Brenneman, Deborah

Debbie is a partner in the firm's Labor & Employment and Business Litigation practice groups. She represents management in all areas of employment law, with a focus on trade secret and non-compete cases. She has a wealth of experience in successfully litigating and resolving these matters in state and federal courts across the country.

Her practice includes employment discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation; restrictive covenants; fair labor standards; employment and termination agreements; and commercial litigation.

Debbie currently serves as national employment counsel for publicly held companies.

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

She has practiced before state and federal courts throughout the United States.

Representative Experience

Obtained $1.5 million dollar jury verdict in Butler County, Ohio after a two-week trial against a former employee and his new employer on claims involving trade secrets, breach of non-compete and tortious interference.
Awarded summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on tortious interference claims brought against a national company, arising out of hiring of competitor’s employee with various non-compete obligations.
Obtained Preliminary Injunction against a former employee and his new employer in Butler County, Ohio in a trade secret/tortious interference matter.
Obtained Preliminary Injunction from the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas against a former employee of a national medical device company, prohibiting him from accepting employment with a competing company.
Awarded summary judgment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on claims of age and sex discrimination brought against a publicly traded company by a former employee. The decision was affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Obtained defense verdict following a jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on claims brought against a publicly traded company for age discrimination and wrongful termination, involving an employee with 25 years of service and an unblemished disciplinary record who was terminated for a safety violation.
Obtained judgment for a defendant employer in administrative trial before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission on claims of sex discrimination and sexual harassment brought by a former employee.
Obtained preliminary injunction from the U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

Presenter, "Non-compete Agreements: What You Need to Know," Thompson Hine Investment Management Coffee Chat webinar series, June 30, 2021

Listed as a Labor and Employment Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2019-2021
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America^©2017 to 2022 for Employment Law-Management and Litigation-Labor and Employment
Recognized with the 2015 Glass Ceiling Award, The Ohio Diversity Council
Athena Award Finalist, 2011
West Chester Chamber Alliance, recipient, 2010 Women of Excellence Award
Selected to the Ohio Super Lawyers list, 2009-2016, 2018-2022
West Chester Chamber Alliance Rookie of the Year Finalist, 2008