Focus Areas
- Completing a two‑year in‑house secondment with a global retail brand, serving as a trusted partner to the employment law team and HR business partners.
- Counseling employers on workforce management strategies, including hiring, retention, performance management, and disciplinary frameworks.
- Leading compliance reviews and advising on FMLA, ADA, FLSA, ADEA, Title VII, and state‑law obligations to help organizations reduce litigation exposure.
- Serving as the lead investigator for high‑risk workplace matters, including whistleblower complaints, misconduct allegations, and potential policy violations.
- Partnering with HR and executive leadership to revise workplace policies, draft employment agreements, and implement training programs aligned with business objectives.
- Representing clients in mediations, arbitrations, and administrative and judicial proceedings.
- “How Artificial Intelligence Is Impacting the Hiring Process for Job Seekers and Employers,” Columbus CEO, November 2025
- Panelist, “Inside the Practice – How Leadership Addresses Today’s Challenges,” 2026 Business of Retina Meeting, American Society of Retina Specialists, March 2026
- Keynote Speaker, Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation Leadership Institute, October 2025
- Included in the The Best Lawyers in America® for Labor Law – Management (2026) and Litigation – Labor and Employment (2024-2026)
- Selected as a Top Lawyer by Columbus CEO for Litigation – Labor Employment Benefits (2025) and Labor and Employment Law (2024)
- Honored with a President’s Choice Award, Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation, 2023
- Selected to the 2017-2023 Ohio Rising Stars lists for Employment Litigation
- Recognized with a Presidential Award, Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc., 2016-2017
Professional Associations
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Ohio Women’s Bar Association
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel
- Black Women Lawyers Association of Greater Chicago, Inc.
Community Activities
- Member, Levy Committee, Franklin County Health and Human Services
- Member, Dean’s Advisory Council, DePaul University College of Law
- Member, Women’s Collective Committee, Columbus Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Advisory Committee, Ohio Justice & Policy Center
Professional Activities
- Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation, president (2023-2024), vice president (2022-2023), treasurer (2021-2022), secretary (2020-2021), Leadership Institute co-chair (2022-2024)
Education
- DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 2012,
managing editor, Rule of Law Journal
- West Virginia State University, B.S., 2004
Bar Admissions
- Ohio
- Illinois
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Thompson Hine Expands Chicago and Columbus Footprints with Accomplished Full-Service Labor & Employment Partner Heather Renée Adams,
Thompson Hine LLP
, March 16, 2026