Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Drew.Smith@OhioAGO.gov
Drew joined the Attorney General’s Office in 2009 in the Healthcare Fraud Section where he criminally prosecuted workers’ compensation fraud cases against health care providers and claimants. During his tenure in this section, he successfully sued a provider using a statute never previously used in the State of Ohio, ultimately settling the case for $150,000. In 2013, Drew joined Workers’ Compensation Section where he has tried cases on behalf of Administrator of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. Drew has assisted in our office’s mock trial competition, trial advocacy program, and with officer training at OPOTA. He won a teamwork award in 2014.
Drew is a former Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and criminal defense attorney. He took countless criminal cases to trial and argued several cases before the Court of Appeals. During his five years as an Assistant Prosecutor, he was promoted to the position of “In Charge,” overseeing the work of junior prosecutors. He has taken over fifty trials to verdict, some resulting in rape and murder convictions.
EDUCATION
- Case Western University, School of Law, J.D., 1998
- Syracuse University, BA, 1992
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Eugene.Meador@OhioAGO.gov
Gene joined the Attorney General’s office in October of 1998. His clients include the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Industrial Commission. He has defended his clients in jury trials throughout most of the counties of Northeast Ohio.
Prior to joining the office, Gene was in private practice doing litigation of all types, including medical malpractice, personal injury, products liability and professional negligence. Gene attended the University of Notre Dame and Cleveland-Marshall of Law. In 1982, Gene was admitted to the Ohio Bar, the U.S. District Court, Northern District, and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Frank.Mamana@OhioAGO.gov
Frank joined the Workers’ Compensation Section in 2003. He began his legal career with the Industrial Commission of Ohio, in 1979, as a district hearing officer. In September 1980, he accepted a position as an associate attorney in the law firm of Spohn and Sanislo, LPA. The focus of his practice was representing injured workers, and attending hearings for several large employers.
In September 1985, Frank established a general private practice and the partnership was known as Krebs and MaMana. The main focus in that practice involved the representation of workers’ compensation clients. In 1988, the partnership split into two solo practices, and Frank concentrated on workers’ compensation issues, entertainment law, and various entertainment projects. From 2001 to 2003, Frank worked as a private contractor in a lawsuit filed under the Clean Air Act, involving American Electric Power. After completion of that project, Frank began his employment with our office.
Frank is a graduate of Capital University and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He has been licensed in Ohio since 1978.
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Michael.Zidar@OhioAGO.gov
Mike joined the Workers’ Compensation Section in 2008. He represents the Administrator of the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) in appeals from the decisions of the Ohio Industrial Commission to the court of common pleas filed by the injured worker or employer. As the BWC’s representative, he is responsible for protecting the BWC fund, through which an injured worker may receive compensation and medical treatment for injuries occurring while they were acting within the course and scope of their employment.
Mike has been with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office since 1997. During his time with the office, he has also worked in the Employment Law Section, the Executive Agencies Section and the Labor Relations Section.
Prior to his employment with the Office, Mike served as an Assistant County Prosecutor in Cuyahoga County where he served as a trial attorney in the Criminal Division. This role consisted of representing the State of Ohio in all felony level criminal cases originating in Cuyahoga County from the pre-indictment investigative stage through final appeals.
BAR ADMISSIONS
- State of Ohio (1989)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
EDUCATION
- Cleveland State University- Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1988
- Kent State University, BBA, Marketing, 1983
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Nancy.Walker@OhioAGO.gov
Nancy joined the Ohio Attorney General’s Office and the Workers’ Compensation Section in 1997, following an accomplished corporate business career. She has litigated both jury and bench trials. Nancy has argued cases before Appellate District Courts in Northeast Ohio.
Prior to commencing her legal career, Nancy worked for Fortune 500 companies in administration, marketing, client services, and sales. She researched and analyzed corporate businesses while negotiating multi-year, multi-million dollar corporate sales contracts.
She has worked with multiple Northeast Ohio bar associations. She has a passion for coaching and training. She has been a speaker, facilitator, moderator, and presenter for legal groups in CLEs, presentations and workshops in both Ohio and Nevada. She teaches business and marketing strategies when coaching law students and lawyers. Nancy is co-chair of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s Minority Clerkship Program.
BAR ADMISSIONS
- State of Ohio
- United States District Court For Northern District Of Ohio
EDUCATION
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D.
- Case Western Reserve University, M.B.A.
- Boston University, B.S., Business Administration
- Study: Eckerd College; International College of the Cayman Islands and Colgate University
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Sandra.Nimrick@OhioAGO.gov
Sandy has worked in the Workers’ Compensation Section November 1991. She represents the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation at the trial court and appellate court levels in numerous counties and has handled thousands of workers’ compensation appeals dealing with allowance issues, including several dozen jury and bench trials, during that time. As a Team Leader, she also supervises five other attorneys and three support staff members.
