John Paul Lucci

Routinely engaged by clients for his business acumen, John Paul Lucci is a partner in Hahn Loeser’s Business Practice Area. John Paul’s primary focus is mergers and acquisitions, corporate counseling and providing strategic and legal counsel to boards of directors and C-suite executives. John Paul has represented clients in leveraged buyout transactions and venture capital financings, as well as private-equity funds in the acquisition and disposition of scores of businesses across dozens of industries.

As a testament to the value John Paul brings to transactions, he has repeatedly been engaged by buyers post-closing when he has represented sellers to continue as outside general counsel or to serve as lead M&A counsel for add-on acquisitions.

In his corporate practice, John Paul has guided business owners through a myriad of complex issues that confront closely held companies such as succession planning, executive compensation, equity incentive plans and intergenerational transfers of ownership.

John Paul serves as outside general counsel to private-equity portfolio companies, closely held businesses and ESOP-owned companies. He is a trusted advisor to boards of directors and serves as an elected secretary for select clients. John Paul prides himself on his unmatched responsiveness and his unwavering commitment to client service and advocacy.

In addition to his corporate practice, John Paul works seamlessly with Hahn Loeser’s intellectual property lawyers and is the relationship partner for several of the Firm’s marquis intellectual property clients.

As a leader in the community and at Hahn Loeser, John Paul is the former co-chair of Hahn Loeser’s Corporate Transactions Group and an active member of the Firm’s finance committee.

Prior to attending law school, John Paul was a nonprofit executive, serving as the vice president of research and operations for the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture in Cleveland, Ohio. John Paul remains active in the nonprofit sector, assisting arts, cultural and environmental organizations in governance and nonprofit law. As a member of the board of trustees at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, John Paul oversaw the modernization of the Nature Center’s bylaws and corporate governance.

Accolades

John Paul’s significant engagements include:

• Represented a manufacturer and distributor of rigid packing as lead M&A counsel in several acquisitions over the last decade.
• Represented a global integrated facilities management provider in the acquisition of several business over the last 5 years as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the developer of the Greater Cleveland Aquarium.
• Represented the seller of a specialty food equipment and processing business.
• Represented the seller of a security and logistics business to a private-equity buyer as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the purchaser of a printing business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the private equity purchaser of several heavy equipment and dump truck businesses.
• Represented the seller of a distressed printing business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the purchaser of a dry cleaning business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a third-generation ownership in the sale of a manufacturing business.
• Represented a private equity buyer in the purchase of a software business.
• Represented the seller of a family-owned printing business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a private equity buyer in the purchase of a debt collection business.
• Represented the purchaser of a fishing rod business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a purchaser of a construction equipment and rental business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a private equity seller in the sale of several businesses in the automative space.
• Represented the purchaser of several financial services firms as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the seller of a financial services firm to a strategic acquirer as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a contract chemical manufacturer in the sale of two of its subsidiaries as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a security and logistics business in its acquisition of several of its subsidiaries as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the purchaser of an insurance business and its eventual sale to a private equity buyer as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a food manufacturer in the acquisition of a business.
• Represented the seller of a trucking and logistics business as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented a steel manufacturer in the purchase of assets as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the purchaser of a beverage distributorship as lead M&A counsel.
• Represented the seller of heavy equipment sale and leasing company as lead M&A counsel.
• Served as lead outside counsel to an international joint venture.
• Represented a private equity buyer in the acquisition of a direct mail business.
• Represented the seller of a general contractor as lead M&A counsel.
• Served as on-site general counsel to a publicly-traded gaming company where he supervised outside counsel, managed litigation budgets, negotiated contracts with entertainers and provided ongoing legal counsel to the CEO and management.

• Hahn Loeser Facilitates The Chas. E. Phipps Company’s Acquisition of Machinery & Tool Rentals
  November 07, 2023
• Hahn Loeser Plays Key Role in Sequoia Financial Group’s Acquisition of Cirrus Wealth Management
  August 18, 2023
• Seventy-Four Hahn Loeser Lawyers Recognized by Best Lawyers Across Forty-Six Specialties
  August 20, 2020
• 42 Hahn Loeser Attorneys Named to the 2020 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®: Two Partners Distinguished as “Lawyer of the Year”
  August 15, 2019
• 34 Hahn Loeser Attorneys Named to the 2019 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©: Five Partners Distinguished as “Lawyer of the Year”
  August 15, 2018
• 29 Hahn Loeser Attorneys Named to the 2018 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©: Three Partners Distinguished as “Lawyer of the Year”
  August 16, 2017
• Blake and Lucci Named Co-Chairs of Hahn Loeser’s Corporate Transactions Group
  September 22, 2015
• 13 Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP Attorneys Listed as “Ohio Rising Stars” in 2013 Ohio Super Lawyers
  February 28, 2013
• 15 Hahn Loeser Attorneys Named “Ohio Rising Stars” in 2012 Edition of Ohio Super Lawyers
  January 04, 2012
• John Paul Lucci highlighted in, “Shaker lakes board elects seven new members, officers”
  November 06, 2011
• Hahn Loeser pro bono client featured in, “Society Keeping Aultman on the Map”
  February 07, 2011
• Lucci joins Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP
  March 17, 2009

• Author

  Strategies to Ensure a Gratifying Business Sale (Crain’s Cleveland Business)

  January 17, 2023
• Speaker

  Joint Venture Basics

  February 24, 2022
• Author

  Risks of Marijuana-Related Businesses

  February 16, 2018
• Author

  4th and 205: How a rush of global comments blocked the SEC’s first attempted punt of attorney-client privilege under Sabanes-Oxley,

  March 25, 2009
• Author

  Enron – The Bankruptcy Heard Around the World and the International Ricochet of Sarbanes-Oxley

  March 25, 2009
• Author

  “Note, New York revises ethics rules to permit limited MDPs: a critical analysis of the New York approach, the future of the MDP debate after Enron, and recommendations for other jurisdictions

  March 25, 2009