Salvatore J. Totino

Sam’s corporate and M&A practice focuses on counseling public and privately owned companies with respect to transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions and a wide range of general corporate and business matters.

Sam serves all types of clients, whether private equity firms, multinational public companies, start-ups, or closely held family businesses in a broad range of industries, including health care, energy, chemicals, business services and consumer products. Sam's practice has a particular focus on private equity M&A, on both the buy-side and sell-side.

Sam has worked on a wide variety of merger and acquisition transactions, representing both buyers and sellers, including numerous privately owned companies and public companies such as RPM International Inc., Align Capital Partners, Edgewater Capital Partners, Origami Capital Partners, Watervale Equity Partners, The Smithers Group, Style Crest Enterprises, and Carco S.r.l.

Through his representation of A&A Management Group, a talent management company providing brand, image and business and personal management services to professional athletes in the NFL and NBA (some of which include Travis Kelce and Denzel Ward), Sam also has significant experience in negotiating business opportunities and arrangements for A&A’s high-profile athlete clients. By way of example, Sam assisted A&A and Travis Kelce in connection with Mr. Kelce’s investment in Garage Beer and the negotiation of an agreement with Wondery (a subsidiary of Amazon) with respect to the "New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce" podcast. Sam regularly advises A&A and its affiliates and their respective clients on various sports and entertainment-related matters, particularly as it pertains to investment opportunities and other business transactions.

Additionally, as a member of Calfee’s Tax practice group, Sam advises both public and privately owned companies on federal, state and local tax issues in corporate transactions. 

Sam has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate/M&A Law by Chambers USA in Ohio: North (Up & Coming, 2024). In providing feedback to Chambers USA researchers, clients stated that Sam "is an excellent lawyer who provides business-minded counsel on corporate transactions. He is efficient and very responsive."

Sam is a member of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, an organization that performs the highest quality symphonic pops music to entertain and enrich a wide and diverse audience and that provides educational programs to develop an enduring appreciation of music, both enhancing the richness and vibrancy of Northeast Ohio living.

He received a B.S.B.A., summa cum laude, Master of Accounting, and J.D., summa cum laude, from The Ohio State University.

Sam began his tenure at Calfee in 2012 and was elected Partner as of January 1, 2021.

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A, Up & Coming, Ohio: North (2024)
• The Best Lawyers in America^®, Corporate Law (2024-2025), Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2025), and Tax Law (2023-2025) 
• The Best Lawyers in America "Ones To Watch," Corporate Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law (2021-2022)
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Ohio Rising Stars, Mergers & Acquisitions (2018, 2021-2025)

Education

J.D., summa cum laude, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, 2012

Master of Accounting, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business, 2009

B.S.B.A. in Accounting, summa cum laude, The Ohio State University, 2009