Before joining the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, Sandy worked as an Associate with the law firm of Thompson, Hine, and Flory in Cleveland for two years. She was a member of the Estate Planning and Probate Department.
A native of Massachusetts, Sandy was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1989. She received an A.B. Magna Cum Laude in Political Science and Russian Studies from Brown University in 1986 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1989.
Associate Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Sarah.Thomas2@OhioAGO.gov
Sarah joined the Workers’ Compensation Section in Cleveland in October 2012. She represents the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in court appeals in several county common pleas courts throughout Northeast Ohio. Sarah has experience trying cases to a jury and has brought hundreds of cases to successful resolution through settlement on behalf of the State.
Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Sarah was a judicial staff attorney for the Honorable John Garhart of the Erie County (Pennsylvania) Court of Common Pleas.
Sarah has also clerked for large and small law firms in Cleveland, Ohio, where she gained much experience in motions practice, appellate brief writing, and general advocacy.
BAR ADMISSIONS
EDUCATION
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2011
- College of Wooster, cum laude, 2005
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Steven.Aronoff@OhioAGO.gov
Steve joined the Attorney General’s Office in January 1998. His clients include the Bureau of Worker’ Compensation and the Industrial Commission of Ohio. Prior to joining the Office, Steve was in private practice as an attorney at the law firm of Duvin, Cahn & Barnard from 1988 through 1998. At Duvin, Steve specialized in employment law and workers’ compensation law. Before working at Duvin, Steve worked from 1986 through 1988 as an associate at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey.
Steve was admitted to the Bar of Ohio in 1986 and is also admitted to the Bar of the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. While at the Attorney General’s Office, Steve has been a member of the Intern Committee of the Cleveland Office. He attended Washington & Jefferson College and Case Western Reserve School of Law.
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Thomas.McCarty@OhioAGO.gov
Thomas joined the Workers’ Compensation Section in Cleveland in May, 2012. He represents the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation in court appeals in several county common pleas courts throughout Northeast Ohio. Thomas has experience trying cases to a jury, and has brought hundreds of cases to successful resolution through settlement.
Before joining Attorney General Mike DeWine’s staff, Thomas was a judge at the Akron Municipal Court, having been elected in 2009.
Thomas engaged in the private practice of law for more than 30 years, working in large, medium and small firms. After that, he engaged in the solo practice for more than 10 years. Immediately after graduating from law school, Thomas worked in the Consumer Frauds and Crimes Section of the Attorney General’s office, first in Columbus, then in Cleveland, where he was the first Consumer Section AAG in that Office.
Thomas was in the first class of workers’ compensation specialists recognized by the Ohio State Bar Association. He successfully litigated State, ex rel. Louisiana-Pacific v. Industrial Commission, a decision which the Ohio Supreme Court later described as the “seminal case” in the area of abandonment of employment.
BAR ADMISSIONS
- State of Ohio (1982)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio (1982)
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio (1983)
- Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals (1988)
EDUCATION
- University of Akron School of Law, J.D., 1982
- University of Akron. B.A., cum laude, 1979
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Timothy.Mcgrail@OhioAGO.gov
Tim has served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Workers’ Compensation Section since joining the office in October, 1998. Tim represents the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in workers compensation claims that have been appealed into the common pleas court. This representation involves attending court hearings and mediations, and participating in trials, both jury and trials to the court. Tim also represents the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation in cases that are appealed to the court of appeals and Ohio Supreme Court. His caseload covers a number of counties in Northeast Ohio. Tim has successfully brought hundreds of cases to conclusion through settlements and litigation.
Prior to his employment with the office, Tim was in private practice for thirteen years practicing in the area of insurance defense. Tim engaged in considerable litigation at all court levels while defending individuals and companies in civil lawsuits. Prior to his years in private practice, Tim served as an Assistant County Prosecutor in Cuyahoga County in the Criminal Division representing the State of Ohio in criminal felony matters.
BAR ADMISSIONS
- State of Ohio (1981)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio (1981)
EDUCATION
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1981
- University of Notre Dame, 1975
Senior Assistant Attorney General Workers’ Compensation Section
Office: 216-787-3030
Email: Zena.Elliott@OhioAGO.gov.
Zena joined the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in February, 2018. Zena represents the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Industrial Commission of Ohio in several counties in Northeast Ohio.
Prior to joining the Attorney General’s office, Zena worked for over 25 years in private practice representing individuals, entities and public employers primarily in the areas of contract, employment and workers’ compensation law. She has represented both employees and employers in jury trials involving workers’ compensation appeals.
In November 2015, Zena was elected to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Aurora City School District.
BAR ADMISSIONS
- State of Ohio, 1991
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1994
EDUCATION
- Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., 1991
- The University of New Hampshire, B.S., 1986