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Cleveland, Ohio 44114
As Chair of Hahn Loeser’s Cleveland Trusts and Estates Practice Group, Dana Marie DeCapite dedicates her practice to serving as a trusted legal advisor for high-net worth families through estate planning, estate/trust administration, business succession planning, asset protection planning and prenuptial/postnuptial planning. Dana represents local, national, and internationally based individuals, families, and businesses to recommend and draft custom-tailored solutions. Dana also counsels fiduciaries on the duties and obligations of trustees, executors and attorneys-in-fact, and assists in the process of business entity creation, restructure and transition.
In addition, Dana consults in ultra-high net worth domestic relations matters to implement creative and complex estate planning vehicles to facilitate settlement of divorces and post-divorce litigation.
A Creative, Trusted Advisor Who Resolves Issues
With high-net-worth individuals and families, the axiom that more money often leads to more complexity is real. Due to her comprehensive and empathetic approach, many clients retain Dana at their most trying moments or when they are facing a raft of difficult and overwhelming planning decisions. Scenarios such as: the death of the patriarch or matriarch of the family, confronting business succession planning issues, addressing marital challenges and other delicate matters at the intersection of wealth and family. It is at these moments that clients desire clarity and need a trusted counselor to execute effective plans that protect the family and the wealth, now and in the future.
High Net Worth Divorces
Dana regularly works with Domestic Relations counsel to bring discordant divorce proceedings to resolution using estate planning techniques. In Dana’s experience, tried and true domestic relations solutions are rarely comprehensive enough or estate tax efficient for high net worth clients in resolving contentious disputes related to property division, spousal support and child support. However, estate planning offers an additional toolbox that Dana uses to successfully bring parties to a tax efficient, private and mutually agreeable resolution. In some cases, Dana is involved throughout the pendency of the case to interject estate planning options for private settlement, outside the scope of typical terms offered by in contested matters.
Dana is frequently called upon by various publications and organizations to share her insight related to estate planning and estate/trust administration. She regularly speaks at continuing legal education seminars and local civic groups to educate other attorneys and the community regarding her areas of expertise.
Northern Ohio Italian American Foundation (“NOIA”), Chair of Planned Giving Committee
Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Gift Planning Advisory Council
The Best Lawyers in America®, Trusts and Estates, 2020-25, Family Law, 2025
Rising Star, Ohio Super Lawyers®, Estate & Probate, 2020-24
State of Ohio, 2010
State of Florida, 2012
U.S. District Courts for the Northern District of Ohio, 2011; Southern District of Ohio, 2012
Ohio State Bar Association, Member
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member
Estate Planning Council of Cleveland, Past President
University Hospitals Diamond Advisory Group
Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises (AFHE), Member