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Brouse McDowell adds two attorneys to its roster
SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter
Published: March 22, 2017
Brouse McDowell recently added two associates to its growing legal team.
J. Alex Quay began working in the firm’s Akron office as a member of the Litigation Practice Group in early February and last September Colleen Geib started in the Cleveland office. Geib splits her time between the Corporate & Securities and Health Care practice groups.
The full service business law firm has about 80 attorneys located in the firm’s four offices in Akron, Cleveland, Canfield and Lorain County.
Managing Partner Marc Merklin said both Quay and Geib would enhance the firm’s ability to service a wide array of clients.
“The firm prides itself on having quality lawyers provide efficient and value-added service for our clients and Alex and Colleen will assist us in continuing to do so,” Merklin said.
“Alex is a skilled and capable lawyer who adds depth to our litigation group, while bringing with him a wealth of experience in the oil and gas field,” said Merklin. “We are delighted to add Alex and his clients to our firm.”
Born in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Quay grew up in Cincinnati, getting a bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and his juris doctor from The University of Akron School of Law.
He began his legal career at Brennan, Manna & Diamond in 2010, but less than a year later he switched directions, delving into the then expanding area of oil and gas.
“At the time, there was a growing need for attorneys to handle matters involving the Utica shale play,” said Quay.
For the next six years he worked for several firms that had opened offices in Northeast Ohio to accommodate the expanding oil and gas needs of their clients.
“There’s been a recent downturn in the oil and gas industry,” said Quay. “I welcomed the opportunity at Brouse as a chance to branch out into areas that provide more stability.
“I still handle some oil and gas matters at Brouse, but it is no longer the main part of my practice.
“Brouse has a very good reputation in Northeast Ohio,” he said. “Everyone is very collegial and it feels like this is the right place to grow my career.”
In addition, to his work at the firm the West Akron resident is a member of the 2017 class of the Akron Bar Association’s Leadership Academy. Since 2013 he has also volunteered as a boys varsity soccer coach at North High School in Akron.
“I’ve always been a big soccer player and when I learned that the high school had a team, I felt compelled to reach out and see if I could help,” said Quay. “There are a lot of refugees from Nepal that have made their home in the surrounding neighborhood and I think the team and the community can use all the help they can get.”
In the case of Geib, the Cleveland native is just beginning her law career.
She served as a summer associate at Brouse McDowell in 2015 while attending Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Prior to starting law school Geib, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science from John Carroll University, worked for Ernst & Young (now EY) in Washington, D.C. as an assistant to a lobbying group.
She also served as a project manager at her family’s company, South Shore Cable Construction in Cleveland, overseeing the compliance side of a federally funded broadband project.
“I interacted with the grant recipient to ensure that we were compliant with federal regulations and other requirements of the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program,” she said.
“I became interested in law toward the end of college and that interest was reinforced by the work I did at my family’s business,” Geib said. “During law school I worked in the civil litigation clinic so my position at Brouse is my first exposure to the corporate side.
“I am focusing on increasing my knowledge about corporate matters so that I can provide excellent service to our business clients.”
Geib also makes a point to give back to the community, doing pro bono work at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and serving as an associate board member at Boys Hope Girls Hope of Northeastern Ohio.
Located in Garfield Heights, the nonprofit offers a combination of residential and non-residential programs aimed at providing stability and academic support to students in the Cleveland area who face a combination of challenges in their homes, schools and neighborhoods.
“We decided to hire Colleen as an associate because she performed really well in our summer program and demonstrated to us that she had the needed skill set, personality and motivation to succeed,” said Merklin. “We’re delighted to have her with our firm.”