CHAIR

Stephen J.  Petras Jr. is an  international business lawyer involved in international business transactions, corporate structuring and commercial agreements.

He  has served as the head of Baker Hostetler’s International Industry Team from 1998 to  2012. Mr. Petras currently serves on  the Board of  the World Affairs Councils of  America and the Cleveland Council on World Affairs.  He serves the United States Department of Commerce as  a Member of  the Northern Ohio District Export Council.  He  is  a Founding Board Member of  the Northeast Ohio International Business Network.  He  is also the past Chair of the Board for the Cleveland Council on  World Affairs and the International Law Section of  the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.  He  also has served as  the President of  the Greater Cleveland International Lawyers Group as  well as  President of the Cleveland World Trade Association, which later consolidated with the World Trade Center Cleveland, on whose Advisory Board he also served.

Mr. Petras is an  Adjunct Professor of  Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and a member of the Advisory Board of  the International LL.M. program.

Mr. Petras is the U.S.A National Director of  the Canada-United States Law Institute and serves on its Executive Committee.