Joyce Goldstein
Joyce Goldstein has been a labor and employee benefits lawyer representing unions and employee benefit funds in Cleveland for over 35 years. In 1986, she founded Joyce Goldstein & Associates which merged into Goldstein Gragel LLC in 2008. She was the first woman in the United States to start her own law firm dedicated to the representation of unions and workers.
Within the legal community, Joyce served as President of the William K. Thomas Inn of Court as well as the Labor and Employment Relations Association (“LERA”). She is a life member of the Judicial Conferences of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, an emeritus member of the Advisory Board of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, a member of the Advisory Board of the American Constitution Society (Northeast Ohio Chapter), and a former board member of the Ohio State Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, the American Arbitration Association’s Labor Advisory Board, and the Public Sector Labor Relations Association, among other honors. In 2010, Joyce was recognized by her peers throughout the country when she was inducted as a Fellow into the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. She has also served on the faculty of the Cleveland Marshall College of Law as an Adjunct Professor of Labor Law. A member of the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance since 1984, she has also served multiple terms on its Board.
In 2021, Joyce was appointed by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman to Chair the Bipartisan Judiciary Advisory Commission to assist in filling judicial vacancies on the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio. She had served as a Commission member since 2017. She previously served three times on the Merit Selection Panel for the appointment or reappointment of a United States Magistrate Judge and on the Ohio Governor’s merit selection panel leading to the appointment of a new domestic relations court judge. Senator Brown appointed her to the United States Marshal Selection Commission for the Southern District of Ohio.
She was awarded the highest “AV Peer Review” rating by Martindale Hubbell and has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America, the Ohio Super Lawyers and Northern Ohio Live Top Lawyers for well over ten years. She was named by Best Lawyers in America in 2012, 2014 and 2018 as the “Lawyer of the Year” in Labor & Employment Law.
Within the general community, Joyce, a 2006 graduate of Leadership Cleveland, has served as a founding board member and Board Chair of Policy Matters Ohio, a board member of Hard Hatted Women, a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Civil Rights Committee and a member of both the Community and Government Relations Committees of the Cleveland Jewish Federation. She currently sits on the Board of the United Labor Agency, chairs the Cleveland Jewish Labor Committee and serves as a national board member of the Jewish Labor Committee. In 2007, Joyce was selected by the State of Israel Bonds to receive their Labor Tribute Award.
A frequent lecturer and writer, Joyce is an honors graduate of Vassar College. She has served as one of the editors of the Campaign Guide published annually by North America’s Building Trades Unions. She is the monthly expert labor law guest on America’s Workforce Radio. She received her law degree from West Virginia University, where she was a member of the Order of the Coif and an editor of the West Virginia College of Law Review, and then served a judicial clerkship for the West Virginia Supreme Court.
Richard L. Stoper, Jr.
Since 1984, Rick Stoper has handled a broad range of legal matters, including business and commercial cases, labor and employment, anti-trust, contracts, collections, product liability and white-collar criminal defense.
Rick now focuses his practice on workplace issues such as ERISA, employment discrimination, and issues vital to unions, handling such cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in mediations and arbitrations.
He began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Leroy J. Contie, Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, following graduation from Cleveland Marshall Law School, magna cum laude. He earned his undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. He was a founder of the firm of Rotatori, Gragel & Stoper.
Rick is admitted to practice in all Ohio state and federal courts, and the Supreme Court of the United States. He belongs to the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association.
Kristin Seifert Watson
Of Counsel
Kristin Seifert Watson has represented unions and workers in labor and employee benefits matters since 2004.
Kristin is a member of the Board of Directors of the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance, of which she has been a member throughout her career.
In addition to her work with Joyce Goldstein & Associates, Kristin is also a partner in a Columbus, Ohio firm representing workers and their unions.
Kristin is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Ohio, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.
Kristin earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Ohio State University with a summa cum laude distinction. She graduated from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law With Honors in Law.
Ronald H. Snyder
Of Counsel
Ronald Snyder has represented unions and workers in public and private sector labor and litigation matters since 1996.
Ron is a member of the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance.
Ron is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Ohio and the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
In addition to his work with Joyce Goldstein & Associates, Ron is also a partner in a Columbus, Ohio firm representing workers and their unions.
Ron earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Youngstown State University with a cum laude distinction. He earned his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University College of Law.
Lora Molnar
Of Counsel
Lora Molnar has represented unions and workers in public and private sector labor and litigation matters since 2008.
Lora is a member of the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance.
Lora is admitted to practice in the state and federal courts in Ohio, as well as the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
In addition to her work with Joyce Goldstein & Associates, Lora is also a partner in a Columbus, Ohio firm representing workers and their unions.
Lora earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Denison University as a graduate of the Honors Program with a cum laude distinction. She graduated from The Ohio State
University Moritz College of Law with a cum laude distinction, where she also served as a managing editor of the law review.
Lane C. Hagar
Of Counsel
Lane Hagar developed an interest in labor law through his coursework and internships, and has focused his practice in the areas of labor, litigation, and employee retirement benefits.
Lane is a member of the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance.
In addition to his work with Joyce Goldstein & Associates, Lane is also an associate in a Columbus, Ohio firm representing workers and their unions.
