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Mia L. Garcia

Associate

Overview

Mia helps growing and established businesses navigate regulatory, governance, and risk management issues including data privacy and security. She frequently develops and revises privacy notices and terms of use agreements to comply with disclosure obligations of the GDPR and counsels clients on their legal obligations regarding their data handling practices. Mia advises her clients on a variety of complex topics, developing compliance strategies and responding swiftly to issues before they become problems.
 
Mia was a Frantz Ward Summer Associate before becoming an Associate with the firm. She earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she also earned honors in the business law concentration. While there, Mia advised and represented entrepreneurs and local businesses in the Community Development Clinic as a Certified Legal Intern. In 2017 she was selected as a national member of the Order of the Barristers for excellence in courtroom advocacy and contribution to her law school’s moot court programs. Mia also served as a Law Clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio where she assisted both the criminal and civil divisions in ongoing investigations and cases.
 
Mia enjoys spending her spare time giving back to the community serving several community organizations, including her role as a direct patient care volunteer with the Hospice of the Western Reserve.

Practices

    • Successfully obtained an IRS determination letter granting 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status for a community organization.
    • Presided over the organizational meeting, drafted the code of regulations, filed articles of incorporation, and counseled the board of directors on maintenance of a nonprofit organization.
    • Advised a small social enterprise on the best organizational structure to attract investors.
    • Prepared employment agreements, employee handbook, client service contracts, a nondisclosure and noncompete agreement, and an operating agreement for an LLC.
    • Drafted motion to dismiss for a bankruptcy preference action resulting in a
      successful settlement for the client.
    • Drafted a due diligence checklist for a client’s proposed merger.
    • Drafted a complaint in Cleveland Municipal Court that resulted in a successful resolution for the client.

  • Education

    • Case Western Reserve University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2017
    • University of California, Davis, B.A., 2012

    Admissions

    • State of Ohio
    • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
    • U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Ohio

  • Professional Affiliations

    • Ohio State Bar Assocation—Member
    • American Bar Association—Member
    • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association—Member
    • Federal Bar Association—Member

    Community Involvement

    • Case Western Reserve University School of Law—Mentoring Alumni Program (2018-present)
    • Hospice of the Western Reserve—Direct Patient Care Volunteer (2017-Present); Walk to Remember Committee (2019)
    • Cleveland Leadership Center, On-Board Cleveland (Class of 2019)
    • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association—3R’s Volunteer (2014-2018) 
    • West Side Catholic Center - Volunteer (2016-Present)
    • Order of the Barristers (2017)
    • CALI Excellence for the Future Award for the highest scoring student—Community Development Seminar (2017)
    • Dean Dunmore Moot Court Competition Tournament Award for highest combined brief and oral scores (2016)
    • Hugo Grotius International Law Scholarship Fellow (2014-2017)
    • Cox Center Research Fellowship (2014)
    • "Avoiding Data Privacy Liability," Frantz Ward Litigation Seminar, Cleveland, OH (September 2019) 
    • "Five Things Every Company Should Do Today for Cybersecurity/Data Privacy," Association of Corporate Counsel, Cleveland, OH (August 2019) 
    • "The Ohio Data Protection Act: Cybersecurity from the Employer Perspective," Ohio Chamber of Commerce HR Academy, Webinar (August 2019)

    • "Rock the Interview Panel," Case Western Reserve University School of Law's Professional Development Day (February 2019) 

    • "Practical Guidance on Data Breach Prevention and Response," Frantz Ward Litigation Panel Series, Cleveland, OH (September 2018)
    • Case Western Reserve University's Law Alumni Entering Students Day, Panelist (May 2018)
    • “Corporate Career Panel with Notable Young Alums,” Case Western Reserve University Corporate Finance & Law Alliance’s Corporate Law Week (November 2017)