Cincinnati Law Firm Expands in a Difficult Economy - Strauss & Troy Adds Two Prominent Attorneys

Cincinnati, OH, September 1, 2009 — Strauss & Troy announced today that it has expanded its practice with the addition of two prominent Cincinnati criminal defense lawyers, Martin S. Pinales and Candace C. Crouse.

Pinales, a long-time partner with Sirkin, Pinales & Schwartz, is the former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), and one of the country's premiere criminal defense attorneys.

"Our firm is constantly looking for ways to provide a wide-range of legal expertise to our clients. The addition of Marty and Candace will greatly enhance the legal services available to our clients, especially in this era of increasingly complex regulation of business," said President Jim Heldman.

"Strauss & Troy is a distinguished law firm with outstanding resources and a wide breadth of talent; Candace and I are thrilled to be joining such a strong team," said Pinales.

A University of Cincinnati graduate, Pinales received his juris doctorate from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He is on the Faculty of National College for Criminal Defense at the Mercer Law School and the Cardozo School of Law and serves as a lecturer for state and local bar associations on legal ethics and criminal defense matters. He is a member of the Federal and American Bar Associations, as well as the Inns of Court and the Cincinnati and Ohio State Bar Associations.

Pinales has educated public defenders throughout mainland China and has spoken on American Jurisprudence at the University of Peking. He was appointed special counsel to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals for Judicial Ethics and Discipline and is a United Nations NGO Delegate on human rights issues. Most recently, he was awarded the NACDL's most prestigious Robert C. Heeney Award, for best exemplifying the values and goals of the profession.

Crouse, who will be working closely with Mr. Pinales, earned her bachelor of arts, summa cum laude, from West Virginia University and her juris doctorate from The Ohio State University, where she was Managing Editor of the Ohio State Law Journal. She currently serves as the Treasurer of the Greater Cincinnati Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, and is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Inns of Court, as well as the Cincinnati and Ohio State Bar Associations.

For more information, please visit www.strausstroy.com or call 513-621-2120.