From the time he was a child, Louis J. Licata, Esq. knew he wanted to help people by becoming a lawyer. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, the Professional Fellowship Program at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management, and Cleveland State University, Mr Licata founded his practice in Cleveland in 1990. Mr. Licata, currently the Chairman of The Council of Small Enterprises (COSE), moved his practice to Independence in November 1997.

While working with COSE, Mr. Licata met COSE Board Member Sharon L. Toerek. Sharon, founder of Toerek Co., received her Juris Doctor degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of law in 1991 and focused on intellectual property law, advising clients on trademark, copyright, trade secret, non-competition, and other intellectual property issues. In July 2006 Sharon joined Mr. Licata in practice, resulting in the partnership of Licata & Toerek.

We met with Mr. Licata recently, and listened as he outlined the services Licata & Toerek offers;

Licata & Toerek serves as complete legal counsel to professionals and small business owners. We provide them with the same day-to-day legal assistance they would receive if they employed their own in-house attorney. We are small business owners ourselves, understand the issues business owners face on a daily basis, and utilize our unique perspective to provide our clients with the most effective legal representation available.

Since the inception of our practice, we have specialized in asset protection, day-to-day buying and selling, and employment law. We assist in setting up corporations, handling corporate minutes, and reviewing internal documents to ensure our clients' paperwork keeps pace with their corporate growth. Asset protection includes not only protecting their intellectual property, but also compliance with the paperwork requirements imposed on small businesses, estate planning, and advising in ways to transition the business to future owners.

Every business is engaged in both buying and selling, whether it is a service or a product. Each purchase or sale is a contract, and if contracts are not negotiated in advance, the law imposes the terms of the contract. We make sure our clients are protected by properly addressing all of the terms and conditions in their buying and selling documents, and help them fully understand the terms of the contracts they enter. We also help them in cases when they wish to sell or buy assets, and when they want to buy or sell a product line.

We assist businesses as they encounter a wide range of employment issues. Sometimes it is as simple as helping them develop a procedure manual, other times it is answering a telephone call about personnel issues such as employee behavior, drug problems, Union matters, or Workers' Compensation issues.

These are the areas where we help our clients on a day-to-day basis. We have seven attorneys on staff who are very experienced in these areas. When a client needs specialty representation outside our areas of expertise, we procure the special representation they need so they do not have to attempt to locate an appropriately skilled representative by themselves. Most of these specialists have a strategic alliance with our firm.

Licata & Toerek's corporate culture is one of frequent communication with our clients. We are seldom unavailable to take a client's call, and when we are, we endeavor to return the call as soon as possible. We constantly keep our clients apprised of our actions on their behalf, and respond to their needs much quicker than traditional law firms. To that effect, our Fast Law™ newsletter is published on our web site to provide clients with advice on solving daily legal issues properly and expeditiously.

Licata & Toerek is dedicated to providing their clients with the most effective legal representation available. Call Licata & Toerek today, and don't forget to tell them The Advocate sent you!

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