 |
David E. Nager Founding Attorney - NTegrity Legal Group After more than three decades of service to Ohio’s injured worker community, Dave saw a need to expand his brand and practice areas beyond Ohio’s borders. In 2024 he formed NTegrity Legal Group, LLC. This national firm was created to represent victims in the areas of mass torts and wage and hour class actions. THE BEGINNING Dave’s legal career began after he became an associate attorney at a Cleveland, Ohio personal injury/workers’ compensation law firm in 1990. He became a partner in 1995. In 1999, he opened his own law firm which later became Nager, Romaine & Schneiberg, Co., LPA (NRS). As managing partner, he lead NRS to become the largest workers’ compensation/personal injury law firm in the history of Ohio. He credits hard work, service, compassion, empathy, and fierce loyalty to his clients and co-counsels as the values that helped him get there. |
| A Background Built on Service “I remember when I delivered that first newspaper, I realized I was doing something meaningful in service to others,” He said when asked to describe his work background. “It taught me from a very young age how to run a business, be organized, and serve others. At age 10, Dave was spending his mornings going out at 5:30 a.m. to deliver Cleveland’s Plain Dealer newspaper to residents in his community. By age twelve, he was cutting lawns for a local landscaping company for $1.90 an hour and working 50 hours per week during the summer. “Our kids don’t believe us, he said, referring to the stories he and his brother tell their adult children. “They’ve never heard of kids that age working odd jobs to help make ends meet. But that’s what we did.” Dave learned two life-changing lessons at a young age. One was the importance of a work ethic combined with good business practices. The other was the value of service to others. “My most memorable childhood job was selling flowers on street corners during holidays. A friend of my father’s would set us up with several bouquets of flowers and my brother and I would stand on a street corner in Detroit and sell them to folks going to Memorial Day and Veterans Day services. Seeing the effects those flowers had on people during meaningful and sometimes emotional moments had an impact on us, as well. Entering Law Most attorneys say their interest in law began early on, from watching iconic lawyer films or having an attorney in the family. But that’s not how Dave became interested in the profession. Though his father had always wanted him to become an attorney, he was a criminal justice major at Kent State from 1982 through 1987 with aspirations of becoming a police officer and serving his community. In his last year at Kent State, the University’s Dean took Dave aside and convinced him to consider law school. After that, there was no looking back. He attended evening classes at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law while clerking at a workers’ compensation/personal injury law firm during the day. Dave took the bar exam and passed in 1990. “I simply had to pass the bar on my first try,” recalls Dave. His wife was pregnant with their first child, and he needed to pass the bar in order to support his growing family. While Dave was working at the injury law firm, his father experienced a horrific work injury that permanently changed his life. Dave successfully represented him in securing workers’ compensation benefits. “My parents almost lost everything because of that injury. I was able to get him benefits which enabled his parents to hold onto their house and keep their heads above water. “The experience inspired me continue handling workers’ compensation claims on behalf of the thousands of Ohioans I knew were getting hurt on the job every year.” After that, he honed his skills and went on to become a leader in the workers’ compensation world. After more than two decades as managing partner of NRS and leading his firm to unimaginable growth and success, he stepped down from his leadership role in 2022. It was time for the younger partners to take charge and captain the ship. ACCOMPLISHMENTS Dave Nager’s list of career accomplishments is long and storied. In addition to founding and growing the largest workers’ compensation law firm in the history of Ohio, he has personally helped thousands of injured workers obtain compensation and medical benefits. He’s successfully argued cases before every level of the Industrial Commission of Ohio, and he’s won cases at the Trial Level and all State Appellate Levels up to and including the Ohio Supreme Court. He’s secured compensation and medical benefits for his clients totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. Dave has actively worked to improve the landscape in which injured workers seek compensation. He has served on the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Nominating Committee, holding a central role dedicated to nominating individuals for the BWC’s Executive Board. He spent years meeting with BWC leadership to help direct the agency towards pro-worker policies that benefit injured workers in Ohio. He’s a member of several organizations statewide and nationally that represent injured workers. Community Involvement Core to Dave’s ethos is a commitment to his community, a lifestyle choice manifested in his frequent volunteer activities. He and his family volunteer at the Cleveland Food Bank and local shelters, he’s been involved in donation drives for hospitals and adopts families during the holidays. He also hosted the firm’s annual turkey giveaway during Thanksgiving. He has coached and sponsored multiple youth and adult sports programs, including The Miracle League, a baseball program for children and adults with serious physical and mental disabilities. He and his wife have donated to Mayfield City Schools and Denison University. Work/Life Balance Dave has been active in sports since his childhood. As an adult, he became a two-time state racquetball champion and a member of several nationally ranked men’s softball and hardball teams. When he’s not working, playing sports, or visiting his adult children, he can be found working out in the gym, riding his bike, or going on long walks in his Cleveland neighborhood or traveling with his beloved wife of 30+ years and their three dogs. Don't Wait to Seek Legal Help from NTegrity Legal Group, LLC Having taken NRS Injury Law from the ground up to the powerhouse law firm it’s become, Dave is set to do it again with NTegrity Legal Group. His firm’s mission is to “Provide empathetic and patient service to every person who calls the firm, and to relentlessly pursue the best possible outcome on behalf of every client by putting collective experience, knowledge, and passion to work every day.” To retain an effective legal team with a proven track record and to speak with Dave or NTegrity about your case, call 346.NTEG.LAW (346.683.4529) or fill out a convenient online contact form. Practice Areas ▪ Mass Torts ▪ Wage and Hour Class Actions ▪ Medical Malpractice Education ▪ Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland, Ohio - J.D. - 1990 ▪ Kent State University - B.S. -1987 ▪ Major: Criminal Justice/English Concentration Bar Admissions ▪ Ohio, 1990 ▪ U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1997 Professional Associations ▪ Ohio State Bar Association ▪ Ohio Association for Justice ▪ American Association for Justice ▪ Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association ▪ Former member of Kent State University’s National Athletic Development Council Honors ▪ Super Lawyers ▪ Top 50 Ohio Super Lawyers 2014, 2015, 2016 ▪ Outstanding Service Award, Ohio Association for Justice Pro-Bono Activities ▪ Active coach and sponsor of many youth sports programs ▪ State racquetball champion ▪ Member of nationally ranked men’s softball and hardball teams |
|