Tucker Ellis LLP is pleased to announce that it has elected four attorneys to the firm’s partnership and promoted two attorneys to counsel effective January 1, 2025.

“One of our firm’s founding goals is to work each and every day to provide a better law firm experience to everyone we encounter, and this is exactly what these stellar attorneys strive for,” said Tucker Ellis Managing Partner Joe Morford. “In addition to being immensely talented lawyers, our new partners and counsel are good, caring people who are dedicated to providing service of the highest quality to position our clients best for success. We’re looking forward to watching them continue to build their careers here at Tucker Ellis.”

Elected to the Tucker Ellis partnership are Madeline Dennis, Melissa Kelly, Zi Lin, and Joseph Manno.

Madeline Dennis is a trial lawyer with a focus on defending hospitals, physicians, and medical device and pharmaceutical companies against product liability and personal injury claims. She has had considerable multidistrict litigation involvement, including serving as defense counsel in MDLs related to chemotherapy agents, blood thinners, diabetes medications, and pelvic mesh. In 2022 and 2023, Ms. Dennis obtained complete defense verdicts in two medical malpractice trials on behalf of a large local hospital system. In 2024, she served on a trial team on behalf of an infant formula manufacturer that resulted in a complete defense verdict. Ms. Dennis received her law degree magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University.

Melissa Kelly advises clients on a variety of legal issues, including FLSA collective actions and employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, employee benefits cases, white collar criminal defense, product liability, and environmental matters. A former federal judicial law clerk, her appellate practice includes preparing and arguing appeals in federal and state courts and administrative agencies on a variety of issues. Ms. Kelly also has substantial experience conducting investigations in multiple contexts, including harassment and discrimination claims and employee misconduct. She received her law degree cum laude from The University of Akron School of Law and her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from New York University, where she was Phi Beta Kappa.

Zi Lin defends clients in a variety of sophisticated business matters, focusing on business disputes, real estate litigation, appeals, and bankruptcy. He has extensive experience in all aspects of litigation and significant trial and arbitration experience in state, federal, and bankruptcy courts. A California Bar-certified specialist in appellate law, Mr. Lin has experience practicing in both the California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court. He also is admitted to practice in Nevada and heads the firm’s Title and Escrow Practice Group. Mr. Lin received his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Joseph Manno defends companies against claims alleging federal and state statutory liability, product liability, and general negligence in repeat, mass tort, and individual high-stakes litigation. In his hospitality practice, he serves on the national and trial counsel teams defending international hotel franchisees and franchisors and leads national counsel teams defending personal injury claims related to escalators and elevators in hotels, casinos, arenas, and shopping centers. In his product liability practice, he has defended a wide array of products, including snowmobiles, golf cars, medical devices, HVAC equipment, refrigerant press fittings, electrical equipment, paints, electronic cigarettes and vaporizers, hose fittings, and chemicals. Mr. Manno received his law degree summa cum laude from The University of Akron School of Law and his undergraduate degree magna cum laude from The University of Akron.

Promoted to counsel are Nathan Lovette and Ethan Weber.

Nathan Lovette is an intellectual property attorney. He handles the prosecution of both national and international patent applications in the electrical and mechanical arts, as well as the management of sophisticated IP portfolios. He also prepares patentability, patent validity, freedom to operate, and non-infringement opinions. As part of his trademark practice, Mr. Lovette handles clearance searches and corresponding opinions, as well as the preparation, prosecution, and enforcement of trademark applications and registrations. He received his law degree summa cum laude from Cleveland State University College of Law and his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from The Pennsylvania State University.

Ethan Weber focuses his practice on sophisticated legal issues and federal appeals in a wide array of practice areas and industries. He represents clients in areas including class action defense, complex commercial litigation, appellate advocacy, and federal issues. He crafts compelling appellate briefs and presents persuasive oral arguments before appellate courts and has successfully handled several appeals. Mr. Weber provides strategic guidance in federal issues involving jurisdiction, Article III standing, preemption, and other complex issues. He received his law degree cum laude from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; his master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University; and his undergraduate degree from Miami University.