>  Thomas M. Turner

Thomas M. Turner is a Cleveland attorney with over 40 years of legal experience representing businesses, individuals, and organizations on corporate, real estate, estate planning, and income, estate, and gift tax matters. He has handled numerous estates, including several of the largest in the history of Ohio. For corporations and closely held businesses, Tom has significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, and has negotiated and prepared shareholder, buy-sell and cross purchase agreements, joint venture agreements and has advised on complicated life insurance arrangements and succession planning.

Throughout most of his career, Tom has represented numerous professional athletes on business, tax and estate planning matters. These clients have included an NFL MVP, an NBA Coach of the Year, 2 members of NBA Championship Teams, 3 Masters Champions, a U.S. Open Champion, a two-time PGA Champion, and 3 British Open Champions. In doing so, Tom has faced the interesting and difficult challenges created by the generous, but complex, retirement plans for professional athletes.

Tom received the Distinguished Service Award from the Cleveland Bar Association for his efforts and achievements as its Treasurer (2002-2005). He has also served on its Board of Trustees, its Certified Grievance Committee, was the Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Section, was the Chair of its Probate Court Committee, was the Chair of its Probate Court Walk-Thru program, and was a member of its Estate Planning Institute Committee.

Tom is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Geauga County Bar Association, and Ohio Bar Association. He is also a member of the Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, the Tax Club of Cleveland, and formerly a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Ohio Society of CPAs. He has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Tax Court and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. Tom is also a CPA (inactive), a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and Purdue University. He also completed a course of study at the Aresty Institute at the Wharton School, and the Program of Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School.

Tom resides in Chagrin Falls and has served as the Zoning Inspector for Chagrin Falls Township. He is on the Case Western Reserve University Estate Planning Advisory Council. At the age of 27 he was elected to the City Council of Rocky River, Ohio, and was a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Kidney Foundation of Ohio and New Directions, Inc. Tom is currently a fellow of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation and serves as a Member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of The Legacy-Gustavus Senior Care Center.


Thomas M. Turner AV