Having grown up in a family of entrepreneurs, Bryan Dardis understands the value of partnering with pragmatic, flexible and efficient professionals who understand their clients’ needs. Bryan applies this experience and insight to his real estate, real estate finance and business practices as he assumes the role of quarterback for legal issues to many of his clients, with the assistance of his multi-disciplinary team at Meyers Roman. His practical, direct and results driven approach and problem-solving abilities have contributed to him becoming a ‘trusted advisor’ to many of his clients as they manage their day-to-day legal and business matters.

Bryan acts as outside general counsel to closely held companies, manufacturers, contractors and service providers throughout all life cycle stages, including startup and organization, acquisitions, mergers, growth, financing, business succession planning and exit planning. He advises purchasers, sellers and developers in developing, acquiring, selling, leasing and financing all forms of commercial real estate. Bryan also represents lenders and borrowers in a broad scope of loan transactions with banks, concerns, companies, capital markets, tax credit transactions, and agencies, including HUD, FHA and Freddie Mac.

Bryan is married with three children and lives in the Mayfield area. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, watching sports and running.

Representative Matters

• Successfully represented the developer in a  $22 million deal with multiple layers of complexity including three separate classes of investment equity, construction financing, tenant increment financing and tax abatement arrangements with the City of Cleveland, forgivable loans, construction contracts, creation of an  “opportunity zone” fund, and multiple organizational structures. Additionally, this project qualified as an “opportunity zone” under the new federal tax guidelines, one of the first such projects to close under the new program in Northeast Ohio.
• Represents cell tower developers and site selectors with site acquisition, developer contracts, private equity and partnership arrangements, leasing, title, construction and development work throughout various stages of cell tower development.
• Represented developer in multiple phases of a large, sophisticated mixed use project in Northeast Ohio including acquisition, leasing, financing, construction, tax abatement, remediation and environmental issues.
• Represented numerous co-borrowers in a Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities Loan secured by multiple retail shopping centers located throughout several states.
• Represented an investor in its acquisition of numerous distressed shopping centers and malls throughout the country.
• Represented several lenders in various projects related to construction and bridge financing for construction projects involving federal and state historic tax credits.
• Represented owner and developer group in a number of HUD multifamily transactions, including Transfer of Physical Assets, Mark-to-Market debt assumption, new HUD-Insured financing, and Affordable Housing Tax Credits projects.
• Successfully transitioned a large locally-owned manufacturing company from second to third generation leadership while navigating the company and its principals through family transition issues.
• Represented a local manufacturing company in its acquisition of an industry competitor thereby increasing resources available to its customers while also expanding the company’s geographic footprint and strategic capabilities.

Civic and Professional Involvement

• Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, Inc.,  Board Member
• Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Real Estate Law Section
• Greater Cleveland Mortgage Bankers Association, Member
• Northern Ohio Italian American (NOIA) Foundation, Member

Accomplishments

• Ohio Super Lawyers, 2021, 2022 & 2023
• Ohio Super Lawyers “Rising Star,” 2011, 2015 and 2016
• Former project manager and application programmer at a Fortune 500 Company

Bar Admissions

• Ohio

Education

• Ohio University, Bachelor of Business Administration with dual majors in Marketing and Management Information Systems, 2000
• Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 2005
• Various distinctions such as Deans List, CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Contracts, CALI Excellence for the Future Award for Real Estate Law, Anderson Publishing Award for Outstanding Students in Contracts, and Lexis Nexis Clinical Award for the Community Advocacy Clinic