar Association: Board of Trustees; Chair, Community Relations and Public Service Committee; Co-Founder and Organizer, “Reach Out: Legal Assistance for Non- Profits” Program (2010-present)
- American Bar Association: Co-chair, Program Committee, Real Estate Litigation Committee (2012-2014); member (2012-present)
- Adjunct Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, The Lawyering Process, (negotiation, client counseling and interviewing), Focused Problem Solving, and Core Lawyering Skills (CORE III)
Community Activities
- City of Bay Village Planning Commission (initial 2012-August 2015 term; reappointed for August 2015-2020 term))
- The Children’s Museum of Cleveland: Chairman of the Board of Trustees (2010-2013); Executive Secretary (2008-2010); Site Development Committee (2009-2015); Board Development Committee (2009-2017), Annual Gala Committee (2008-2010); Member, Board of Trustees (2007-present).
- Lakewood Hospital Child Care Center: Co-Founding Member, Board of Trustees (2011 to present).
- The Littlest Heroes: Executive Board Secretary (2009-2011); Chair, Board Development Committee (2009-2011); Chair, Administration Committee (2007-2009); Member, Board of Trustees (2005-2011).
- The Cleveland Yachting Club: Strategic Planning Committee (2011); Sail Camp Steering Committee (2011-2015); Member (2006-present).
- Civic Leadership Institute, Class of 2010
EDUCATION
Vanderbilt University School of Law, J.D. (1993); Executive research editor, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law; Vanderbilt Moot Court Board; Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Team
Miami University, B.A., with University Honors (1990); Triple major in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs, German, and Political Science; Junior Year Abroad at the John E. Dolibois European Center in Luxembourg
ADMISSIONS
- State Bars of New York and Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit