Tim Misny: The Ohio Lawyer Behind “I’ll Make Them Pay!”

Tim Misny is a personal injury lawyer from the Cleveland area of Ohio, famous for his “I’ll Make Them Pay!” slogan. His billboards and TV ads show his bald head, a raised eyebrow, and a finger pointed right at you. He has practiced law in Northeast Ohio for more than 40 years and has become a local pop culture figure.

If you’ve driven around Northeast Ohio, you’ve probably seen his face. His ads have made him one of the most recognized lawyers in the state, and his look has turned into a local meme. You can read more TV personality biographies on biographies on GrandPeoples.com.

Who is Tim Misny?

Timothy Paul Misny is an Ohio trial lawyer who represents people hurt by someone else’s carelessness. That area of law is called personal injury. The lawyer usually gets paid only if the client wins money.

His firm, The Law Offices of Tim Misny, is based in the Cleveland area. Its mailing address is in Willoughby, and it lists about 20 offices around Ohio, including Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Columbus, and Youngstown.

He’s also a showman. He writes and directs his own commercials, and he has turned his face into one of the best-known brands in the region.

Where did Tim Misny grow up?

Misny was born on April 22, 1955, in Euclid, Ohio, a suburb just east of Cleveland. His parents were Andy and Rose Marie Misny. He grew up in a small one-bedroom bungalow.

His family roots are Slovak and Croatian. His grandfather changed the family name from Mizanyin to Misny after coming to the U.S. from Slovakia. His mother’s father, a Croatian immigrant construction worker, died in a scaffolding collapse while building Cleveland’s Terminal Tower in the late 1920s.

At 12, Misny got his first job cleaning locker rooms at a golf course in Wickliffe for 50 cents an hour. He worked there to help pay for Catholic school.

What is Tim Misny’s education?

Misny graduated from St. Joseph High School in Cleveland in 1973 as a National Merit Scholar. While in college, he worked as a reporter for Sun Newspapers.

He earned a pre-law degree in political science from John Carroll University in 1977. He then went to Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University at night, while working full time in the Euclid prosecutor’s office. He passed the Ohio bar exam in 1981.

If you follow famous TV personalities, our profiles of Daniel Coleman and Susan Mikula cover their stories in the same detail, and the actor biographies collection on GrandPeoples.com includes Paul Michael Glaser.

How did he start his law career?

Before he sued companies, Misny worked on the government side. He served as an assistant police prosecutor for about four years and was an attorney for the Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association.

He then became a plaintiff’s lawyer, meaning he represents the injured person rather than the company or insurer. You can read his own account of that path in his official biography.

Today, his practice focuses on cases with major harm:

• Birth injuries
• Medical malpractice
• Catastrophic injuries
• Wrongful death
• Class action lawsuits, including drug cases

He works with other lawyers who have special skills, such as pediatric malpractice, and he takes only a small share of the people who contact him.

Why is Tim Misny famous?

His ads are the reason most people know his name. He began advertising on TV in the 1990s, and by early 2025 he had made 67 commercials.

The billboards came next. The idea struck when he saw an empty billboard while driving with his family, and he rented it at a discount. He started with 12 and kept adding more. By early 2025, he had 299 billboards across northern Ohio.

Each ad has the same signature look: his bald head, one raised eyebrow, and a pointing finger. Some billboards put him in silly costumes. They all carry his trademarked line, “I’ll Make Them Pay!”

His firm attaches a plain disclaimer to the line: the slogan is not a guarantee of payment. Every case still has to prove that someone else was at fault and that the client was truly harmed.

What is Tim Misny doing now?

Misny is still practicing law at 71. He’s also active on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit, where he posts regular features for his fans.

He sells “Misny” merchandise, and the money goes to the City Mission, a Cleveland homeless shelter he has long supported. He also speaks at schools and universities, including Kent State and the University of Akron.

In 2026, he released a book called The Misny Method, written with Jim Kukral. The 299-page book covers his childhood in Northeast Ohio, his schooling, and how he built his brand. A film about him, The Misny Movie, was still in the works in 2026.

Is Tim Misny married?

Yes. He married his wife, Stephanie, in Rome, Italy, on June 23, 2007. They have three children: a son, Max, and twins, Gus and Ruby. The family lives on a wooded estate in Waite Hill, Ohio, that he calls “Misnyland.”

Conclusion

Tim Misny is a Cleveland-area personal injury lawyer, born in Euclid in 1955, who has practiced in Ohio since passing the bar in 1981. He’s famous for his bald head, raised eyebrow, pointed finger, and trademarked promise, “I’ll Make Them Pay!” Hundreds of billboards and dozens of TV ads made him a regional celebrity. In 2026, he added an author title with The Misny Method. More biographies of famous people are available on GrandPeoples.com.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Tim Misny?

Tim Misny was born on April 22, 1955, in Euclid, Ohio. That makes him 71 years old as of November 2026. He has practiced law in Ohio since passing the bar exam in 1981.

Where is Tim Misny’s law firm?

The Law Offices of Tim Misny is based in the Cleveland area, with a mailing address in Willoughby, Ohio. It lists about 20 offices across Ohio, including Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Columbus, and Youngstown, and it takes clients from across the country.

What is Tim Misny’s slogan?

Tim Misny’s trademarked slogan is “I’ll Make Them Pay!” It appears on his billboards and TV commercials, usually next to his raised eyebrow and pointed finger. His firm notes that the slogan is not a promise that any case will pay.

Is Tim Misny bald?

Yes. Tim Misny’s bald head is a key part of his famous look. On his billboards and in his commercials, it’s paired with a raised eyebrow and a finger pointed straight at the viewer.

What kind of cases does Tim Misny take?

Tim Misny handles serious personal injury cases. His main areas are birth injury, medical malpractice, catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and class action lawsuits. He focuses on cases where he can prove clear fault and real harm.