Howard S. Rabb
Howard Rabb concentrates on estate planning, general business and bankruptcy matters. He regularly advises clients on business, estate and debt strategies. A lifelong Clevelander, Howard has a “Superb” AVVO rating and is a winner of the Super Lawyers Award.
Estate Planning
Howard’s practice involves an analysis of the goals of the client, an understanding of all relevant family relationships, and a comprehensive list of all of the clients assets. After obtaining this information, Howard will advise his clients as to whether a living trust or testamentary trust makes sense in order to address probate, distribution, or tax concerns. He does a significant amount of trust planning. Typically, the estate planning will include wills, health-care power of attorney, living wills, and general powers of attorney, but often he uses more complicated trusts and other techniques necessary in larger estates.
He also runs the firm’s trust and probate practice, advising family members as to the appropriate course of action in order to retitle assets during a very difficult time in their lives. This representation may be inside or outside of Probate Court.
Bankruptcy
Howard’s bankruptcy practice focuses on assisting individuals who have found themselves too far in debt as a result of business issues, employment issues, domestic relations disputes, credit cards and medical bills. In this regard, he advises clients as to whether the bankruptcy process will help them and how it will help them and ultimately, whether a bankruptcy petition is the right thing for them to do. Those discussions will always include advice relating to whether they should file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions.
He is also highly experienced in advising clients regarding business strategies to address excessive business debt as well as strategies as to how to continue or redefine that struggling business. Again, that advice may involve a Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 business filing or it may involve non-bankruptcy alternatives.
Business
Howard represents a several businesses in the greater Cleveland area, regularly advising them with regard to day-to-day and long-term legal issues. He also creates the documents which arise from those business operations. Because of his strong business background, he’s able to address succession planning; helping families move businesses to the next generation.
Published Articles:
COVID-19 Pandemic and Trends in Personal Bankruptcy Law
Howard Rabb: A Balanced Practice
On a Personal Note:
Having been a lifelong Cleveland resident, and attending college at The Ohio State University and Cleveland Marshall School of Law in Cleveland, He lives in Solon, Ohio with his wife Elisa, whom he married in 1986. He has two kids: Ethan, a software engineer and Erin, a high school math teacher. Howard is an avid Cleveland and Ohio State sports fan and huge fan of the Cleveland community generally. He’s a lifelong Cleveland resident and has worked at the firm in both the Cleveland and Painesville offices since his graduation from law school in 1986, managing and leading the firm from 2005 through 2020. He is one of a very few graduates of both of the civic leadership programs Leadership Cleveland and Leadership Lake County. Howard also enjoys art, sports, music, technology, traveling and helping local businesses and local people.