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Effective Jan. 1, 2025, Taft completed its merger with Denver’s oldest and third-largest law firm, Sherman & Howard L.L.C.

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Taft is expanding to Southeast Florida on June 30, 2025, with the addition of Mrachek Law, a distinguished litigation firm located in West Palm Beach and Stuart.

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Edward J. Leader

Partner Cleveland

Summary

Ed is a trusted advisor to clients in all aspects of real estate development, including the acquisition, financing, leasing, construction, operation, disposition, and exchanging of complex commercial, retail, office, industrial, and multi-family real estate. He also serves as a business advisor to clients in structuring real estate and other investment transactions and negotiating complex contractual arrangements.

Ed’s experience includes joint ventures, commercial finance, loan workouts and foreclosures, front-end construction documents, real estate bankruptcy issues, tax valuation complaints, and the real estate aspects of corporate acquisitions, dispositions, and mergers.

Ed’s practice specializes in creative problem solving for difficult legal and logistical issues. Ed is a frequent lecturer on real estate issues in Northeast Ohio, and serves on the board of directors for Ohio Stream Preservation, Inc. From 2010-2021, Ed has been ranked in Best Lawyers in America for Banking and Finance Law, Construction Law, and Real Estate Law. He is listed in Chambers USA for Real Estate Law. Ed is also honored as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star.

Ed is licensed to practice in Ohio and Florida.

Awards

Additional Information

All Service Areas

Education

  • University of Notre Dame Law School (1997)
  • University of Notre Dame (1994)

Admissions

  • Federal - Michigan Western District Court
  • State - Florida
  • State - Ohio

Speeches and Publications

Presenter, “The Current State of Commercial Mortgage-Backed Securities: New and Existing Loans,” Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Department of Continuing Legal Education’s 45th Annual Real Estate Law Institute, November 2, 2023.

Author, “Contractual Anti-Reliance Provisions vs. Buyer Fraud Claims,” Northeast Ohio Properties Magazine, Feb. 17, 2023.

Executive Order by Ohio Governor Affects Commercial Mortgage Lenders, April 2, 2020.

Executive Order by Ohio Governor Affects Commercial Landlords, April 2, 2020.

Co-author, “Contractor Licensing Laws,” The Architect’s Guide to Design-Build Services, The American Institute of Architects, 2003.

Professional Affiliations

  • International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)

    Member
    Past Member, OKIMP Planning Committee (2015)

  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

    Member

  • Chicago Title Insurance Company

    Board Member

Community Involvement

  • Ohio Stream Preservation, Inc.

    Member, Board of Directors