Sara Costanzo

Client service is always at the heart of Saras daily interactions. Sara has been with the firm for nearly 30 years, and during this time she has served as practice chair of the firms community banking, government collections, healthcare collections, landlord/tenant and utility collections groups. Originally joining the firm as a law clerk, Sara worked as an associate attorney for a few years before she was promoted to a shareholder in 2006. Since 2018, she has worked in the business development group, where she focuses on maintaining client relationships, as well as developing new ones both locally and nationally in scale. Saras goal is to provide timely and professional assistance to business owners, service providers, managers, directors, and other recovery professionals who struggle with managing accounts receivable portfolios. She understands that our clients days are long and demanding, so she aims to provide efficient, cost-effective solutions - for any type of claim. Sara is a frequent lecturer on topics including reporting financial elder abuse/misappropriation, fraud and embezzlement in public office, various collection strategies, landlord-tenant law, and several federal regulations. She is also very active in a number of charities. Thanks to her annual fundraising efforts, the firm has received multiple recognitions. She also loves to travel and cook. Focus Areas Commercial Collections Commercial Litigation Consumer Collections Collateral Recovery Education Loan Recovery & Litigation Healthcare Collections Subrogation Probate Recovery Rejected Claims Credentials Honors & Distinctions Crains Cleveland Business Forty Under 40, 2006 Ohio Super Lawyers, Ohio Rising Stars, 2005-2006, 2011-2012 Recognized by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners for City Year Community Champions Award, 2004 Young Alumni Achievement Award, Heidelberg College, 2006 Recognized by City Year Cleveland for Putting Idealism into Action, 2004 John D. Cannone Award for Outstanding Leadership and Dedicated Service to the Ohio Association of Public Treasurers, 2015 Admissions Ohio, 1998 U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, 1998 Education J. D., Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, 1998 MBA, Cleveland State University, 1998 B. S., Business Administration and Public Relations, Heidelberg University, 1994 Affiliations Medina County Bar Association: Grievance Committee Chair Municipal Finance Officers Association: Member National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee: Member Ohio Association of Public Treasurers: Member Ohio Health Care Association: Member; Convention Planning Committee Member Ohio State Bar Association: Health Care Law Subcommittee Heidelberg University School of Business: Business Executive Advisory Board Member - Berg Business Board Past Member March of Dimes of Northeast Ohio: Past President of the Board of Directors; Past Board of Directors Member; Signature Chefs Event Chairperson, 2006 - 17 Strongsville Education Foundation Board: Past Member, 2015 - 20 University Hospitals - Parma Hospital Health Care Foundation: Board Member, 2021 - present; Vice-Chair, June 2024 Presentations Elder Financial Abuse and Romance Scam Reporting, Weltman Webinar, April 2025 Powers of Attorney, National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), February 2025 Powers of Attorney, Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA), October 2024 Utility Best Practices and Collection Strategies, Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS), September 2024 Revenue Collections, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers (OAPT), June 2024 & 2025 Collection from Day 1, Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS), March & September 2024 Theft in Public Office, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers (OAPT), September 2023 & October 2024 Communications and Public Relations, Ohio Association of Treasurers Public Finance Officer Training Institute, June 2023 High Balance Management, North East Utility Collections Conference, September 2023 Identifying Non-Paying Accounts Before Charge-Off, Ohio Health Care Associations Annual Convention & Expo, May 2023 Dealing With Difficult People, National Association of Legal Professionals (NALS), March 2023 Ensuring Your Community Gets Paid, Ohio Assisted Living Association (OALA) Conference, May 2022 Elder Abuse Case Studies: Learning From Past Examples, Ohio Assisted Living Association (OALA) Conference, May 2022 Ask a Pro: The Debt Collection Rule: How Regulation F Will Impact Creditors, Weltman Webinar, November 16, 2021 Debt Collection Panel Discussion, American Financial Services Association Annual Meeting, October 2021 Embezzlement & Fraud, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers 2021 Fall Conference, October 2021 Reporting Elder Abuse - Part 2, Ohio Health Care Associations Annual Convention & Expo, August 2021 What Has Happened or Can Happen and How Following Safety Measures Can Avoid Damages, Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS), July 2021 Revenue Collection - Show Me the Money, Ohio Association of Treasurers Public Finance Officer Training Institute, June 2021 Ohio Damage Claim Prevention, Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OUPS), March 2021 Pandemic Workplace Vaccine Policies - What Can/Cant be Required in Ohio, Community Bankers Association of Ohio (CBAO), February 2021 The CFPB Debt Collection Final Rule, American Financial Services Association (AFSA), January 2021 Elder Abuse, Ohio Health Care Association, July 2020 E Signatures and Online Notaries, Community Bankers Association of Ohio, June 2020 The CARES Act and FCRA, Community Bankers Association of Ohio, April 2020 Public Embezzlement, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers, OH, September 2019 Collecting Time Barred Debt, North East Utility Collections Conference, OH, September 2019 Written Communications, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers, May 2019 Financial Misappropriation of the Elderly, Ohio Health Care Association, March 2019 Understanding Elder Abuse and Financial Misappropriation, Ohio Assisted Living Association, January 2019 Developing a Collections Program Internally and Externally, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers Fall Conference, Cleveland, OH, October 3, 2018 Collections Begins at Admissions, Continuing Healthcare, Lisbon, OH, June 19, 2018 Revenue Collections, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers Spring Conference, Maumee, OH, June 15, 2018 and June 5, 2024 Reporting Elder Abuse - Its Our Responsibility! Ohio Health Care Association, Columbus, OH, May 2, 2018 Diffusing the Situation, Ohio Association of Public Treasurers Hot Topic Seminar, Bellville, OH, April 27, 2018 Publications Insights / 23 October 2025 Lessons in Integrity and Innovation from the 2025 OAPT Fall Conference Insights / 23 September 2025 Utility Collections in 2025: Medical Accounts, AI Innovation & Security Risks Insights / 4 June 2025 Reflecting on the Future of Auto Finance: Insights from the Auto Finance Summit East View More Publications