News
UB Greensfelder Earns Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2026 Edition
June 4, 2026
Clients and peers of Steve hold him in the highest regard as he represents clients in a wide range of high-stakes business litigation. With extensive experience as lead trial counsel in state and federal courts across the United States, Steve has consistently earned national recognition for his leadership and client service in matters of complex general commercial, real estate, eminent domain, employment, contract, professional liability, fiduciary duty, financial services, fraud, trade secret, intellectual property, civil rights, and class action litigation.
Steve co-founded the Kaufman & Cumberland firm on July 1, 1982. Over the next 20 years, he grew that firm into a large Cleveland civil litigation boutique of 20 lawyers. Steve served as co-managing partner until July 2002, when it merged into Thompson Hine. At Thompson Hine, Steve served as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee for approximately nine years, and managed the firmwide litigation practice for three of those years. Deciding to start a litigation boutique again in January 2011, Steve founded Kaufman & Company LLP and managed that firm until it became a 12-lawyer firm with offices in Cleveland, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The entire Kaufman & Company firm and all of the offices merged into Ulmer & Berne as of January 1, 2020.
Notable Recognition
- Chambers USA: His 19th consecutive annual ranking (2006-2026) by Chambers recognizes Steve as one of the top attorneys in Ohio for General Commercial Litigation. Clients and peers have shared insights with Chambers researchers including that Steve is “a warrior when he needs to be, and a very astute and effective trial lawyer,” “extraordinarily insightful and pragmatic,” and “unquestionably a force to be reckoned with.” A client also shared that “Steve is a very strategic thinker and great when it comes to tactics. He’s extremely hard-working and is four to five steps ahead of his adversaries.”
- As a part of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s 150th anniversary celebration, Steve was recognized as a 2023 “Living Legacy Award” recipient, an award honoring lawyers whose extraordinary leadership, innovation, and professional excellence have transformed the legal, business, and/or civic arena over the course of their careers. Through this honor, Steve was noted to have made an indelible mark on the CMBA, the legal profession, and the Greater Cleveland community.
- Benchmark Litigation: Recognized for the past seven years (2014-2022) for his work in General Commercial and Securities Litigation, Steve is consistently named a "Litigation Star" in Ohio. Interviewees shared that he is “highly effective and efficient at ‘bet the company’ litigation” and provides “outstanding creativity and service.” One client noted, “Steve Kaufman is one of our nation’s premier litigators. He provided steadfast direction through highly complex litigation against numerous firms.”
- The Best Lawyers in America®: In 2019, Steve was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation-Real Estate in Cleveland. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers® in Litigation-Commercial, Real Estate, and Intellectual Property for 16 years (2006-2026).
- Steve has also earned the top rating from Ohio Super Lawyers and AV Preeminent® status (the highest rating) by Martindale-Hubbell®, as well as other accolades.
- Colgate University (A.B., 1972)
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law (J.D., 1975)
- Ohio
- New York
- Illinois
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Claims
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
- Thompson Hine LLP (Partner, 2002-2011; Member of Executive Committee, 2002-2010; Chair, Business Litigation Practice Group, 2003-2006)
- Kaufman & Cumberland LLC (Co-Managing Partner, 1982-2002)
- Kaufman & Company LLP (Managing Member of 11-lawyer civil litigation boutique with offices in Cleveland, New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, 2011-2020)
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association (President, 2003-2004; President-Elect, 2002-2003; Vice President, 2001-2002; Member, Board of Trustees, 1998-2001)
- American Bar Association (Co-Chair, Real Estate Litigation Committee, Litigation Section, 2012-2016)
- Ohio Metropolitan Bar Association Caucus (President, 2003-2004)
- Ohio State Bar Foundation (Fellows Class of 2001)
- National Council of Bar Presidents (Member)
- New York State Bar Association (Member)
- American Bar Association Foundation (Fellow)
- Judicial Review Commission for the Northern District of Ohio (Member)
- Celebrezze Inn of Court (Master Bencher, Member, 1995-present)
- Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Government Transition Executive Committee (General Counsel, January 2010– November 2010)
- Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District (Life Member; Co-Chair, Life Member Committee, Seventeenth Conference of the Eighth Judicial Conference, April 2009)
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law (Adjunct Professor of Law, Eminent Domain Law and Trial Practice, 2007-2010)
- Court of Nisi Prius (Serjeant, 1999-present)
- Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cleveland (Member, Board of Trustees, 2010-2013; Chair, Government Relations Committee, 2010-2013)
- Shaker Heights School District Board of Education (President, 2004-2006; Vice President, 2003-2004; twice elected member of District Board of Education, 1997, 2001)
- Shaker Heights School District Finance & Audit Committee (Member, 2000-2003)
- Leadership Cleveland (Class of 1999)
- 50 Club (Member, 2012-present)
- Transition Team for Mayor Jane Campbell, City of Cleveland Transition Committee regarding Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (Member, 2001)
- Transition Team for Mayor Frank Jackson, City of Cleveland Transition Committee on Regional Development (Member, 2005)
- Transition Team for Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher for selection of Chief Counsel (Member, 1990-1991)
- Selected for the National Appellate Advocacy honor, National Order of Barriers (1975)
- Moot Court Board (Chairman, 1974-1975)
- National Moot Court (Member, National Moot Court Team, which won first place in the Midwest Regional Competition, advancing to the National Competition in New York, 1972-1973)
- Ranked as a Senior Statesperson in Litigation: General Commercial by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2024-2026)
- Inducted into Case Western Reserve University School of Law Society of Benchers (2024)
- Ranked in Band 2 of Ohio’s Leading General Commercial Litigation Lawyers by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2006-2023)
- Named to The Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Real Estate (2006-2026)
- Recognized by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, in its 150th year celebration, as a “Living Legacy Award” winner for transforming the legal arena over the course of his career (2023)
- Named to the Cleveland Jewish News list of "18 Difference Makers" (2023)
- Named to the Ohio Super Lawyers list (2005-2026)
- Named Best Lawyers® Litigation-Real Estate “Lawyer of the Year” in Cleveland (2019)
- Named a “Litigation Star” in Ohio and ranked in Litigation: General Commercial and Securities by Benchmark Litigation (2014-2022)
- AV Preeminent® – Martindale Hubbell®
- AV Preeminent® – Martindale Hubbell®, Judicial Addition (2016)
- BTI Client Service All Star (2013)
- Recognized by the ABA Litigation Section, Real Estate Litigation Committee, as “Outstanding Sub-Committee Chair” (2010, 2011) and “Most Enticing Committee Award” (2013, 2014)
- LawDragon (2006, 2009, 2010)
- The Rev. Richard E. Sering Crossroads Hope Award for contribution to racial fairness reform in the Ohio justice system – The Racial Fairness Project (2004)
