Company Name: Eastman & Smith – Attorneys at Law
Employee Name and Role: Patrick A. Sadowski – Partner
How long have you worked here, what do you do, and what do you enjoy about working here?
Patrick Sadowski, Partner, Eastman & Smith Ltd.
A math and physics double major, who, after earning his law degree served a 4-year stint as a litigator, Pat Sadowski found his calling practicing business law and estate planning at Eastman & Smith. His experience in litigation taught him all of the mistakes to avoid alongside best practices when drawing up a contract, and business planning offers the chance to draw upon his math background. Most importantly, Sadowski enjoys meeting people and discerning how he can help.
“I really enjoy learning about their families, interests and hobbies and figuring out ways I can relate to them,” Sadowski said of his clients. “I appreciate that people confide in me, and I make sure their assets will transfer in an orderly manner – whether they want to take care of that kid with special needs, set up the next generation, or donate to their favorite charity.”
Sadowski currently represents, “anyone from a solo handyman to a $200 million business,” from a widow on her own to a wealthy business owner who needs extensive contracts and arrangements drawn up.
“In business planning, a lot of the businesses I represent are family owned, which goes hand in hand with estate planning,” he said. “If you want to help a small business owner transfer to the next generation, as their attorney, you have to know the details of how their business operates, basic P&L statements, financials and agreements. There is a lot of transactional work – I enjoy sharpening my pencil and doing the math.”
Sadowski has worked for Eastman & Smith for 16 years.
About the Company – What is produced / created / services offered?
E&S is a full-service law firm with more than 70 attorneys practicing in a wide range of areas of law. E&S says: We value each client relationship; their successes are our successes. We study clients, understand their needs and work with clients to accomplish their goals and strive to exceed their needs. We work together internally to provide our clients the greatest value using the most appropriate and effective resources.
What is your founding story?
E&S began in 1844 when the City of Toledo was seven years old and had a population of fewer than 3,000 people. John Tyler was president of the United States, made up of 26 states, and there was no federal income tax.
Mr. William Baker came to Toledo to practice law in 1844, one of 99 graduates of the Harvard Law Class of 1844. He opened his first office in Toledo, beginning a practice that has evolved through the intervening 175+ years into Eastman & Smith, Toledo’s oldest law firm and second largest in the state.
E&S opened its Findlay office in 2005, and Sadowski, looking to practice estate planning and business law, began his role there in 2008.
“We are the second oldest firm in Ohio,” Sadowski said. “Being from Toledo originally, I knew the name growing up and people I respected worked there. It has been a great fit for me.”
You have been a great supporter of Findlay Hancock County Economic Development. Tell us why.
Sadowski began his involvement with FHCED when his counsel was sought by FHCED to create a small business resource center. Also, around that time in 2011, he was asked by former Executive Director Tony Iriti and then-Assistant Director Tim Mayle if he would like to serve on the Findlay Hancock County Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB). He agreed and served for three years, one of which as president. Next, Sadowski served on The Alliance Board of Directors for three years and was the first two-year president.
After stepping down for a period – “I am a big proponent of healthy turnover and allowing new ideas to be heard,” – he returned to the EDAB in 2023, and is serving a term to 2026. Sadowski has been FHCED’s legal counsel since 2012, and rigorously supports the office’s efforts to maintain and grow its connection with Japan and Japanese businesses. Through the FHCED office, Sadowski traveled to Japan in 2018 and 2019 as part of a delegation of leaders representing Findlay, and always joins in welcoming Japanese representatives when they come to town.
“It’s not unique for bigger cities to have sister cities and delegations (like Findlay with Kawaguchi), but it is unique for a community our size to have such a strong relationship with Japan and Japanese companies,” Sadowski said. “It has been a huge benefit and wonderful partnership – a lot of credit goes to the old guard who started it all.”
Sadowski credits Findlay’s ideal location along I-75 and its centrality to the manufacturing industry to its success. Just as important, he cites the cooperation found in The Findlay Formula™ – which has led to Findlay being named Site Selection Magazine’s Top Micropolitan in the U.S. for a solid decade – as an exemplary practice.
“We hear and say it so much, but The Findlay Formula really is unique,” he explained. “It’s local collaboration. Despite our differences in local government, private business, higher education and the nonprofit community, we resolve those differences privately and when we go after a project we have a unified face. We bring every stakeholder to the table when site selectors are in town, a room of 15 people to explain everything – water, sewer, land options, gas and power capacity, city and county engineers – and lay it all out in that limited window you get with them.”
To date, he is proudest of an innovative process he and the economic development office designed to get industrial and other land under control. This benefits the landowner as well as the developer.
“It gives us a leg up and sets us apart.”
Along with FHCED and several other organizations, Sadowski has supported Children’s Mentoring Connection through 15 years on their board and foundation board, the Marathon Center for the Performing Arts board, and serves as an organist for St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church and other churches in the area.
If there were one take-away you would want people to have about your company, what would it be?
For any law firm, Sadowski said, it is important to put the client first, and client focus is extremely important at E&S. Yet, with seven lawyers working at the Findlay office and 70 to 80 firmwide, Eastman & Smith claims a hefty advantage in covering the board of customer needs.
“What sets us apart in Findlay is we have a deeper bench,” Sadowski said. “We can serve the client for just about anything they need. You name it, we have somebody in the office who can handle it. It’s the best of both worlds because we are uniquely positioned in ‘smalltown-Main Street-USA’ but have the backing of an 80-attorney regional firm.
“There are great lawyers in this town, but many lawyers with smaller firms can’t be everything to everyone. We can.”
To Learn More or Find Job Opportunities: www.eastmansmith.com.
