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Expansion Adds Experience and Bench Strength to the Estate Planning Practice Group

CLEVELAND – the business law firm of Brennan, Manna, Diamond (BMD) – with nearly 80 attorneys and eight offices across the country – has announced The O’Brien Law Firm, LLC, joined BMD effective January 1, 2023. 

The acquisition is part of BMD’s strategic growth plan to deepen the strength of key practice areas, increase the presence of its Cleveland office, and increase client experience and engagement. BMD will maintain the O’Brien Law Firm’s offices in Beachwood and Willoughby.

The O’Brien Law Firm provides estate planning, including wills, living trusts (simple & complex), powers of attorney, living wills, irrevocable trusts, family limited partnerships, and charitable giving strategies while helping to preserve wealth and minimize estate taxes. They will join the BMD Estate, Wealth & Tax Planning practice area focusing on individuals and small businesses.

“BMD is thrilled to have Michael O’Brien’s team join the BMD business family. We realized what an incredible asset he and his team would be to our growing Estate, Wealth & Tax Planning practice,” said Cassandra L. Manna, BMD Partner. “After several conversations regarding growth and goals, we knew the O’Brien team culture and values aligned with those of our firm: Clients First; Business Family; and Entrepreneurship. We are very excited to see where this relationship takes us and our clients in the future.”

“After a significant amount of very thoughtful and positive discussions, we will be joining the Brennan Manna Diamond family. I am extremely impressed with the proactive, client-centered focus of BMD,” said The O’Brien Law Firm Founding Partner Michael O’Brien. “They are fully supportive and have my shared value to take care of family, clients, employees, and our wonderful friends and advisors. I look forward to being part of the experienced team for many years to come.”

Meet the Team
Michael J. O’Brien is a practicing attorney and a founding partner of Cleveland-based The O’Brien Law Firm LLC. Mr. O’Brien’s firm emphasizes estate and trust planning and administration, probate, corporate planning, family business, family limited partnership and charitable trust and private family foundation planning. Mr. O’Brien has a significant experience in planning for families with children with disabilities. Mr. O’Brien has worked with many family businesses on family transfers and succession planning. In addition, Mr. O’Brien is admitted to practice in Florida and has administered many Florida estates with attention to special probate and tax concerns involving property disposition in multiple states. O’Brien is an active member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and of the Ohio and Florida Bar Associations.

Kimberly J. Baranovich is a lifelong Lake County resident, graduating from Willoughby South High School. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Cleveland State University. In 2004, she received her Juris Doctor from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and was admitted to Ohio Bar. She is member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Lake County Bar Association and a member of the Probate Committee within the Lake County Bar Association.

Additional employees joining from the Beachwood Office are Office Manager Dawn O’Brien, Paralegal Janis Hughes, Office Assistant Jessica Sapp, Office Assistant Brianna Bagakas, and Biller Murphy O’Brien. Joining from the Willoughby Office are Secretary Mary Jahnke, Paralegal Candace Kermode, Receptionist Maria McCoy, and Clerical Assistant Nancy Taddeo.

Clients First. Business Family. Entrepreneurship.
Brennan, Manna & Diamond was founded in 2000 with the goal of combining highly skilled, talented attorneys with practical experience in business matters, to create a new way to provide legal and business services to its clients.

BMD’s access to a network of successful business entrepreneurs, consultants and developers allows for innovative solutions, symbiotic partnerships, and sound legal and business advice. BMD serves clients of all types and sizes in numerous industry sectors nationwide, in the areas of: Business and Corporate; Construction Law; Employment and Labor; Finance; Government Affairs; Healthcare; Immigration; Intellectual Property; International Law; Litigation; M&A; Real Estate; Tax, Estate, Asset Protection and Wealth Management and more.

With the addition of The O’Brien Law Firm, BMD’s offices are located in Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Bonita Springs, Jacksonville and Orlando, Florida; Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. For additional information, please visit www.bmdllc.com.