The Cleveland Leadership Center recently announced that Hahn Loeser Partner and Cleveland Office Partner-In-Charge John Paul Lucci has been selected to participate in the Leadership Cleveland Class of 2026.
A highly selective program, Leadership Cleveland has been an immersive experience that brings together senior-level leaders of all different backgrounds, challenging them to deepen their impact on the community, while growing as leaders. Class members are chosen based on demonstrated leadership and commitment through a highly selective application process.
Focusing on all aspects of business and corporate law, Lucci serves as a trusted advisor to numerous closely held companies. He recently served as lead M&A counsel in the sale of Ohio Eagle Distributing, the firm’s largest M&A transaction of 2025. He also has orchestrated strategic investments for one of his clients in several foreign countries this year.
Lucci has earned peer accolades from Best Lawyers in America in each of the last nine years and was ranked in both the 2024 and 2025 editions of Chambers USA for Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions. His writings on corporate governance and M&A have appeared in law reviews and trade publications.
Lucci is one of 66 Northeast Ohio leaders selected from public, private and nonprofit-sector institutions to participate in the 10-month program. Participants will engage in cross-sector dialogue, explore civic challenges and opportunities, and build lasting connections with others committed to driving positive change in the Cleveland community.
“The Leadership Cleveland Class of 2026 steps into a powerful moment of opportunity – to forge meaningful connections, explore the civic assets and complex challenges that shape our community, and become catalysts for transformational change across our region,” said Becky Ruppert McMahon, President and CEO of Cleveland Leadership Center.
The new class joins a network of more than 11,000 CLC alumni from the organization’s 47-year history. The 2026 program begins in September and features intensive sessions, site visits and retreats to appreciate the rich diversity of Greater Cleveland, gain insight on challenges and opportunities and strengthen key relationships. Participants develop collaborative leadership skills, establish a broader network of community-focused leaders and gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of the civic system.
Hahn Loeser’s long history of participation in Leadership Cleveland includes Stephen J. Knerly Jr. (1991), Craig Owen White (1994), Lawrence E. Oscar (2009), Stanley R. Gorom III (2012), Rob Remington (2014), Christopher S.W. Blake (2018), E. Sean Medina (2020) and Christopher B. Wick (2025).
