Betras Kopp Marks 25 Years with New Name, Plans for Growth
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Attorneys David Betras and Brian Kopp are marking the 25th anniversary of the founding of their law firm by reaffirming their commitment to the communities they serve and unveiling a plan for continued growth under the name Betras Kopp LLC.
The firm was founded in 1999 when Betras, who began practicing law with his father, Joe, and uncle Pete after graduating from Capital University Law School in 1985, and Kopp, who had just completed a federal clerkship with U.S. District Court Judge Peter C. Economus, decided to strike out on their own.
In addition to building a practice in the Mahoning Valley, Kopp spearheaded the firm’s expansion into Tampa and Sarasota, Florida, and the growth of the firm’s complex corporate litigation and sports law practice.
The partners recently began implementing their plan for growth by adding attorneys Frank Cassese and James Melfi to the firm’s roster of lawyers.
Cassese, who graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School and The Ohio State University before receiving his law degree from Cleveland Marshall School of Law in 2015, will focus on civil and criminal litigation.
Melfi, a graduate of Girard High School and Miami University of Ohio, received his Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School in 2019. He is licensed to practice in Ohio and Florida and is a member of the firm’s Complex Litigation Practice Group.
“In addition to impressive legal skills and credentials, Frank and Jim bring an incredible amount of energy to the firm,” Betras said. “They are eager to learn, possess strong work ethics and are more than willing to put in the long hours it takes to seek and secure justice for our clients.”
Kopp, leader of the firm’s complex litigation and sports law practice groups, said the two new attorneys “will enable us to significantly expand the firm’s professional and geographic reach and maintain the strong presence we have in our existing markets.”
The growth strategy also includes a rebranding of the firm.
“Over the past 25 years we’ve operated under a number of iterations of Betras, Kopp and someone,” Betras said. “Every time we changed the name, we had to go through the costly and time-consuming process of changing everything from our letterhead to our TV ads, to our digital platforms, to our business cards, to our corporate registrations. It’s a process we do not want to repeat multiple times as we expand in the years ahead.”
The firm will “build off Betras and Kopp, the names that are at the core of our corporate identity,” Betras said.
“We’ve changed the firm name to Betras Kopp LLC Attorneys at Law and have adopted a new, clean, modern logo. Our website URL is now www.betraskopp.com. We’re producing new TV ads, revising and upgrading our digital platforms and content and taking all the steps necessary to inform our clients, the legal community and the public about our new brand,” Betras said.
Betras said despite the changes, the firm’s commitment to the community will remain the same.
“For nearly a century, residents of the Valley have relied on us to meet their legal needs. It started in 1929 when my Uncle Pete opened a small law office in downtown Youngstown. When my dad, Joe, returned from serving in World War II, he used the GI Bill to go to law school and joined him. After being immersed in the law our entire lives, my cousin Brian and I launched our first firm in 1999. And now, a quarter-century and thousands of satisfied clients later, he and I are writing a new chapter in our family’s legal legacy.”
Pictured at top: Attorneys Brian Kopp, left, and David Betras.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
