Partners

James L. Ferraro along with Michael V. Kelley were the founding partners of Kelley & Ferraro, LLP which represent over 30,000 asbestos victims. Mr. Ferraro practices in the areas of product liability, wrongful death, personal injury, and medical malpractice. He has specialized in asbestos and mass tort litigation for close to twenty years. He has successfully tried many cases that resulted in multi-million dollar jury verdicts. In 1995, Mr. Ferraro received the largest compensatory award in the state of Florida for a mesothelioma case. In 1997, Mr. Ferraro also had the highest compensatory jury verdict ever in the nation for a non-malignant asbestos case. Mr. Ferraro has negotiated settlements on behalf of tens of thousands of clients in his years of practice. His negotiated settlements are close to a billion dollars.

Mr. Ferraro was one of ten national finalists for Trial Lawyer of the Year in 1997 for trying the first case successfully prosecuted against a chemical company for causing a birth defect. Mr. Ferraro proved that a pregnant woman’s exposure to the fungicide, Benlate, caused her child to be born without eyes and held DuPont accountable in Castillo vs. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and Pine Island Farms. The trial was covered in its entirety on Court TV and received worldwide attention. Seven years after trial, the Supreme Court of Florida affirmed the trial court verdict.

Mr. Ferraro received a Masters degree in Accounting in 1979 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1980; he also taught accounting at the University of Miami in 1982. He is a member of the Ohio, New York, Florida, and Massachusetts Bars; the American Bar Association; the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants; the Association of Trial Lawyers of America; the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers; the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice; and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Mr. Ferraro is also the founding shareholder of The Ferraro Law Firm in Miami, Florida. He is the majority owner of the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League. He is also a Trustee of The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation; a member of the Board of Directors of The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Inc.; a member of the Honorary Board of The Children’s Home Society of Florida Foundation, Inc.; a member of the National Leadership Committee of the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame; and a member of the Advisory Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida. He was inducted into the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem Knights of Malta in 1999 and he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2001. Mr. Ferraro has three children - James, Andrew, and Alexis.

Email:jlf@ferrarolaw.com

Gallucci joined Kelley & Ferraro in 1997 as an Associate and became a partner in 2001. He was graduated from St. Edward High School in 1988, Miami University with a BA in 1992, and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1996, where he was managing editor of the Law and Health Journal. Gallucci is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the American Association for Justice, the Ohio Association for Justice, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Gallucci has successfully litigated numerous cases and has obtained multi-million dollar settlements and awards in favor of his clients. A $4.5 million award he obtained for compensatory damages in an asbestos-related wrongful death case was one of the ten largest verdicts in Ohio in 2000. He has been instrumental in negotiating the settlement of tens of thousands of asbestos cases with various national manufacturers. Gallucci is admitted to practice law in the State of Ohio, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.  Gallucci was named one of Ohio's Super Lawyers of 2005, 2006, and then again in 2007. (see article under News Center)

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Products Liability, and Toxic Torts

Email: agallucci@kelley-ferraro.com

Wilson joined the firm as an associate in 1999 after practicing law in the Cleveland area for 12 years. Wilson has brought lawsuits against the asbestos and tobacco industries in state, federal and bankruptcy courts. He also serves as legal counsel to other attorneys regarding ethical issues. Wilson was graduated from St. Ignatius High School, Cleveland State University, and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Wilson is admitted to practice law in the State of Ohio, the State of New York, and before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, the Ohio Trial Lawyers Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. He was named partner in 2000.

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Asbestos Bankruptcy, Drug & Pharmaceutical Litigation, Wrongful Death and Probate

Email: twilson@kelley-ferraro.com

Murphy joined Kelley & Ferraro LLP in 1999 after spending three years at Davis & Young LLP defending asbestos cases. He graduated from Gilmour Academy in 1988, Purdue University with a BA in 1992 and from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1995. He serves as Magistrate for Bratenahl and Grand River Courts and has served as Special Prosecutor in Bratenahl. Murphy was named partner in 2004. He is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and the Ohio Association of Civil Trial Attorneys. Murphy was named one of Ohio's Super Lawyers of 2005, 2006, and then again in 2007. (see article under News Center)

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Workers Compensation, Personal Injury, Products Liability/Toxic Tort, & Wrongful Death

Email: jmurphy@kelley-ferraro.com

Acton was graduated from Lake Catholic High School in 1993, the University of Dayton in 1997 with a BA, and in 2000 from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He is a former law clerk in the Appellate Division of the Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor’s Office. Acton joined Kelley & Ferraro in 2000. He has extensive experience as a trial lawyer and has tried in excess of sixty jury trials throughout the State of Ohio. Additionally, Acton has handled various appeals in the Ohio Court of Appeals. In 2008, he was recognized by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate. Acton is admitted to practice law in the State of Ohio, United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and The Supreme Court of the United States of America. Acton is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Acton was named a partner in 2008. Acton was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine - 2009, 2010, & 2011 Rising Star Edition.

