FILED
Feb 18 2026
United States District Court
Northern District of Ohio
General Order
GENERAL ORDER NO. 2026-05
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
NORTHERN DISTRICT OF OHIO
)
IN THE MATTER OF ATTORNEY )
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS )
INDEFINITE SUSPENSION FROM ) ORDER NO. 2026-05
PRACTICE FOR FAILURE TO PAY )
REGISTRATION FEES TO THE )
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO )
)
On November 3, 2025, The Supreme Court of Ohio suspended 288 attorneys from the
practice of law for failure to pay registration fees pursuant to Gov.Bar R. VI, which
requires attorneys admitted to the practice of law in Ohio to register and pay applicable
fees for the 2025/2027 attorney-registration biennium on or before September 1, 2025. 1
This Court having provided more than an additional ninety days from the issuance of
The Supreme Court of Ohio’s order for the attorneys to rectify their registration status,
this Court hereby indefinitely suspends the attorneys listed in “Attachment A” from
practicing before this Court.
Readmission to practice before this Court requires the filing of an Application for
Reinstatement pursuant to Local Civil Rule 83.7(i) and Local Criminal Rule 57.7(i) with
Christian M. Capece, Clerk of Court, Carl B. Stokes U.S. Court House, 801 West
Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44113-1830, ATTN: Committee on Complaints and
Policy Compliance. The application should include an affidavit stating that the
jurisdiction which entered the order of discipline on which this Court based its discipline
has reinstated the attorney along with a Certificate of Good Standing.
1 Gov.Bar R. VI(2)(A) requires attorneys admitted to the practice of law in Ohio to register for the
2025/2027 attorney registration biennium on or before September 1, 2025. Section 10(A) establishes
that an attorney who fails to register and pay the registration fee on or before September 1, 2025, but
registers and pays within 60 days of the deadline, shall be assessed a late fee. Section 10(B) provides
that an attorney who fails to register and pay the required fees shall be notified of apparent
noncompliance and suspended from the practice of law if the attorney fails to file evidence of compliance
or come into compliance on or before the date set forth in the notice.
Upon receipt of the application, the Clerk shall refer the application to the Committee on
Complaints and Policy Compliance, which shall schedule a hearing. At the hearing, the
attorney shall have the burden of demonstrating by clear and convincing evidence that
he/she has the moral qualifications, competency and learning in the law required for
admission to practice law before this Court and that his/her resumption of the practice of
law will not be detrimental to the integrity and standing of the bar or to the administration
of justice, or subversive of the public interest. Should the Court find the attorney is found
unfit to resume practice before this Court, the application shall be dismissed. No
application for reinstatement shall be filed within one year following an adverse
judgment upon an application for reinstatement filed by or on behalf of the same
attorney. If the attorney is found fit to resume practice before this Court, the judgment
shall reinstate him/her, provided that, if the attorney has been suspended for two years
or more, reinstatement is conditioned upon the attendance of the attorney at a Federal
Court Practice Seminar. A copy of the Certificate of Training for successfully completing
the Federal Court Practice Seminar should accompany the Application for
Reinstatement. Registration in the Court's CM/ECF system will also be required.
All attorneys admitted to practice in this Court are required to submit a written notice of
a change of business address and/or email address to the Clerk upon the change in
address, pursuant to Local Civil Rule 83.5(I) and Local Criminal Rule 57.5(I). Any
attorney admitted to practice before this Court who fails to comply with Local Civil Rule
83.5(I) and Local Criminal Rule 57.5(I), makes the Clerk of Court his or her agent for the
service of any notice provided in any disciplinary matter proceeding before this Court,
pursuant to Local Civil Rule 83.7(k) and Local Criminal Rule 57.7(k).
