Joel K. Dayton
Of Counsel
Joel practices in the area of Commercial, Creditors’ Rights, Bankruptcy & Workouts, concentrating in the areas of commercial transactions, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, and secured lending. He is recognized as one of the preeminent lawyers in his field, having been rated by his peers as among the Best Lawyers in America© 2008 - 2024 and was named Best Lawyers’ 2023 Akron Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Lawyer of the Year. In addition, Joel is recognized as an Ohio Super Lawyer for 2009 - 2024 as the Top Rated Creditor-Debtor Rights Lawyer in Canton, Ohio by Super Lawyers, and has received an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
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During his years of practice, Joel has represented numerous businesses, financial institutions, secured creditors, unsecured creditors, bankruptcy trustees, creditors’ committees, receivers, lessors, debtors and other parties in many of the major commercial bankruptcy cases filed in the Northern District of Ohio and other jurisdictions. He has also served as counsel for numerous banks, businesses, creditors and court appointed receivers in various state court proceedings, both in and outside the State of Ohio. Joel has also lectured and authored materials on a variety of UCC, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights subjects and spoken before various organizations and bar associations, including the regional William J. O’Neill Bankruptcy Institute in Cleveland and the White-Williams Bankruptcy Institute in Akron-Canton.
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Joel has served as a member of the Banking, Commercial and Bankruptcy Law Committee and Bankruptcy Subcommittee of the Ohio State Bar Association. He is also a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute. Joel has been an appointee to the Federal Court Panel of the ADR Program for the Northern District of Ohio for several years, where he has served as an arbitrator and mediator in commercial and bankruptcy related cases. In addition, Joel has served as a neutral arbitrator for the National Arbitration Forum to arbitrate business, commercial and consumer matters in the State of Ohio for several years.
Active in several civic and charitable organizations, Joel has served on the Boards for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Canton and Arts in Stark-The County Arts Council, and as a Trustee for the Canton Symphony Orchestra. Joel is also a 1992 graduate of Leadership Stark County (formerly Leadership Canton).
Admissions
Ohio Bar, 1977
U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts, Northern District of Ohio, 1977
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1984
U.S. District & Bankruptcy Courts, Southern District of Ohio, 2004
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Education
J.D., The Ohio State University, Cum Laude, 1977
B.S., Business Administration, Weber State University, Magna Cum Laude, 1974
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Legal Certifications/Recognitions
Named Best Lawyers’ 2023 Akron Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights /Insolvency and Reorganization Lawyer of the Year
Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America© 2008 - 2024 in the area of Bankruptcy & Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law
Recognized as an Ohio Super Lawyer for 2009 - 2024 in the area of Creditor Debtor Rights
AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
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Practice Groups