Practice Areas: Asbestos litigation, Workers Compensation; Personal Injury; Products Liability; Toxic Torts; Wrongful Death.

Email: sacton@kelley-ferraro.com

Taylor joined Kelley & Ferraro in 2002 as an Associate and became a Partner in 2011. Previously, Taylor was an associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in tax and legal services. He was a law clerk with Slive and Connick, LPA from 1998 to 1999. Taylor was graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1993, Washington & Jefferson College in 1997 with a BA in Accounting, and in 2000 with a JD from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Taylor is an experienced trial lawyer and has successfully handled and obtained favorable results for the firm’s clients on a wide variety of personal injury, workers' compensation, and wrongful death cases. Taylor is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association.  Taylor was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine - 2010 & 2011 Rising Star Edition.

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Workers Compensation, Personal Injury, & Products Liability/Toxic Tort

Email: jtaylor@kelley-ferraro.com

Associates

DePerro joined Kelley & Ferraro in 2004 as an associate. Previously, she worked for a law firm handling personal injury cases. DePerro was graduated from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University in 2004 and Miami University in 2001 with a BA in Speech and Organizational Communications. DePerro is on the membership committee of the Cleveland Marshall alumni association and was appointed to the Board of Trustees for the alumni association in 2009. DePerro was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine - 2009 Rising Star Edition.

Practice Areas: Probate

Email: ddeperro@kelley-ferraro.com

Ryan J. Cavanaugh joined Kelley & Ferraro in 2002, as a law clerk. He was graduated from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2005, John Carroll University in 1998 with a BA and Bishop Foley High School in Madison Heights, Michigan, in 1994. He was a financial consultant before entering law school.

Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Products Liability, Toxic Tort, Asbestos Litigation and Workers’ Compensation

Email: rcavanaugh@kelley-ferraro.com

Kelley joined Kelley & Ferraro, LLP in 2002. While attending college, Kelley worked as a legal assistant, and then continued as a law clerk while attending law school. Kelley became an associate in 2011. He was graduated from Gilmour Academy in 2004, the University of South Carolina 2008, with a BA in finance magna cum laude, and Cleveland Marshall 2011 cum laude. Kelley is a member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar.

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Workers Compensation, Personal Injury, Products Liability/Toxic Tort, & Wrongful Death

Email: bpkelley@kelley-ferraro.com

Mancino became an associate in 2004. Previously, she was a legal intern with the Akron Municipal Court and was an independent consultant assisting the legal department of the Regent Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mancino was graduated cum laude from Kansas Wesleyan University in 1999 with a double major: criminal justice and psychology. In 2003, she was graduated from the University of Akron School of Law, where she was president of the third-year class and an Outstanding Advocate on the 2003 School of Law Trial Team.

Practice areas: Asbestos Litigation, Workers Compensation, Personal Injury, & Products Liability/Toxic Tort

E-mail: jmancino@kelley-ferraro.com

McMonagle became an Associate with Kelley & Ferraro in 2004. Previously, he had been a Legal Assistant and Law Clerk at the firm. He was graduated from St. Ignatius High School in 1994 and from the University of Vermont in 1998 with a BA in Philosophy. He attended the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and was graduated in 2004.  McMonagle was selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine - 2011 Rising Star Edition

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Workers' Compensation, and Probate

Email: mmcmonagle@kelley-ferraro.com

O'Brien became an associate in 2008. She was graduated from Notre Dame Cathedral Latin in 2000 and The University of Dayton with a BA in Political Science in 2004. While working at the firm she attended law school at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and graduated in 2007. O'Brien is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

Practice Areas: Probate

Email: jobrien@kelley-ferraro.com

Osborne became an Associate in 2010. Previously, he had been a Legal Assistant and Law Clerk at the firm. He was graduated from Villa Angela St. Joseph in Cleveland in 2003 and Mercyhurst College in 2007 with a BA in Criminal Justice and Sociology. Osborne Graduated from Ohio Northern University College of Law in 2010.

Practice Areas: Asbestos Litigation, Workers' Compensation, and Probate

Email: posborne@kelley-ferraro.com
 

Before joining the firm as an associate, Constantine Venizelos was a contract attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division. He was graduated from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2004 and received an MBA from the Case Weatherhead School of Management, the same year. He received his BA from Washington & Jefferson College, in 2000.

Practice Areas: Bankruptcy, Probate, Asbestos Litigation and Workers’ Compensation.

Email: dvenizelos@kelley-ferraro.com