About Erik Breunig

Erik A. Breunig is a shareholder in the firm. A graduate of Ohio University and the University of Akron School of Law, Mr. Breunig has been practicing law in Lorain County since 2004. He is admitted to practice before the Ohio Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Mr. Breunig began his career as an associate with the Elyria law firm of Taylor, Breunig & Robinson before forming The Breunig Law Firm with his father, Kurt A. Breunig, until Kurt’s passing in 2013. Since then, Mr. Breunig continued as a sole practitioner until joining Fauver in 2023.

Mr. Breunig’s practice is heavily focused on estate and business succession planning. He also counsels clients in the areas of probate and trust administration, municipal law, land use and zoning, commercial and residential real estate, as well as litigation matters revolving around those practice areas. He is a member of the Lorain County and Ohio State Bar Associations, the Ohio Municipal Attorneys’ Association, and the Northeast Ohio Law Directors’ Association.

Outside of his work for private clients, Mr. Breunig is also the Solicitor of the Village of LaGrange and Assistant Law Director for the City of Elyria. His political subdivision clients have included the Village of Grafton, Pittsfield Township, the Village of New London, and the City of Oberlin.

Mr. Breunig resides in Eaton Township with his wife, their two children, and their dog. He is a member of St. Mary’s Parish in Elyria and serves on its Finance Council. In his free time, you can find Mr. Breunig at his children’s sporting events or out riding his bike or going for a run.

We represent a diverse range of businesses, from small start-ups and non-profits to large companies that conduct business around the world. Our corporate and business law attorneys provide advice on a wide range of matters including entity selection, mergers and acquisitions, sales and restructuring, and business succession planning. We pride ourselves on giving our clients practical and proactive advice, and we assist our clients in formulating creative solutions to legal issues that impact their businesses. 

Services include:

• Entity selection
• Capital structuring and financing
• Shareholder and Operating Agreements
• Employment Contracts
• Corporate record book maintenance and updates
• Employee fringe benefit plans
• General contract and document preparation
• Advice on employment relations matters
• Mergers, acquisitions, sales and restructurings
• Stock redemptions, business liquidations and distributions
• Business succession planning
• Purchase and sale of commercial real estate
• Tax planning for closely held business and their owners
• Forming non-profit entities and obtaining recognition as tax-exempt

We work with you to develop and implement an estate plan to fit your unique needs, maximize tax saving opportunities and protect your assets. We take pride in providing you and your family with caring, compassionate counsel when dealing with the death of a loved one during the probate administration or trust administration process.

Services include:

• Preparation of Wills
• Preparation of Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts
• Preparation of Family Limited Partnerships and Family Limited Liability Companies
• Business Succession Planning
• Preparation of estate planning documents for the high net worth client
• Preparation of Powers of Attorney
• Preparation of Living Wills and Durable Powers of Attorney for Healthcare
• Charitable giving and planning
• Elder Law planning
• Tax planning and tax advice
• Administration of Probate Estates and Trust Estates
• Preparation of Federal and State Estate tax returns
• Probate Court litigation including Will and Trust Contests, Objections to Inventory and related court proceedings

Elder and Special Needs Planning:

We assist older adults, individuals with disabilities, and their families, to plan for and deal with the unique issues that affect them.  We identify and implement actions that allow these clients to take full advantage of all public benefits to which they are entitled.

Services include:

• Preparation and/or revision of basic legal documents
• Advise about and prepare trusts to obtain or safeguard eligibility for needs-based public benefits (Medicaid, SSI, etc.)
• Advise trustees about the administration of trusts
• Advise about, and help implement, asset protection strategies
• Manage the Medicaid qualification process - defining what may be kept, identifying what to keep and what to spend, developing best spend-down strategies, collect all necessary documentation, submit and process the application, and provide direction for future steps to maintain eligibility
• Consult and advise about remedies for abuse of older adults or individuals with disabilities
• Represent parties in Probate Court guardianship proceedings.

Public entities deal with a minefield of regulations, laws and ethical considerations that do not apply to private companies or individuals.  Complex legal issues that arise must not only be handled within the context of such considerations, but also in an open manner, often under strict public scrutiny. We act as general counsel and provide advice and representation to public entities such as municipalities, water and sewer districts, ambulance districts and school districts concerning a diverse array of issues and practice areas.

Services Include:

• Representation and advice at Board meetings
• Open meetings laws
• Public records compliance
• Employment issues
• Real estate transactions
• Board, management and employee training
• Litigation in state and federal courts
• Drafting of resolutions and contracts
• Administrative actions
• Construction law
• Right of way, annexation and easement issues
• Student expulsion hearings
• Labor law and proceedings before the Ohio State Employment Relations Board (SERB)
• Proceedings before the Ohio State Personnel Board of Review (OSPBR)
• Real estate tax valuation proceedings
• Tax and other debt collection 
• Zoning and land use proceedings

Issues involving real estate are wide-ranging and complex. Whether you are a landlord, a developer, or an individual homeowner, our attorneys have the knowledge and experience to assist you in transactions, zoning and planning, and litigation on real estate matters in all courts.

Services include:

• Commercial Real Estate transactions
• Contracts for purchase and sale, and implementation of transactions
• Document preparation, including deeds, mortgages, loan agreements, easements, licenses, land installment contracts, leases, mechanics’ liens, options, homeowners associations, declarations of condominium, and restrictive covenants
• Annexation proceedings
• Planning and zoning proceedings, including appeals
• Title claims and title insurance matters
• Adverse possession claims
• Quiet title litigation
• Foreclosure
• Broker and agency matters, including listing documents
• Encroachment and boundary litigation
• Partition litigation
• Mechanics’ lien litigation, including lien foreclosure
• Landlord tenant litigation, including commercial and residential evictions