Bio

Steven Karzmer serves as a Leader of the firm’s ESOP Formation and Operation group. His practice focuses on counseling primarily privately held company clients with respect to transactional matters including mergers and acquisitions, ESOP formation, and a wide range of general corporate, business, and finance matters, including corporate governance, early-stage investing, and a variety of commercial contracts. Steve effectively serves as outside general counsel to a number of private companies that do not have in-house legal departments. As such, Steve advises clients on a wide variety of day-to-day legal matters, including employment and consulting agreements, non-competition agreements, executive compensation arrangements, and distribution agreements. Steve also serves as a Leader of the firm's Public Company M&A and Board Counseling practice. His clients range from start-ups to public companies and across various industries, including construction, advertising, finance, software, and manufacturing. Steve has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate/M&A Law by Chambers USA, Band 3 in Ohio: South & Central (2023-2024). Clients provided the following feedback to Chambers USA, "Steve is an amazing attorney who quickly and efficiently meets our company's needs and goals. Steve is a very responsive and practical member of the team." Steve has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2013-2024). He has been recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2022 "Lawyer of the Year" for Mergers and Acquisitions Law in Columbus, Ohio. Steve has been a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee since 2014. He is active in community matters in New Albany and Columbus. He is a student coach for the Handshake Foundation. Prior to joining Calfee, Steve was an associate with the law firms of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in New York City and Lucash, Gesmer & Updegrove in Boston. He was a Partner with the firm of Goldstein & Manello, P.C. before joining Calfee as a Partner in 2000. He is a member of the Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts Bar Associations.