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Brennan Manna Diamond promotes four attorneys
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: February 5, 2021
Four attorneys at the business law firm Brennan Manna Diamond (BMD) rang in 2021 as newly elevated partners or members.
The promotions took effect on Dec. 1, 2020 with Akron partners Adrian Ribovich and Duriya (DD) Dhinojwala officially becoming members and associates Bryan Meek and Darren Jones making partner.
“Both Bryan and Darren have established themselves as valuable teammates in their respective offices, practice areas and across the firm,” said Brennan Manna Diamond President Matt Heinle. “They have also demonstrated early success in business and client development during their time as associate attorneys at BMD.
“Duriya and Adrian have embodied what it means to be leaders at BMD through the growth of successful practices, demonstrated dedication to clients, involvement in the community and commitment to the BMD mission of ‘Clients First, Business Family and Entrepreneurship.’”
Dhinojwala was hired by BMD as a partner in January 2017 to help grow the firm’s immigration and bankruptcy practices.
“BMD is a good fit and a good place to work,” said Dhinojwala. “I represent clients in employment and family-based immigration and I am very passionate about my work,” said Dhinojwala, who also focuses on creditor’s rights and bankruptcy matters.
Born in Mumbai, India, Dhinojwala received her undergraduate degree in fine arts from Sophia College in India. She came to the United States in 1990, but didn’t attend law school until she moved to Akron in 1997.
“I decided to go to The University of Akron School of Law because of the ability it would afford me to understand the legal avenues available to help people,” she said. “At the end of the day, I believe a lawyer has the power to change someone’s life. I’ve seen it in my practice.
“I also believe the American justice system is the best in the world. I think it’s a very fair system and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
After receiving her juris doctor from Akron Law in 2002, Dhinojwala began her career as an associate at Guy Lammert & Towne, where she focused on commercial litigation and bankruptcy.
“I was there for about three years,” she said. “I worked for Ron Towne, who left around 2006 to come to BMD. I asked him to take me with him but there was no open position available at BMD then.”
Instead, she joined Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs.
“At Buckingham, I handled immigration, bankruptcy and litigation,” she said.
Prior to starting at BMD, Dhinojwala was a member at Critchfield, Critchfield & Johnston and had worked there for almost nine years.
“I was primarily handling creditor’s rights and immigration,” she said. “I really enjoyed what I was doing and was not looking for another position because it’s really difficult for an attorney to move.
“But when I learned that BMD was looking to grow its immigration practice, I decided I had to make the switch and move back to Akron because, after all, I had been interested in working for the firm since 2006 and Akron is home.
“Being an immigrant myself, I believe my own experience of going through the entire immigration process puts me in a unique position to help my clients since I understand what it’s like to go through the process.”
Dhinojwala lives in Akron with her husband, Ali Dhinojwala and has two adult children. She said it’s important to her that she gives back to the legal profession and the community at large.
She is a member of the Ohio State, Medina County and Akron bar associations and the American Immigration Lawyers Association as well as an Akron Bar Foundation Fellow.
Dhinojwala currently serves on the board of the nonprofit law firm Community Legal Aid and chaired its investment committee from 2015 to 2019.
In 2019, Dhinojwala received a Pro Bono Award from Community Legal Aid.
She’s also served as co-chair of BMD’s Pro Bono Committee for several years.
“Pro bono work is important to me and I do a lot of it,” she said.
“Duriya’s significant contributions to the Akron community through Community Legal Aid speaks to our mission,” said Heinle.
In addition to her legal efforts, she is also the past chair and vice chair of India Sunday School in Akron.
As a member of BMD, she plans to continue to expand the firm’s immigration and bankruptcy practice.
“I am the first member at BMD who is foreign-born and a naturalized U.S. citizen,” said Dhinojwala.
In the case of Ribovich, he’s been working at Brennan Manna Diamond since October 2013.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Ribovich received a B.A. in philosophy from The College of Wooster and a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Toledo College of Law in 2005.
He began his legal career in Toledo, Ohio at Mockensturm Limited, where he focused on tax controversy work and general business and real estate transactions. During his time in Toledo, he obtained an LL.M. in Taxation from Wayne State University Law School.
“I’ve enjoyed the problem-solving aspect of my practice,” said Ribovich, who lives in Hudson with his wife Kate and their two school-aged daughters Anna and Lauren. “I also enjoy the ability it affords me to help people.
“Brennan Manna Diamond is a good fit for me because I can help small business owners to resolve their legal issues and continue to develop and grow their businesses.”
“We have been excited to watch Adrian grow a successful practice over the years and are pleased that he is now a member of the firm,” said Heinle.
Recently promoted Akron partner Bryan Meek has spent his entire legal career at Brennan Manna Diamond.
A native of Wadsworth, Ohio, he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology from The Ohio State University.
While attending The University of Akron School of Law, he served as a law clerk at BMD, officially joining the firm as an associate in October 2015, after graduating and passing the bar exam.
“From an early age, my parents encouraged me to be a lawyer, an option I continuously explored from high school through college,” said Meek. “I am now the first attorney in the family.
“My practice involves labor and employment and healthcare law,” he said. “I provide day-to-day guidance to employers and healthcare entities as well as handling their litigation and other disputes. BMD is a top 10 healthcare law firm and I knew coming out of law school that I wanted to form an intersection between health law and employment law.
“What I enjoy the most about my work is that I learn new things and have different experiences every day,” said Meek. “There is always a new puzzle to figure out or an interesting fact pattern to navigate. It’s a very challenging, but rewarding profession.”
Meek, who now lives in Cuyahoga Falls, currently serves on the board of the Tuesday Musical Association in Akron and volunteers at Community Legal Aid and other local organizations. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, snowboarding, and playing guitar.
As partner, he plans to continue to build his book of business and help his clients to grow their companies and achieve their legal and business goals for expansion.
“The best part about BMD is its entrepreneurial culture,” said Meek. “This is the backbone of the firm. It is this culture that is conducive to training and encouraging young attorneys to begin building a book of business from early on in their careers.
“BMD instills this drive and spirit in attorneys while also putting them in positions to train and learn under some of the best lawyers in their specialties.”
“Bryan has been a go-to team member throughout the pandemic in both the healthcare and employment law practice areas,” said Heinle.
Now a partner in the firm’s Jacksonville, Florida office, Jones primarily focuses on commercial litigation and real estate law.
A member of the Florida, Jacksonville and American bar associations, he received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Central Florida and his juris doctor from Florida Coastal School of Law.
He joined BMD in 2013 from a national business law firm and has experience handling a variety of civil actions in state and federal court ranging from contract disputes, construction litigation and complex class action defense to real property disputes, employment and labor litigation, creditor’s rights, eminent domain and condemnation matters.
“Darren has been a key team member in the continued success of the Jacksonville, Florida office,” said Heinle.