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
• 6^th 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 Board of Governors Outstanding Achievement Award, 2023
• 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
• Selected for inclusion in the Ohio Super Lawyers® list, 2004 – 2024​​​

Professional Associations & Memberships

• American Association for Justice (AAJ) – Membership Oversight Committee, Member (term end 7/31/2025); National Finance Council, Member (term end 7/31/2025); Public Education Committee, Member (term end 7/31/2026); Membership Oversight Committee, Member (term end 7/31/2026); Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Committee, Member (term end 7/31/2027)
  • AAJ Insurance Law Section, Content Curator
  • AAJ Bad Faith Litigation Group, Co-chair
  • AAJ Traumatic Brain Injury Litigation Group, Treasurer
  • AAJ President’s Club, Co-Chair
  • Past Chair of the AAJ Civil Rights Section
  • Past Chair of the AAJ State Delegates
  • Past Chair of the AAJ Railroad Section
  • Immediate Past Chair of the AAJ Section Leaders Council
  • AAJ Leadership Academy 2017 Graduate
  • AAJ Board of Governors – Governor-at-Large, 2022 - 2025
  • AAJ Litigation Group Leaders Council, 1st Vice Chair of Membership Engagement
• Melvin Belli Society, 2024 - 2025 Board Member
• American Board of Trial Advocates, associate member
• Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, member
• Disability Rights Bar Association, member
• Toledo 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
• National Civil Justice Institute, fellow
• Public Justice Foundation, member
• The National Trial Lawyers, member

Community Involvement

• Erie County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for children, Treasurer
• Firelands Habitat for Humanity, volunteer
• Second Harvest for Hunger, volunteer
• OSU Alumni Club of Erie County, Board Member
• Democratic Women of Erie County, Treasurer
• 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
• Ethical Issues That Arise in TBI Cases, AAJ Annual Convention, 2024
• Getting the Most Out of 30(b)(5) and 30(b)(6) Depositions, AAJ Annual Convention, 2024

Publications

• Ohio Boaters Should Follow These Tips to Stay Safe on the Water
• How Much Auto Insurance Do I Need To Be Protected?
• Dangers of Delivery Drivers Over the Holidays
• Beware of Camp Lejeune Scams When Looking for Legal Help