If the attorney has been suspended for five years or more, reinstatement may also be
conditioned upon furnishing proof of competency and learning in the law, which proof
may include certification by the bar examiners of a state or other jurisdiction of the
attorney’s successful completion of an examination for admission to practice
subsequent to the date of suspension.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
FOR THE COURT
Sara Lioi
Chief Judge
Attachment A
Last Name First Name Middle Bar ID No. Status
1 Badger Richard J. 0005119 Active
2 Balendran Athavan 0102568 Active
3 Bauders Robert S. 0034427 Active
4 Berk Robert J. 0001031 Active
5 Best Louis Mitchell 0039072 Active
6 Brocklehurst Terry Michael 0032520 Active
7 Brown Brandon Earl 0097013 Active
8 Campbell Robert Paul 0008713 Active
9 Celebrezze Jr. Frank D. 0011344 Active
10 Christopher S. Paige 0066081 Active
11 Cook Francis X. 0000341 Active
12 Coticchia Joseph L. 0018414 Active
13 Crawford G. Ian 0019243 Active
14 Culbertson Mary M. 0065586 Active
15 Currie Matthew N. 0078656 Active
16 Denkewalter J. Kurt 0047282 Active
17 Denney James Allen 0028205 Active
18 Fay Terrence M. 0022935 Active
19 Figetakis Frances Lee 0039109 Active
20 Fischbein-Cohen Ruth 0041968 Active
21 Flowers Phyllis D. 0073281 Active
22 Fowler Robert M 0025123 Active
23 Froelich Jr. Raymond R. 0022265 Active
24 Gayetsky-Ghadiri Marie Therese 0052112 Active
25 Geneva M. Jayne 0039956 Active
26 George Nicholas T. 0011382 Active
27 Greenwald Gary D. 0024480 Active
28 Griffith Terry R. 0039756 Active
29 Grocki Dale M. 0056058 Active
30 Haffey Timothy P. 0041438 Active
31 Heffter Sarah Louise 0064791 Active
32 Herbers Keith M. 0008365 Active
33 Hinkle Steven D. 0014264 Active
34 Hlavka John R. 0019527 Active
35 Hochberg D. Peter 0001558 Active
36 Horejs Jr. Edward R. 0006786 Active
37 Ingleson II Harry 0061035 Active
38 Jalbert Michael J. 0018972 Active
Last Name First Name Middle Bar ID No. Status
39 Kainski Dale F. 0007306 Active
40 Kalbrunner Roger J. 0024040 Active
41 Karberg Bruce Kent 0007464 Active
42 Keenan J. Sean 0019228 Active
43 Keenon Una Harris 0018504 Active
44 Kestner Robert Steven 0025733 Active
45 Kruger Gary Iver 0008970 Active
46 Kuhn Jeffrey Craig 0017202 Active
47 Lampone Kevin S. 0092884 Active
48 Lewis Martin Harris 0010441 Active
49 Lindberg Mark S. 0039758 Active
50 Long Richard Stanley 0012005 Active
51 Malone Michael J. 0003277 Active
52 McClung Megan C. 0096833 Active
53 McLeskey Waymon B. 0022951 Active
54 McNamara Walter J. 0074570 Active
55 Meissner Joseph P. 0022366 Active
56 Menella Stephen A. 0065008 Active
57 Morris Daniel G. 0040449 Active
58 Neil Paul Frederick 0033788 Active
59 Nicodemo John Lawrence 0025632 Active
60 O'Brien James A. 0006932 Active
61 Ochu Anne Marie 0016008 Active
62 Piepho Scott R. 0062874 Active
63 Pluma Rick S. 0058421 Active
64 Porzio Barbara Burns 0003203 Active
65 Putman Timothy J. 0016298 Active
66 Savalan Thomas Leonard 0044113 Active
67 Stavick Margaret Ann 0031406 Active
68 Stearns Roger S. 0038183 Active
69 Stueber II Frederick G. 0005320 Active
70 Teitelbaum Michael J. 0038779 Active
71 Thompson Rebecca A. 0071619 Active
72 Valentine Sara M. 0098685 Active
73 Vanderwist James Charles 0010953 Active
74 Webster Jaren B. 0096619 Active
75 Weisman Mitchell A. 0003107 Active
76 White Sara N. 0093037 Active
77 Whitney Richard B. 0008004 Active
