Deborah S. Brenneman

Practices

• Labor & Employment
• Business Litigation

Professional Experience

Debbie is a partner in the firm's Labor and Employment and Business Litigation practice groups. She focuses her practice on representing management in all areas of employment law with an emphasis on preventive counseling and litigation. Her practice includes employment discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation; restrictive covenants; fair labor standards; employment and termination agreements; and commercial litigation.

Debbie is admitted to practice before the Ohio Supreme Court, United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has practiced before state and federal courts in Kentucky, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Wisconsin. Debbie currently serves as national employment counsel for publicly held companies

Debbie has served as lead counsel in numerous jury and bench trials, arbitrations, mediations, employment investigations, and forensic employment investigations throughout the United States.

Education

• University of Cincinnati College of Law, J.D., 1993, Order of the Coif; University of Cincinnati Law Review, Editor
• Ohio University, M.A., 1984
• Ohio University, B.S., 1983, summa cum laude

• Obtained $1.5 million dollar jury verdict in Butler County, Ohio after two week trial against former employee and his new employer on claims involving trade secrets, breach of non-compete and tortious interference.
• Awarded summary judgment in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on tortious interference claims brought against national company, arising out of hiring of competitor's employee with various non-compete obligations.
• Obtained Preliminary Injunction against former employee and his new employer in Butler County, Ohio in trade secret/tortious interference matter.
• Obtained Preliminary Injunction from the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas against former employee of national medical device company, prohibiting him from accepting employment with a competing company.
• Awarded summary judgment in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on claims of age and sex discrimination brought against publicly traded company by former employee.  The decision was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
• Obtained defense verdict following a jury trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on claims brought against publicly traded company for age discrimination and wrongful termination, involving employee with 25 years of service and an unblemished disciplinary record who was terminated for safety violation.
• Obtained judgment for defendant employer in administrative trial before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission on claims of sex discrimination and sexual harassment brought by former employee.
• Obtained preliminary injunction from the United States District Court of Idaho against defendant employee, her husband, and their company on claims of breach of a non-competition agreement, tortious interference, prospected economic advantage, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and unfair competition.
• Obtained a temporary restraining order, then a preliminary injunction from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, against defendant employee on claims of breach of a non-competition agreement, violation of Ohio’s deceptive trade practices statute, the Lanham Act, tortious interference with contract and unfair trade practices.
• Summary judgment granted from the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on plaintiff’s claims of sex discrimination and termination in violation of the FMLA.
• Numerous summary judgment decisions in discrimination and wrongful discharge matters in state and federal courts across the country.

• "From a Woman's Point of View: The Use of the Reasonable Woman Standard in Sexual Harassment Cases" · University of Cincinnati Law Review, 1992
• "Sexual Harassment Claims and Ohio's Workers' Compensation Statute" · University of Cincinnati Law Review, 1993

• Athena Award Finalist - 2011
• 2010 Women of Excellence Award Recipient, West Chester Chamber Alliance
• Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers by Ohio Super Lawyer magazine 2009-2012
• West Chester Chamber Alliance Rookie of the Year Finalist, 2008