Jeffrey A Fickes

Jeffrey A. Fickes is Counsel in the Cleveland office of Tucker Ellis. Jeff practices in the areas of general corporate and business law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate and commercial finance and tax law.  Jeff acts as general counsel for many closely-held businesses and represents both privately-held and publicly-traded companies in many industries including manufacturing, distribution, retail, private equity, banking, transportation, professional services, and technology. Jeff’s prior corporate finance and management experience offers his clients real-world business advice, and he serves on various corporate advisory boards.

Jeff provides counsel to senior level executives and boards of directors, and he has served as lead counsel on hundreds of domestic and international strategic transactions worth billions of dollars, including: corporate mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, reorganizations and joint ventures; corporate securities offerings and private equity investments; entity formation and capitalization; corporate governance and succession planning; commercial and asset-based lending, and bond financing; commercial real estate lending, acquisitions and dispositions; executive employment and deferred compensation arrangements; intellectual property acquisitions, dispositions and licensing; and product and equipment purchase, supply and distribution arrangements.  Jeff has also represented companies with respect to shareholder and management disputes, transactional tax structuring, and federal, state and local tax appeals.

Jeff’s community involvement includes leadership roles with The Greater Akron Chamber, the United Way, Leadership Akron, St. Sebastian Church Foundation, Cascade Capital Corporation and Copley-Fairlawn Schools Foundation. Jeff grew up in Dover, Ohio and currently resides in Copley, Ohio with his wife Lynn, a school teacher, and two sons.

Publications

"Managing Legal Costs of M&A" - Crain's Cleveland Business (January 2011)
"Employer-Owned Life Insurance: What to Watch For" Law360 Employment and Insurance Law sections (April 2010)
"Why Plan for Business Succession?" - Smart Business Akron/Canton
"When is a Deal Too Good to be True?" - Smart Business Akron/Canton

Speaking Engagements

"Business Succession Planning: Planning for the Future of Your Business" - The University of Akron School of Accountancy Advisory Board Professional Development Day (October 2010)
"Managing Vendor Relationships: Protecting the Goods You Send to Your Vendors"- The Association of Corporate Counsel, Northeast Ohio Chapter (March 2010)
"Know Your Client's Options for Financing the Business Acquisition" - National Business Institute (December 2009)
"Overview of UCC Issues in Contract Negotiations" - The Association of Corporate Counsel, Northeast Ohio Chapter (March 2009)
"Advanced Like-Kind Exchange Techniques" (2006)
"Operating a Business Within a Legal Entity" (2005)

Awards & Professional Recognition

AV® Preeminent™ rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
"Ohio Super Lawyer - Rising Star" by Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine
Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honors Fraternity
Leadership Akron (Class XXVIII)
Fellow of the Akron Bar Foundation
Banc One Capital Markets Fellow (1999)
Golden Key National Honor Society

Civic & Professional Involvement

Greater Akron Chamber Business Excellence Awards, Board Chair
United Way of Summit County, Tocqueville Society Member
Greater Akron Chamber Economic Development Council, Director
Cascade Capital Corporation, Past Committee Member
Copley-Fairlawn Schools Foundation, Past Director/Secretary
Greater Akron Chamber Small Business Council, Past Director
Akron Bar Association, Member
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
Ohio State Bar Association, Member

Full Bio