Joseph M. "Joe" Mentrek - Lawyer in Cleveland, OH

As Chair of the Estate and Succession Planning and Administration group, Joe Mentrek provides counsel to high-net-worth individuals, closely held business owners, corporate executives and not-for-profit organizations.

With a background in both financial planning and the law, Joe works diligently with his clients and their advisers to develop creative legal strategies and tax-advantaged solutions to achieve their wealth transfer and business transition goals.

Joes broad-based approach to estate planning incorporates progressive strategies with time-tested techniques to achieve clients desired results. His wide-ranging skills and practical experience allow him to integrate diverse disciplines including estate plan design and implementation, tax accounting and compliance, process-oriented succession planning, employee benefits and executive compensation, personal wealth management, family governance, business organization and governance, retirement planning, investment planning and risk management.

Prior to joining Calfee, Joe practiced as a public accountant for more than 18 years, most recently serving as vice president and director of the Wealth Center at Meaden Moore, Ltd., a CPA and business consulting firm. Joe joined Calfee in 2015.

Joe has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide from 2018-2021 in Band 1 for Ohio: Private Wealth Law. Chambers HNW is the only independent directory specifically aimed at the private wealth market that ranks law firms according to their private client disciplines.

During an interview with Chambers HNW researchers in 2020, a source stated that Joe «is strong on tax and is also very tuned in to family dynamics.»

In 2019, Chambers HNW researchers described Joe as «an expert dealing with family succession matters, further adding: He uses a pragmatic approach to his legal advice.»

Another source adds: «Joe possesses a great knowledge of income tax laws and regulations. Joe's background in estate, trust and tax planning is excellent and well suited to this market.»

Another states that Mentrek is «very intelligent and very responsive. He thinks through issues in the long term.»

In 2018, in an interview with Chambers HNW researchers, a source stated, «He's one of my go-to people, he understands the nuances of the family and the finances and makes a very responsible and appropriate solution. He's very personable, asks insightful questions and is in-tune with family and generational issues and ways to communicate with clients. Clients feel that he really cares about their well-being.»

Chambers further reported that «multiple sources described Joe as an innovative and intellectually creative estate planner, with a strongly collaborative working style and a proactive approach to client relationships.»

A market insider said, «He deals with very sophisticated concepts, and he's able to explain them to the clients in a way that they can understand. What we do is very foreign to them, and they need to understand why we're recommending certain things, he can bring it down to a level that the client can understand.»

Another source who spoke to Chambers agreed saying, «He empowers clients to ultimately control their planning.