I’ve known I wanted to be a lawyer since I was a young girl, listening to my father talk about cases and trials at the dinner table. Fairness has always been my driving force—knowing that no one ever deserves or wants to be in a situation where they need an attorney. I believe that one of the greatest joys in life is interacting with and helping other people, and it’s this knowledge that I take with me to my practice every day. We want our clients to know that we are in this battle together.
"You do what you think is right and let the law catch up.” – Thurgood Marshall
Inspiration in my life:
My father; since I was a young girl, I would hear him talk about cases and trials at the dinner table. It is what inspired me to be a lawyer.
When I’m not helping clients:
You can find me outdoors! I love spending time with my family being active and in the fresh air whenever possible.
My advice for young professionals:
Find time to do things that are only for you and stay physically active.
I like giving back because:
It’s the right thing to do. Simple as that.
My greatest accomplishments:
The two most majestic experiences of my life are skydiving and peering down a ski slope in the Swiss Alps.
Areas of Practice
Boating Injuries
Bad Faith Insurance
Civil Rights Violations with Injuries
Railroad Injuries
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Trucking Collisions
Wrongful Deaths
Certification/Specialties
National Board of Trial Advocacy, Board Certified Civil Trial Advocate, 2021 – present
American Board of Trial Advocates, Associate Member, 2021 – present
Bar Admissions
Ohio, 2006
U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 2011
6th District Court of Appeals, 2013
Education
Ohio State University, Michael E. Moritz College of Law, Columbus, Ohio, 2005
J.D., Alternative Dispute Resolution Certificate
Scholarships: James F. Flynn Memorial, Wilbert G. and Hilma R. Schwer, and Women Lawyers of Franklin County
Honors: Community Service Award
Case Western Reserve University, Weatherhead School of Management, Cleveland, Ohio, 1998
M.B.A.
Scholarships: Dean’s Academic Scholarship, Ewing Marion Kauffman Scholar
Honors: Community Service Award
Ashland University, School of Education, Ashland, Ohio
M.Ed.
Saint Ignatius of Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland, 1991
B.A.
Honors: Dean’s List, Alpha Sigma Nu – National Jesuit Honor Society
Honors & Awards
AAJ 2021 Distinguished Service Award
Fortune Women Leaders in the Law, 2015
Martindale Hubbell® AV® Rated, 2014 – 2022
National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers; Top 25 Brain Injury Lawyers; Top 10 Bad Faith Insurance Lawyers, 2015 – 2022
America's Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys, 2019-2020
Ohio Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, 2014 – 2016
Ohio Super Lawyers® 2019 - 2022
Professional Associations & Memberships
American Association for Justice (AAJ) – Membership Oversight Committee, member; National Finance Council, member; Public Education Committee, member
Past Chair of the AAJ Civil Rights Section
Past Chair of the AAJ State Delegates
Immediate Past Chair of the AAJ Railroad Section
Chair of the AAJ Section Leaders Council
AAJ Leadership Academy 2017 Graduate
AAJ Board of Governors – Governor-at-Large, 2022 - 2024
Melvin Belli Society, member
American Board of Trial Advocates, associate member
Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, member
Disability Rights Bar Association, member
Toldeo Bar Association, member
Erie County Bar Association, member
Ohio Association for Justice, Board Member; Trucking Safety Committee- Past Chair, current board member
Ohio State Bar Association, member
Pound Civil Justice Institute, member
Public Justice Foundation, member
The National Trial Lawyers, member
Community Involvement
Erie County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children, Board Member
Firelands Habitat for Humanity, volunteer
Second Harvest for Hunger, volunteer
OSU Alumni Club of Erie County, Board Member
Democratic Women of Erie County, Publicity Chair
Kiwanis, member
STAC Judge for Law School Competition
Presentations
Semi-Truck Air Brake Primer, OAJ Trucking CLE, 2015
Civil Rights & Tort Claims in School Bullying Cases, OAJ Winter Convention, 2016
Section 504 Plans & Civil Rights Claims, SCCS 2017
AAJ Annual Convention, 2017
Dealing with Difficult Judges, AAJ Trucking Litigation Group Members Only, 2017
Blockchain- How Technology is Changing the Way Business is Conducted & the Discovery Trail, OAJ Annual Convention, 2019
How to Get Other Records on Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies, OAJ Annual Convention, 2020
Basics of Bad Faith Insurance Claims, OAJ Annual Convention, 2020
Methods for Establishing and Proving Damages in FELA Claims, AAJ Annual Convention, 2020
Defeating the Unauthorized Driver Defense, ATAA Webinar, 2020
Identifying and Using Industry Standards Outside of the FMCSR, AAJ Trucking CLE, 2021
Maintenance Issues that Affect your Case: Mechanical & Brake Issues, NJAJ Boardwalk, 2021
The Gift of the Sudden Medical Emergency in Truck Wrecks, ATAA Webinar, 2021
Left Turn/U-Turn Cases: Establishing the Negligence of Both the Driver and the Company, ATAA Conference, 2021
Those Warts are Beauty Marks: Personality Changes with TBIs, AAJ Atlanta TBI Seminar, 2022
The Injured Brain – Proving the Invisible Injury, AAJ Annual Convention, 2022
Horn Blasts & Brain Injuries in Train Workers, AAJ Annual Convention, 2022
