Practice Areas

Business Law

Practical counsel for startups and businesses of every size, ready to grow.

Whether you're launching a startup, managing a closely held company, or navigating a complex, high-value transaction, Skinner & Associates provides the business counsel you need to operate confidently and protect what you've built. We work with founders, partners, and owner-operators across industries, from early-stage startups to established businesses, as well as churches and nonprofit organizations.

Our business law practice includes:

Startup formation, structuring, and early-stage counsel
Entity formation, including LLCs, corporations, and partnerships
Formation and governance of churches and nonprofit organizations
Operating agreements, bylaws, and shareholder agreements
Contract drafting, review, and negotiation
Mergers, acquisitions, and business sales
Commercial leasing and vendor agreements
Governance and ongoing compliance
General outside-counsel services for growing and established businesses

Civil Litigation

Preparing every case as if it will go to trial, and resolving it on the best terms available.

Skinner & Associates represents individuals and businesses in civil disputes. We pursue early, cost-effective resolutions where possible, and we are fully prepared to take a case through trial when the facts and the client's interests demand it.

We handle civil matters including:

Breach of contract and commercial disputes
Business and partnership disputes
Real estate litigation
Collections and creditors' rights
Construction disputes
Employment-related disputes
Trial and appellate advocacy in state and federal courts

Employment Law

Protecting rights and resolving workplace disputes for employees and employers alike.

Employment law governs the relationship between employers and employees, defining the rights and responsibilities that shape every workplace. Skinner & Associates represents both individuals whose workplace rights have been violated and businesses navigating personnel matters, policies, and disputes, always with the goal of practical, lasting resolutions.

Our employment law services include:

Wrongful termination and retaliation claims
Discrimination and harassment matters
Wage and hour disputes
Severance negotiation and review
Non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements
Employee handbooks, policies, and workplace counseling
Unemployment compensation hearings and appeals

Estate Planning

Protecting your family, your wishes, and your legacy.

A thoughtful estate plan provides peace of mind for you and clarity for the people you love. Skinner & Associates designs plans tailored to your family, your assets, and your goals, from straightforward wills to comprehensive trust-based plans for blended families and business owners.

We prepare and advise on:

Last Will and Testament
Revocable and irrevocable trusts
Durable financial powers of attorney
Healthcare powers of attorney and living wills
HIPAA authorizations
Beneficiary designations and survivorship review
Asset titling and transfer-on-death designations
Periodic plan reviews as your life changes

Family Law

Steady guidance through life's most personal transitions, including high-value asset cases.

Family law matters are emotionally demanding and legally complex, particularly when significant assets are involved. We approach every client and case with discretion, respect, and a clear focus on protecting what matters most: your children, your finances, and your future. We work toward negotiated outcomes when possible and litigate firmly when necessary.

Our family law services include:

Divorce and dissolution
Legal separation
Allocation of parental rights and responsibilities (custody)
Child and spousal support
Property and asset division, including high-value and complex marital estates
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
Post-decree modifications and enforcement

General Counsel

Ongoing legal support for businesses that want a trusted attorney on call.

Not every legal need fits neatly into a single transaction or dispute. Through our general counsel services, Skinner & Associates serves as an ongoing legal resource for businesses, executives, churches, and nonprofit organizations, from growing companies to high-value enterprises, available for day-to-day questions, contract review, risk management, and strategic guidance, without the overhead of an in-house legal department.

Our general counsel services include:

Retainer-based, on-call legal advice
Routine contract review and drafting
Regulatory compliance guidance
Risk assessment and management
Employment policy and HR-related counseling
Vendor, customer, and partnership agreement review
Ongoing counsel for churches and nonprofit organizations
Strategic planning support for growth, transitions, and succession

Personal Injury

Dedicated advocacy for people injured by someone else's negligence.

When an accident or act of negligence turns your life upside down, you need an advocate who will fight for the compensation you deserve. Skinner & Associates represents injured individuals and their families in claims against negligent drivers, property owners, and other responsible parties. We handle insurance companies and, when necessary, the courtroom, so you can focus on recovery.

Our personal injury services include:

Motor vehicle, motorcycle, and trucking accidents
Premises liability and slip-and-fall injuries
Wrongful death claims
Dog bites and animal attacks
Negotiating with insurance companies
Personal injury litigation and trial advocacy

Probate

Compassionate, efficient guidance through the matters Ohio probate courts oversee, from estate administration to adoption.

Ohio probate court touches families at some of life's most meaningful moments: administering a loved one's estate, welcoming a child through adoption, and protecting those who can't protect themselves. Skinner & Associates guides executors, administrators, adoptive families, and beneficiaries through the probate process with patience, precision, and care.

Our probate services include:

Opening and administering decedents' estates
Counseling executors and administrators
Filing inventories, accounts, and required court paperwork
Trust administration and successor trustee guidance
Adoption, including stepparent, relative, agency, and adult adoption proceedings
Will contests and probate litigation
Guardianships of minors and incapacitated adults
Real estate transfers from decedents' estates

Real Estate

Practical counsel for residential and commercial real estate matters.

Real estate transactions carry real financial stakes, and the details matter. Skinner & Associates guides buyers, sellers, and businesses through purchases, sales, and disputes involving real property, working to keep transactions on track and protect our clients' interests at every stage.

Our real estate services include:

Residential and commercial purchase and sale agreements
Real estate closings
Title review and title insurance issues
Easements, boundary disputes, and encroachments
Real estate financing and refinancing
Deed preparation and property transfers
Zoning and land use matters