LEE E. PLAKAS, ESQ.
Areas of practice include: Commercial Litigation, Energy, Oil and Gas, Wrongful Death, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Unfair Business Competition, Intellectual Property, Employment Law Harassment and Discrimination, Sports Law, and Environmental Litigation.
Managing Partner
Leonidas (Lee) E. Plakas is the Managing Partner of Tzangas, Plakas, Mannos & Raies, Ltd.
Mr. Plakas has been involved in hundreds of civil jury trials during his career in both State and Federal Courts.
Mr. Plakas' record of trial successes is unique in the broad spectrum of types of cases in which he has won million dollar verdicts. His successes include a $10 million result against a hospital system for corrupt activities, and million dollar plus verdicts and judgments in business breach of contract, medical malpractice, employment sexual harassment, nursing home negligence, workplace safety cases and personal injury cases
He has won the highest verdicts in Stark County's legal history in business litigation, employment harassment and nursing home negligence.
He has experience in protecting landowners in energy, oil/gas and other mineral extraction cases. Mr. Plakas has been involved in negotiating oil and gas leases and monitoring related operations since as early as 1982 when he established an oil and gas drilling venture on family owned property. He has also been involved in cases dealing with complex environmental and waste disposal.
Mr. Plakas also represents businesses and corporations that operate on national and international levels. He has successfully defended businesses in "bet the company" jury trials involving claims for tens of millions of dollars. He has also successfully represented businesses in age and sex discrimination, contract, intellectual property, and other commercial litigation.
Professional Certifications
- Mr. Plakas has received the honor of being board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy annually since 1998 as a Civil Trial Specialist. This certification is only bestowed upon trial attorneys who have been involved in numerous major jury trials and whose special trial expertise has been confirmed by judges and opposing attorneys who have been involved in jury trials with Mr. Plakas, and have observed his trial skills.
- Mr. Plakas’ litigation prowess has also been recognized by the American Board of Trial Advocates since 2003 for his skills and accomplishments in the art of trial advocacy.
Recognition of Professional Excellence
- Mr. Plakas has since 1996 received an annual AV rating from the Martindale-Hubbell National Law Directory, which is the highest possible rating for both professional ability and ethics.
- Ohio's Top 100 Attorneys: Named among Ohio's Top 100 Attorneys 2010, 2011, and 2012 by Super Lawyers Magazine
- Ohio's Top 100 Trial Lawyers: Named Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Ohio 2010, 2011 by American Trial Lawyers Association
- Best Lawyers In America: Selected by peers for inclusion in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 Editions of "Best Lawyers in America"
- Ohio Super Lawyer: Named Ohio Super Lawyer 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by The Cincinnati Magazine and Ohio Super Lawyers
- Top Lawyer: Named Avvo Top Lawyer, rated by Avvo.com - highest rating "superb" 10 on scale of 1-10
- Two Tzangas, Plakas, Mannos & Raies Lawyers Honored for Their Work in Business (Youngstown Daily Legal News, June 21, 2011)
Recognition and Appointments
- Outstanding Law Alumni of the Year Award - Akron University School of Law, May, 2001
- Who's Who in American Law
- Appointed by Northern District of Ohio Federal Judges to serve on Committee to interview and recommendapplicants for the judicial vacancy of Federal Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio - Fall of 1999; Spring of 2008
- Appointment by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland to the Ohio Judicial Appointments Recommendation Panel for Stark County Common Pleas Court judicial vacancy - Spring of 2007
Professional Associations / Offices Held
- Mr. Plakas is one of the founding members and past President of the Stark County Association for Justice, in which organization he still serves as a Trustee.
- After helping to establish the Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Plakas also became one of the founding members of the Summit County Trial Lawyers Association.
- He has served on the State Board of the Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers, now known as the Ohio Association for Justice both as a State Trustee for the Fifth Appellate District, and as a State Representative-at-Large.
- Member of the American Association for Justice, Ohio Association for Justice, American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, Akron Bar Association and the Stark County Bar Association
Professional Presentations
Presentations Made To Attorneys: Statewide Professional Seminars
- Ohio Association for Justice - Annual State Trial Lawyers Seminar and Convention, Columbus, Ohio- May, 2011 Subject: Jury Selection in Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Nursing Home, Workplace Safety, Consumer and Business Trials.
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers- Annual State Medical Negligence Seminar, Columbus, Ohio- November, 2002 Subject: Winning Plastic Surgery Cases.
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers- Annual State Trial Lawyers Convention and Seminar, Columbus, Ohio- May 3, 1995 Subject: Defining The Tort of Wrongful Discharge- Public Policy Exception To Employment At Will.
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers- Annual State Trial Lawyers Convention and Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio- April 30, 1993 Subject: Responsibilities of Employers and Employees- Fair Dealings, Fiduciary Duties and Faithless Servants.
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers- State Seminars: Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland, Ohio- January, 1996; Subject: "Business Insurance Policies -- Do Employees Have UM/UIM Coverage?"
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers- State Seminars, Columbus, Cincinnati & Cleveland, Ohio-December and January, 1991- Construction and Interpretation of Insurance Contracts.
- Ohio Academy of Trial Lawyers- Annual State Trial Lawyers Convention and Seminar, Columbus, Ohio- April 1989 Subject: Assumption of Risk, Contributory Negligence, and Other Product Liability Defenses.
Presentations Made To Attorneys: Regional Professional Seminars
- Mahoning/Trumbull Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Warren, Ohio -Fall 1989 - Use of Vocational Expert in Maximizing Damages;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers – Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio – October 1, 1999 - Combating Abusive Discovery Tactics;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -November 8, 1996 - How to Preserve and Win Your Appeal;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -November 10, 1995 - Everything You Need to Know About Experts - Trial Strategies;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -October 28, 1994 - Presenting Medical Testimony;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -October 30, 1992 - The Opening Statement;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton Ohio -November 1, 1991 - Preparing the Doctor for Trial;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -October 5, 1990 - Effective Cross-Examination of a Medical Expert;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -October, 1989 - Effective Use of a Vocation Rehabilitation Expert;
- Stark County Academy of Trial Lawyers - Regional Trial Seminar, Canton, Ohio -Winter 1983 Direct Exam of a Trial Witness;
- Stark County Bar Association - 1989 - County Seminar - Products Liability Statutory Changes Created by Tort Reform;
- Summit County Trial Lawyers Association - October 5, 1994 - Presentation - Effective Use of Verdict Reporters and Deposition Banks;
- Published article entitled "The Negligence Cause of Action & Assumption of Risk in Removal of Safety Guard Cases", in a national legal magazine, Products Liability, Commentary & Cases, August, 1986
Representative Cases Concluded by Court Verdict or Decision
View Mr. Plakas’ representative case results in trials involving:
- Business & Commercial
- Employment Discrimination and Harassment - Employee and Employer cases
- Professional Malpractice
- Sports Law
- Nursing Home Wrongful Death
- Workplace Safety
- Environmental Damages
- Consumer Rights
- Defamation
Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the confidential opinions of members of the Bar and the Judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Ratings fall into two categories - legal ability and general ethical standards.
