Dan A. Baron Esq.,
Dan Baron is an Ohio estate planning, probate, and business succession attorney and the founder of Baron Law, LLC in Independence, Ohio. He helps individuals, families, and business owners throughout Cleveland and Northeast Ohio protect their wealth, settle estates and trusts, and pass their businesses on to the next generation.
Estate Planning
Dan prepares wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, durable financial powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, and living wills for clients across Cuyahoga County and Northeast Ohio. For clients with significant assets, he designs advanced strategies to reduce estate and gift taxes and protect wealth. These include:
- Ohio Legacy Trusts
- Spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs)
- Irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs)
- Grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs)
- Dynasty trusts
- Family limited partnerships and LLCs
- Charitable remainder trusts
He also prepares special needs trusts for families with a loved one with a disability. He uses transfer-on-death designation affidavits and beneficiary planning to keep assets out of probate. His plans focus on probate avoidance, asset protection, incapacity planning, and preserving family wealth across generations. He explains each document in plain language and reviews plans as clients’ family and financial circumstances change.
Probate & Trust Administration
Dan represents executors, administrators, trustees, and beneficiaries in probate and trust administration, including matters before the Cuyahoga County Probate Court. He handles estate settlement from start to finish: opening the estate, preparing inventories and asset valuations, addressing creditor claims, filing estate tax returns, transferring real estate and investment accounts, and making final distributions. He also handles:
- Ancillary probate for out-of-state property
- Release from administration for smaller estates
- Trust administration outside of court, including guiding trustees through their fiduciary duties
- Disputes involving will and trust contests, trustee and executor accountability, and beneficiary rights
Business Succession Planning
With a business administration degree and a background in corporate law, Dan helps owners of family businesses and closely held companies plan for the transfer of ownership at retirement, incapacity, or death. His succession planning work includes:
- Buy-sell agreements, including those funded by life insurance
- Operating and shareholder agreement provisions that govern ownership transfers
- Recapitalizing companies into voting and nonvoting interests
- Gifting and sale strategies that use trusts to shift business value to the next generation at reduced tax cost
- Planning for sales to partners or key employees
He coordinates each owner’s succession plan with their personal estate plan. This protects the value of the business, keeps operations running, and gives family members, partners, and successors a clear path to ownership.
Education, Recognition, and Community
- Bachelor of Business Administration, cum laude, The University of Akron (2011)
- Juris Doctor, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law (2014); Editor-in-Chief, The Global Business Law Review
- “Superb” rating on Avvo
- Published author, including articles in the CMBA Bar Journal; founder and editor of Dollars & Sense Magazine
- Teaches estate planning at local colleges and speaks regularly on trusts, probate avoidance, asset protection, and business succession planning
- Member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, West Shore Bar Association, Akron Bar Association, and American Bar Association
Carter Bednar Esq., Lead Associate Attorney
Carter Bednar is an Associate Attorney at Baron Law LLC, having joined the firm in early 2025. He has been helping families with estate planning and probate administration since 2023. Carter graduated with honors from Cleveland State University College of Law and holds a finance degree from The Ohio State University, cum laude.
Carter prides himself on tailoring his advice to each client’s individual needs, ensuring every family receives guidance suited to their unique estate planning goals and circumstances. He assists families in navigating the probate administration process and provides peace of mind during the difficult time of losing a loved one.
Carter is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. A lifelong Cleveland native now residing in Lakewood, he enjoys supporting the Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers, Guardians, and The Ohio State Buckeyes
Danielle M. Pierce, Esq.., Of Counsel
Danielle Pierce is an of counsel attorney with Baron Law LLC practicing in the Canton, Ohio and Belden Village area. Attorney Pierce guides her clients through the estate planning and trust management process, which includes crafting wills and trusts and carefully explaining a variety of options for transferring assets in a tax-efficient manner. Her clients rely on her to help them navigate through the challenges of understanding Medicaid protection and the requirements involved. Danielle also counsels her clients through the confusing time of losing a loved one whose assets must go through probate.
Danielle possesses a strong background in real estate which often overlaps with her estate and trust planning, giving her clients a well-rounded approach to managing the full range of their legal needs. She helps her clients build and administer plans that address both personal and business objectives and goals.
In addition to estate planning, Danielle’s clients look to her for advice on a wide variety of expertise including limited liability companies, real estate transactions and investments, purchase & sale agreements, negotiation and mediation, and oil & gas law. She can also assist with landlord tenant issue, leases, and property disputes.
Danielle has a down-to-earth approach to problem solving and her clients appreciate her efficient and practical style.
Ms. Pierce is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, Stark County Bar Association, & the Akron Bar Association. She earned her B.A. degree from the University of Akron and her J.D. degree from the University of Akron School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Litigation, Trial Advocacy & Dispute Resolution. Additional experience includes civil litigation, Summit County Public Defenders, Summit County Domestic Relations Court, and felony criminal defense.
