April Miller Boise - Cleveland - Partner
"When I came to Cleveland in 1999 after practicing in New York, I was looking for a firm with a sophisticated corporate practice but I also wanted to work with interesting, well-rounded people. When I interviewed at Thompson Hine, I found the attorneys to be very passionate about practicing law, but also engaged in the community and other interests and hobbies outside of the firm. We have so many different types of people here with very different interests. I felt that I could be myself here and still be successful and that my commitment to the community would be important to the firm. I was right."
April is a partner in the firm's Corporate Transactions & Securities practice group and is chair of the firm's Women's Initiative Committee. Her practice covers corporate governance including Sarbanes-Oxley; mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; securities offerings for public and private companies; and private equity and venture capital matters. April is licensed to practice in Ohio and New York.
Kip T. Bollin - Cleveland - Partner
"When we diversify our team of lawyers, we bring both greater perspective to the legal problems we encounter and greater breadth to the solutions we can offer our clients."
Kip is a litigation partner and vice chair of the Diversity Committee in the Cleveland office. He has been involved in his community in a number of ways including as a tutor for many years at a Cleveland elementary school adopted by Thompson Hine, and as a member of the Free Medical Clinic's Associate Board. Kip is the chair of the Diversity Committee's communication subcommittee. He is a graduate of the NCCJ LeadDIVERSITY program and a recipient of City Year's Community Champion award. Kip also initiated the Federal Bar Association's now-annual "A Book of Your Own" program which collected and delivered over 30,000 books to Cleveland school students in its first two years. Professionally, Kip defends corporations from product liability actions, mass torts and toxic torts (including claims alleging exposure to silica, welding rod fumes, bacteria and isocyanates), putative class actions, employment-related torts and premises liability actions. His business litigation practice includes major contract and commercial claims, insurance coverage disputes and intellectual property actions.
Tony Brown - Cleveland
"After meeting with members of the leadership team, it was clear to me that Thompson Hine is a little different than other law firms and is committed to diversity as a business issue.
At Thompson Hine, we recognize that diversity is not only a reality of the communities in which we live and work, it's a distinct advantage for any business, and one that we value and embrace. I am proud that we have female and minority lawyers in various leadership positions within the firm, and the firm encourages them to be active leaders in their respective communities.
It is understood that by achieving our diversity objectives, we can provide exceptional service to our clients and an outstanding work experience and environment for all of our employees."
Tony is the director of human resources and administration at the firm as well as the chair of the Diversity Committee's recruiting subcommittee. He is responsible for directing all human resources activities including staff compensation and benefits, recruiting, employee relations, organization development, office services and administration, payroll and HRIS. He also serves as a member of the firm's Operations Leadership Team.
Julia M. McCalmon - Washington, D.C. - Partner
"Unlike other firms that simply believe that diversity is important as a business case to answer the demands of their clients, Thompson Hine believes in the importance of diversity from a philosophical level. We are therefore not only leaders in society but leaders of society. As an Asian woman, I have always felt comfortable, confident, and completely at home at Thompson Hine. I am proud that we are leaders in ensuring that our clients and our communities reap the benefits of a firm that promotes and uses the very best talents of a wide variety of people from different cultures and backgrounds and with different colors and beliefs."
Julia heads the International Trade & Customs practice group. She is also the chair of the Diversity Committee's retention subcommittee and is in charge of the Women's Initiative committee in the Washington, D.C., office. Julia is the Washington office vice chair of the Diversity Committee. She focuses her practice on international trade with an emphasis on defending enforcement and unfair trade actions brought by the U.S. government against importers and exporters. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia.
Mario J. Suarez - New York - Partner
"Our focus on diversity benefits both our clients and our firm. As a New Yorker, I am especially proud of the firm's commitment to diversity, as New York City is one of the most diverse cities in the world."
Mario is the New York office vice chair of the Diversity Committee and is a member of the New York New Lawyer Committee. Mario is a member of the board of United Neighborhood Houses of New York, Inc., an umbrella organization of New York City settlement houses, and represents a number of organizations aiding New York City's poor and homeless, including Episcopal Social Services of New York and Grand Central Neighborhood Social Services Corporation. He has considerable experience in complex commercial real estate transactions and focuses his practice in the following areas: acquisition and disposition of commercial buildings and building portfolios; office and retail leasing and related transactions on behalf of owners and tenants; representation of institutional and non-institutional equity investors; investment fund and joint venture transactions; representation of lenders and borrowers with respect to securitized and non-securitized construction and permanent loans and structured financings; workouts and restructurings; construction and design relationships; sale-leaseback and ground lease development and financings; and international real estate development.
Anthony C. White - Columbus - Partner
"For any law firm diversity initiative to be successful, it must have more than just the support of firm management. Firm management must believe that diversity is a central driver of future success at the firm. We have achieved that clarity at Thompson Hine."
Tony is a partner in Thompson Hine’s Business Litigation practice group and partner-in-charge of the firm’s Columbus office. His practice focuses on complex business litigation with an emphasis on employment and transportation/trucking litigation. Tony has enjoyed the distinction of being one of only two African-American partners-in-charge among the major law firms in Central Ohio, as well as being the youngest partner-in-charge of a major law firm in Ohio. He is a member of the Columbus Bar Association’s Managing Partners Diversity Initiative (MPDI), which focuses on increasing the hiring and retention of African-American attorneys at law firms in Central Ohio. Tony serves on the board of The Ohio State University Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the country. He is also president-elect of the Ohio State Varsity “O” Men’s Alumni Association, which determines who will be admitted annually into the OSU Athletic Hall of Fame. Tony was a starter on the OSU basketball team for two years and captain of the 1989 team. He currently serves as basketball analyst for 610 WTVN radio, which broadcasts to six states and is one of the most listened-to radio stations in Ohio.