Colleen has significant experience representing national and regional employers in state and federal courts on numerous employment and labor issues, having practiced employment and labor law for more than three decades. She leverages her passion for people and her thorough knowledge to help steer clients through a variety of challenges, including “me too” investigations; employment discrimination lawsuits; wage and hour class actions; affirmative action counseling and defense; and collective bargaining. Understanding that a company’s human capital can lead to complicated issues, Colleen works closely with business owners, in-house counsel and human resource managers to tailor an approach to fit the circumstance.   

Her clients include public and private sector multi-national corporations and nonprofits. She has extensive experience representing companies before the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs - U.S. Department of Labor, handling federal government regulatory audits and related litigation on a national basis. Colleen drafts compliant affirmative action programs for various clients in a number of industries, including construction, transportation, health care, banking, and manufacturing. She also defends various clients against state and federal discrimination claims, non-compete issues, ADA compliance, and FMLA litigation.

Colleen handles various traditional labor matters, appearing across the country before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) defending employers against unfair labor practice charges. She also engages in collective bargaining negotiations and has handled numerous strikes. Her experience in this area includes defending companies in matters involving the following unions: Amalgamated Transit Union, Teamsters, Steelworkers, Glass Molders, and Retail Meat Packing.

She is AV-Rated and is very active in the community, sitting on various nonprofit boards.

Bar Admissions

Ohio

Kentucky

Supreme Court of Ohio

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

Education

• Northern Kentucky University, Chase College of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1989)
  • Articles editor
• Northern Kentucky University (B.S., summa cum laude, 1985)

• Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
• Top 10 Woman Recruiter in Cincinnati from Women's Business Cincinnati
• We Lead 100 Wise Women
• Commonwealth Law Scholar
• Kentucky Bar Association CLE Award

• Defense Research Institute
• Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Board of Governors 
• Chamber of Commerce We Lead Program, Class of 2007
• Supreme Court of Ohio, Mentor to New Lawyer Program
• Board of Commissioners of Hamilton County, Ohio, Board of Governors
• American Bar Association
• Kentucky Bar Association
• Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
• Cincinnati Bar Association, Labor Law and Civil Rights Committee
• Ohio State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Committee
• Freestore/Foodbank, Personnel Committee
• Women of Alabaster Ministries, board member