James Roosa Esq., Of Counsel
James Roosa focuses on business and commercial legal issues, advising clients regarding entity formation, business agreements, acquisition and sale of closely held businesses, contract review and drafting, real estate, intellectual property, licensing and regulatory matters.
Mr. Roosa earned a B.A. from Oberlin College in 1980, an M.M. from Yale University in 1982, and his Juris Doctor degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1987, where he served on the board of the Law Review. He began his career practicing with Thompson, Hine and Flory for three years, followed by six years as Assistant General Counsel/ Assistant Secretary for American Greetings Corporation. In 2000, Mr. Roosa founded Roosa Co., LPA, in order to focus exclusively on the needs of emerging businesses and entrepreneurs.
In addition to his practice, Mr. Roosa teaches Corporations, and Agency and Partnership at the Cleveland Marshall College of Law. Mr. Roosa serves on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Alternative Dispute Resolution Federal Court Panel, is a court appointed mediator for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, and is a member of the Corporation Law committee of the Ohio Bar Association.
Mr. Roosa is a past Trustee of the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cleveland, and current President of the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Libraries.
Renee Miller, Certified OSBA Paralegal
Renee is a paralegal at Baron Law LLC and is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Paralegal with over 20 years of paralegal experience. She is the dedicated paralegal for the firm’s estate planning, trust administration, and probate administration practice areas. Renee’s primary responsibility is drafting of estate planning documents and preparation and filing of all probate court documents. She frequently meets with Baron Law clients and strives to provide a comforting experience for each of them as they navigate their own estate planning or administration needs.
Linda Hubach, Probate & Trust Administration Paralegal
Linda Hubach | Ohio State Bar Association Certified Paralegal
Linda Hubach is a probate and trust administration paralegal at Baron Law LLC, serving individuals and families throughout the Greater Cleveland area and Northeast Ohio. She joined the firm in September 2026 and brings more than 25 years of paralegal experience to her role. As an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Paralegal, Linda provides experienced support to the firm’s attorneys in helping clients navigate Ohio estate administration and trust administration.
Linda works closely with attorneys, executors, estate administrators, trustees, and beneficiaries throughout the administration process. She also coordinates with financial institutions and probate courts to help organize information, facilitate communications, and keep matters moving forward. Her work supports the many legal and administrative responsibilities involved in settling an estate and administering a trust, with attention to documentation, deadlines, and court requirements.
Probate and trust administration often involve unfamiliar responsibilities during an already difficult time. Linda helps fiduciaries and beneficiaries understand the administrative steps involved and works with the firm’s attorneys to address questions as they arise. Whether a matter involves administering an estate under a last will and testament, handling an estate without a will, or carrying out the terms of a trust, she provides consistent support throughout the process.
As part of Baron Law’s probate administration and trust administration team, Linda helps the firm deliver organized, responsive service to families managing a loved one’s estate and to fiduciaries carrying out their responsibilities.
Sydni Weber, Legal Assistant
Sydni joined Baron Law in April of 2025 as a Legal Assistant with a strong background in customer service through previous work with University Hospitals as well as previous experience in the legal field with Weltman, Weinberg & Reis. Sydni is a Cleveland native and graduated from Tiffin University with a degree in Criminal Justice in 2022. Sydni assists the firm with day-to-day operations, scheduling, and client satisfaction.
April Kolodka, Executive Administrator and Marketing Coordinator
April is the executive administrator and marketing coordinator at Baron Law. She ensures smooth operations and provides administrative support to clients and attorneys. April coordinates the ‘Lunch and Learn’ events held at various libraries, community, and senior centers. She has extensive experience in administrative work related to estate planning, elder law, accounting, clinical research administration, and real estate. April is also a licensed real estate agent. In her free time she enjoys fishing, gardening, and spending time with her golden retrievers and chickens.
Monica Williams,Esq. Of Counsel
Monica B. Williams is a probate and estate planning attorney with decades of experience.
Besides being extremely knowledgeable, Ms. Williams is efficient and compassionate. Her work is timely and cost effective. Before starting her own solo practice, Monica B. Williams Co, LPA, a dozen years ago, she served as inhouse counsel to a major Cleveland financial institution and also worked for law firms.
In more her 30+ years of practice, she has helped individuals plan so their assets go to their loved ones and helped others navigate the probate process.
Ms. Williams serves on the board of trustees for an area nonprofit. She has taught at her alma mater, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and at a private university.
Amy Kalal, Client Liaison and Assistant
Amy joined the Baron Law team in 2015, where she focuses her time as a client liaison and legal assistant. She has worked in the customer service sector throughout her entire career. Amy’s paramount goal is to put our client’s needs first. She uses her extensive work experience and customer service skills to provide detailed support to the attorneys and clients alike. At Baron Law, her primary function is that of scheduling client appointments for the attorneys. In her quiet time, Amy loves spending time with her cats and all the wildlife on her property in rural Ohio.