Cooper, Kimberly

President of the Firm, Mr. Peca received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree as an accounting major from John Carroll University in 1974 and his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1977. Prior to joining the Firm in 1980, Mr. Peca practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for several years concentrating in taxation and strategic issues facing closely held businesses. Mr. Peca formerly served as co- chairperson of the Firm's Commercial & Business Law Section with a concentration on the areas of Closely Held Businesses, Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Planning. He has extensive experience in the area of Fiduciary Duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act including litigation of ERISA matters in numerous Federal Courts throughout the country.

Mr. Peca served as Special Counsel to the Ohio Turnpike Commission from 1991 to 2003. In that capacity he and the Firm represented the Commission in several matters including the issuance of Bonds in excess of $1.2 billion, litigation matters, and various issues in connection with the Commission's $1billion expansion project.

In addition to his activities with the Firm's Commercial & Business Law Section, Mr. Peca currently manages the Firm's Class Action and Mass Tort Litigation Section concentrating on consumer fraud, defective drug & medical device and security matters.

Mr. Peca is a member of the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American Society of Attorney-Certified Public Accountants, the Cleveland, Ohio, and American Bar Associations. He is a Life Delegate to the Judicial Conference of the Eight Judicial Circuit of the State of Ohio. Mr. Peca is admitted to practice before the United Sates Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio, the United States Tax Court, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the United States District Courts for the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Texas, and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, Seventh Circuit and for the District of Columbia.

Mr. Peca is very active in civic and charitable organizations in the Greater Cleveland area including serving as a member of the Advisory Board of the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, the Advisory Board of Cleveland Central Catholic High School, Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Committee member of the NOIA Foundation, former President and Board member of Alta Social Settlement House and Vice Chairman and Board member of Neighborhood Centers Association. He has also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Gilmour Academy, Lyric Opera Cleveland and University Circle Incorporated as well as the Legal Advisory Board of the National Conference of Unions and Employee Benefit Funds.

Mr. Peca is a member of the Gates Mills Players, the Gates Mills Improvement Society and a patron of the Gates Mills Historic Society.