Buckingham Promotes Four Attorneys to Partner

Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC is proud to announce the promotion of Matthew R. Duncan, Amy K. Friedmann, Richard B. Fry III and Jon R. Stefanik to Partner.

“These four individuals have excelled as attorneys at Buckingham and continue to demonstrate commitment, hard-work and responsibility in their legal practice,” says John Slagter, Buckingham’s Managing Partner. “It is always a proud moment for us as a firm to celebrate the achievement of this professional milestone.”

Matthew R. Duncan began his career with the firm in 1998 as a docket clerk. He attended the Case Western Reserve University Law School and earned his Juris Doctor in 2003.  He focuses his practice on creditors’ rights, bankruptcy and litigation. Duncan is experienced in a broad range of litigation areas including commercial litigation, foreclosures, probate litigation, asbestos product liability and oil and gas litigation. He also has experience with First Amendment Constitutional issues and drafting rules and regulations for governmental entities.

Ohio’s Super Lawyers® included Duncan as a Rising Stars™ from 2012-2015. In addition, he was a Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce 30 for the Future Award Recipient in 2013.

Duncan lives in Medina, Ohio with his wife, Jessica. He is a current board member, and served as president from 2012 to 2013, of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina and Stark Counties. He also serves on the board of Eastgate Alliance Church and is board chair of The Love Akron Network.

Amy K. Friedmann began with the firm in May 2005 as a Summer Associate.  She attended the University of Akron School of Law and earned her Juris Doctor in 2006. Friedmann returned to the firm in 2006 as an Associate. She focuses her practice on estate planning and enjoys guiding individuals and families through the process of designing an estate plan that will carry out both tax and non-tax goals.  Her broad experience includes business succession planning, charitable gift planning, antenuptial agreements and planning for retirement benefits.  She also counsels clients in all aspects of the administration of estates and trusts, including private settlement agreements and probate court actions to modify, reform or terminate irrevocable trusts.

Ohio’s Super Lawyers® included Friedmann as a Rising Stars™ from 2012-2013.

Friedmann lives in Stow with her husband Brian and daughters, Sam and Vanessa. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Greenleaf Family Center and a graduate from Torchbearers Akron.

Richard B. Fry III began with the firm as a Summer Associate in May 2007.  He attended the University of Akron School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor and Masters of Taxation in 2008. He focuses his practice primarily on state and local tax matters, including Ohio tax controversies, sales and use tax and multistate tax planning. In addition, Fry also has experience in general business corporate matters, including real estate transaction, commercial litigation and entity formation and business structure. He is a regular contributor to the Ohio State Tax Blog.

Fry lives in Sagamore Hills with his wife, Kelsey. He is the Co-Chair of the Ohio Sales and Use Tax Subcommittee of the Ohio State Bar Association, a member of the Akron Tax Club and sits on the Aspire! Committee of the Board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve in Akron.

Jon R. Stefanik joined the firm as a Law Clerk in May 2005.  He attended the University of Akron School of Law and earned his Juris Doctorate in 2007. He focuses his practice on general business and corporate matters, including related tax planning and consulting. His business practice experience includes venture capital and private equity financing, start-up ventures and both buy and sell-side mergers and acquisitions. His tax practice experience includes LLC and partnership taxation, estate and gift taxation, corporate taxation and state and local taxation.

Ohio’s Super Lawyers® included Stefanik as a Rising Stars™ from 2011-2013. He was a Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce 30 for the Future Award recipient in 2011 and a Finance Monthly Deal Maker of the Year Award recipient in 2014.

Stefanik lives in Copley with his wife Kathy and children, Jack and Carmen. He is a board member for ACCESS Inc.; Project Learn of Summit County; Akron Roundtable and a graduate of Leadership Akron, Class XXVII. He is also a member of the University of Akron Master of Taxation Program Governance Board. Stefanik is the president of the Akron Tax Club and an adjunct faculty member for the University of Akron Master of Taxation Program.