Stephanie M. Chmiel

Practices

• Business Litigation
• Labor & Employment

Professional Experience

Stephanie's experience involves a broad range of civil litigation matters in state and federal courts including commercial, product liability, employment, consumer protection, unfair trade practices, tort, and patent disputes. Stephanie has also personally participated in mediations and early neutral evaluations and has successfully negotiated client settlements on behalf of a major credit reporting agency in consumer credit litigation.

Stephanie's experience includes coordinating and managing discovery, evidentiary disputes, taking and defending depositions, motion practice, trial preparation, trial support, and post-trial briefing. Stephanie has significant experience working on all aspects of tort litigation in state and federal courts. She managed several cases involving off-road utility vehicle accidents, developing case strategy and drafting a variety of pleadings. Stephanie was also a member of the trial team for tort cases involving personal injuries from alleged exposure to toxic substances and cases alleging negligent reading of laboratory results. Stephanie has experience working with experts in several areas of tort law including biomechanical engineers, toxicologists, oncologists, adequacy of warnings, vehicle stability, and adequacy of vehicle restraints.

Stephanie has also worked on a variety of aspects of employment litigation, including decertification briefing, drafting pleadings, discovery, and general motion practice in disputes relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act, gender discrimination, misappropriation of trade secrets, violations of non-compete agreements, violations of confidentiality agreements, and tortious interference with contractual and business relationships. Stephanie also has extensive experience in fact and legal research.

Stephanie has been very active in pro bono matters as well, including representing low income individuals at residential eviction proceedings in Franklin County. Stephanie also has experience researching and drafting a habeas petition to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of an indigent prisoner, drafting and arguing appellate briefs on behalf of the Kings County (New York) District Attorney's Office, and drafting an appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals on behalf of a Tibetan monk.

Stephanie is admitted to practice in Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.She is also admitted in the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Southern District of Ohio.

Education

• Cornell University Law School, J.D., 2003
• Miami University, B.A., 2000, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa