David M. Lenz

David Lenz joined the Firm in 2006, became a Partner in 2013, and was elected to serve as Managing Partner in 2020. His practice focuses primarily on planning for and administering wealth transfer for individuals and families, in addition to counseling charitable organizations.

David considers each client’s unique estate planning needs, creating comprehensive plans and helping families communicate their purpose and goals to the next generation. This often includes complex charitable, retirement, and tax planning strategies, as well as oft-overlooked items such as digital assets and pets. Further, David also counsels charitable institutions to help them have a greater impact in the community. This can encompass applying for tax-exempt status for start-up nonprofit organizations, planned giving consultation for established public charities, and governance and compliance management for private family foundations.

David translates his expertise into leadership within the legal community. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC), certified by the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) as a specialist in Estate Planning, Trust, and Probate Law, and was a part of the OSBA subcommittee that helped create Ohio’s law on executors’ access to decedents’ digital assets in 2017. Additionally, he has volunteered with the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (CMBA) as the chair of multiple groups. He is a frequent speaker and author on charitable planning and on estate planning with digital assets.

David has also led in various roles in his faith community, having served as President of Advent Lutheran Church in Mentor and spent nine years on the regional Synod Council for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), including six years as Secretary of the Synod, and served a six-year term on the ELCA’s national Church Council. He currently serves as Chair of the Synod’s Constitution Review Committee.

David lives in Mayfield Village with his wife and daughters, and he can often be found distance running on the trails of North Chagrin Reservation and Mayfield.