Monica Lacks is of counsel in the consumer finance section of the firm's Cleveland office.
Business Litigation
Monica regularly represents mortgage lenders and servicers in complex consumer finance litigation on both the state and federal level.
Labor and Employment
Monica also has extensive experience practicing Labor and Employment law. She has represented management and employers in all phases of employment and employee benefits litigation, and has successfully first-chaired jury trials in state and federal court. She was a critical member of a litigation team that obtained summary judgment, subsequently affirmed by the Fifth Circuit, in an ERISA benefits class action brought by a group of former independent contractors of a Fortune 100 company.
Published Opinions
· Lee v. Countrywide Home Loans, Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36128
· Alexander v. Wells Fargo Financial Ohio, Inc., 122 Ohio St. 3d 341 (2009)
· Deutsche National Bank v. Brown, 2009 Ohio 6499 (Ohio App. 6th Dist.)
· MacLachlan v. Exxon Mobil Corp., 350 F.3d 472 (5th Cir. 2003)
Professional Affiliations
· Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Presentations
· "Are Your Independent Contractors REALLY Your Employees," Northeast Ohio Human Resources Conference, (March, 2006)
Publications
· "Legal Standing to Foreclose: For Now - It's in the Eye of the Be-Holder," Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Journal, (November 2011)
· "Does the 'Donut Club' Make the Difference?" Journal of Compensation and Benefits, (January, 2006)
· "Does Your Company Have Exposure to Loan Officer Wage Claims?" Mortgage Originator, (July, 2006)
Community and Other Activities
· Shaker Heights High School PTO, Vice President of Financial Management
· Cleveland Big Brothers/Big Sisters
· Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association 3R's Program, Tutor for Cleveland Public School Students
Professional Recognition
· Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated Lawyer
Awards & Honors
Lexis Nexis Martindale-Hubbell® AV™ Peer Review Rated