Joseph M. Mentrek

Practice Areas

Estate and Succession Planning and Administration; Charitable Giving; Corporate Succession Planning; Family Offices; Probate Litigation; Tax Law; Wealth Management Law

Career

As Chair of Calfee's Estate and Succession Planning and Administration group, Joe Mentrek provides counsel to high-net-worth individuals, closely held business owners, corporate executives and nonprofit organizations.

With a background in financial planning and the law, Joe works diligently with clients and their advisers to develop creative legal strategies and tax-advantaged solutions to achieve wealth transfer and business transition goals.

Joe’s broad-based approach to estate planning incorporates progressive strategies with time-tested techniques to achieve clients’ desired results. His wide-ranging skills and practical experience allow him to integrate diverse disciplines including estate plan design and implementation, tax accounting and compliance, process-oriented succession planning, employee benefits and executive compensation, personal wealth management, family governance, business organization and governance, retirement planning, investment planning and risk management.

In 2023, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) offered Joe membership as a Fellow of the College. ACTEC is an organization of nearly 2,400 trust and estate lawyers and law professors who have been elected by their peers in recognition of having made outstanding contributions to the practice of trust and estate law.

Prior to joining Calfee, Joe practiced as a public accountant for more than 18 years, most recently serving as vice president and director of the Wealth Center at Meaden & Moore, Ltd., a CPA and business consulting firm. Joe joined Calfee in 2015.

Professional Memberships

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Fellow (2023)

UCP of Greater Cleveland, Board of Directors

The Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, Past President and Trustee

Tax Club of Cleveland, Member

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Estate Planning Institute, Former Chairman (2011)

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member

Ohio State Bar Association, Member

American Bar Association, Member

Cleveland Clinic Partners in Philanthropy

University Hospitals Diamond Advisory Group

Planned Giving Advisory Board of the American Red Cross (Cleveland)

Publications

Joe frequently writes and speaks on tax and estate planning matters.

Presentations:

Cleveland Tax Institute

The Cleveland Estate Planning Institute

The Ohio and Cleveland Society of Certified Public Accountants

The Northern Ohio Planned Giving Council

Most notably, Joe is responsible for the annual update of the Cleveland estate planning community on the proceedings of the annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning.

Publications:

"Selecting the Perfect Fiduciary," Crain's Cleveland Business (October 30, 2019)

"Selecting the Perfect Trustee," Crain's Cleveland Business (November 12, 2018)

Expert in these Jurisdictions

Licensed in Ohio.

Education

Awards