Attorney Frank Cassese

Attorney Frank Cassese, who began his legal career at Betras Kopp Attorneys at Law in 2015 rejoined the firm in January of 2024 after gaining valuable experience in personal injury, business, and criminal law while a partner at Ingram, Cassese and Grimm.

A lifelong resident of the Mahoning Valley, Frank graduated from Cardinal Mooney High School and attended the Ohio State University where he earned a BA/BS degree in Sociology.  After graduating from OSU, he completed an internship with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms then enrolled in the Cleveland Marshall College of Law. While in law school Frank clerked for Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge John Durkin. He received his Juris Doctorate in 2014.

Attorney Cassese became acquainted with the court room soon after becoming a member of the BKH legal team.   He sat second chair at a jury trial with Attorney Brian Kopp in a contested liability case which resulted in a favorable verdict for the firm’s client.   He also assisted Attorney David Betras in the aggravated murder trial of Frankie Hudson who was acquitted by a Mahoning County Common Pleas jury.

Since that trial Attorney Cassese has successfully represented clients at trial, in plea negotiations, and sentencing proceedings and has drafted and argued suppression motions that secured the dismissal of state charges against a number of defendants. His suppression motion and a subsequent expert toxicologist report led to the dismissal of attempted murder charges the state had lodged against Jawon Williams. He achieved similar positive results in State of Ohio v. Bellamy, State of Ohio v Panno and other cases. Most recently the state dismissed charges filed against Ciprianno Ruiz during Attorney Cassese’s cross examination of the second witness for the prosecution.

In addition to his criminal defense work, in 2021 Frank filed an excessive force lawsuit against the East Liverpool Police Department and individual officers in the United States District Court in the Northern District of Ohio on behalf of William Barrett.  The suit was settled in favor of Mr. Barrett.

Frank also engages in business litigation. He recently represented and settled a mediation for a local roofing company and a restaurant group that operates in Ohio and Pennsylvania has retained him to provide advice and counsel on issues that regularly arise in the service industry. The restaurant industry is familiar territory to Frank whose family has owned and operated Cassese’s MVR, one of the Youngstown area’s most popular restaurants since 1927.

Frank is an active member and Trustee of the Mahoning County Bar Association where he formerly served as Co-Chair of the Grievance Committee and Co-Chair of the Criminal Courts Committee.  He was awarded the National Trial Lawyers Association Top 40 under 40 and National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys Top 10 under 40.

Attorney Cassese is licensed to practice in Ohio and is admitted to practice before Ohio State Courts and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.

Frank and his wife, Jessica, have twin boys, Santino and Lorenzo.