Paul M. Greenberger
Paul represents privately held and publicly traded commercial property and business owners, including multi-state shopping center/apartment owners, in a wide array of disputes and transactions. Paul's practice also includes all manner of insurance coverage issues. He also has represented litigants in statutory taxpayer actions.
Paul's real estate litigation experience includes commercial landlord-tenant, adverse possession, easement and leasehold, construction, and zoning disputes. Paul has prosecuted multiple successful challenges to unlawful landmark designations of various buildings and structures. He also has successfully thwarted municipal attempts to require a certificate of occupancy for the use of open land. (City of Cleveland v. Abrams, 2008-Ohio-4589, (Cuyahoga App., Sept. 11, 2008)). Paul also has defended landlord clients against regulatory and civil rights claims.
Paul's insurance litigation experience includes favorable outcomes with respect to coverage, bad faith, and attorneys' fees issues.
Paul has litigated before both federal and state trial and appellate courts, as well as numerous federal, state, and local administrative agencies. Before the Ohio Supreme Court, Paul successfully advocated for the manner in which the Ohio Insurance Guaranty Association paid claims against an insolvent insurer (Katz v. Ohio Ins. Guar. Ass'n, 103 Ohio St. 3d 4 (2004) (amicus brief urging contention adopted by the Court); Witt v. Ohio Ins. Guar. Ass'n, 103 Ohio St. 3d 557 (2004) (counsel for claimant in case related to Katz); obtained a determination of the applicability of civil rules to the timeframes for judicial disposition of forcible entry and detainer (eviction) actions (State ex rel. GMS Mgt. Inc. vs. Callahan, 45 Ohio St.3d 51, 543 N.E.2d 483 (1989)); and obtained a determination that attorneys' fees awarded by statute are taxed as costs rather than awarded as damages (Christe v. GMS Mgmt. Co., 88 Ohio St. 3d 376 (2000)). Paul obtained a peremptory writ of mandamus in an Original Action in Mandamus issued by the Ohio Supreme Court requiring a trial court to proceed with a non-jury trial in an eviction action (State ex rel. GMS Mgt. Co. Inc. v. Eugene M. Fellmeth, 39 Ohio St. 3d 713 (1988)).
A chemical engineer, Paul began his legal career as a law clerk and then as a trial attorney with the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, Special Operations Unit, first in Washington, D.C. and later with the Cleveland Ohio Strike Force. He then served as the Assistant Director of Law and City Prosecutor for Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Paul has presented continuing legal education courses for the Ohio Bar Association and the Real Property Law Institute of the Columbus Ohio Bar Association.
Practice Areas
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Real Estate Development and Transactions
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Business and Commercial Litigation
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Business Organization and Transactions
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Insurance Coverage
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Education
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George Washing University, J.D., 1975
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The Ohio State University, B.S., 1971
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Chemical Engineering
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Bar Admissions
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Ohio
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United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
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United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
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Professional Honors
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Peer-review rated AV Preeminent by LexisNexis/Martindale-Hubbell
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Commissioner, Ohio Supreme Court Commission on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, Two Terms
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