Sonja C. Rice

Sonja C. Rice


Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP

Recognized since 2024

Cleveland, Ohio

Practice Areas

Corporate Law

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Sonja C. Rice is a partner in the firm’s Business Law Area, member of the firm’s Construction Law Practice Group, chair of the firm’s Women’s Leadership Initiative, and member of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Sonja’s practice focuses on commercial transactions and the development and negotiation of a wide variety of commercial contracts, including master services agreements, supply chain and manufacturing agreements, professional services contracts, intellectual property development and licensing agreements, energy savings performance contracts, and facilities management outsourcing agreements. Sonja also has significant experience in the development and negotiation of construction contracts at all levels and the resolution of construction-related disputes. Previously with the firm’s litigation group, and now with the firm’s business practice group, Sonja has represented Fortune 500 companies, privately-held businesses, and non-profit organizations across the United States in fields including construction, manufacturing, energy, information technology, and real estate.

Sonja is a frequent speaker on a variety of topics including contract terms and conditions, construction contract negotiation, claims avoidance, and risk mitigation. She regularly leads seminars for clients, focusing on best practices in the negotiation of supply chain agreements and construction project documentation. She has also been a professor of appellate practice at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Contact & Links
Location
  • 200 Public Square, Suite 2800
    Cleveland, OH 44114
Education
  • Case Western Reserve University, J.D., graduated 2001
  • Oberlin College, B.A., graduated 1992
Bar Admissions
  • Ohio, Ohio State Bar Association, 2001
Affiliations
  • National Asian Pacific American Bar Association - Member
  • Asian American Bar Association of Ohio - Board of Trustees, Member
Court Admissions
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 for work in:
  • Corporate Law
Awards:
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Corporate Law, 2024-25

  • 2023 Women of Note, Crain’s Cleveland Business

  • Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders, Crain’s Cleveland Business, 2023

  • 2023 Big Heart Award for Professional Services, Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit

Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Construction Law

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Employing Minors in Construction


House Bill 33 (establishing the state budget for 2023-25) permits minors to work on construction sites in certain limited situations.

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Beware What Your Contract Says: It Just Might Be Enforced


A recent decision from Ohio’s Tenth District Court of Appeals illustrates contract provision risks

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“Time is of the Essence” – or is it?


The phrase “time is of the essence” means that timely performance is an essential obligation under a contract, and thus failure to perform in a timely manner amounts to a material breach of contract giving rise to the other party’s right to exercise its remedies for breach.

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