Donna focuses her practice in the areas of labor, employment and general litigation. Her practice includes all aspects of pre-litigation investigation, evidence and witness preparation, trial and appellate work, and responding and participating in agency investigations, including the Departments of Labor and Civil Rights, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. In 2016 and 2017, Donna had three jury trials, each ending in a defense verdict. She has arbitrated dozens of union matters and presented cases before the National Labor Relations Board. She represents boards of directors and their officers, provides counsel, coaching to executives and assists organizations with business strategies and growth plans. Donna provides training to management, supervisory and human resources personnel and is a regular speaker at continuing legal education seminars. Her clients include large and small for-profit and not-for-profit businesses, public utilities, health care organizations, colleges and universities.

She is also a trained and experienced mediator, and has completed extensive mediation training with Duke University and the University of Kentucky. Donna has served as a mediator in a variety of matters including employment, commercial and business disputes. She has also participated in mediation as counsel for litigants in more than 100 cases in both state and federal courts. This experience enhances her ability to mediate matters to a successful resolution.

Donna is a member of the firm's Board of Directors. Earlier in her career, she had the distinction of serving as the managing partner for Woodward, Hobson & Fulton L.L.P., which made her the first female managing partner of a major law firm in Kentucky. 

Bar Admissions

Kentucky

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

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

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

Education

• Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville (J.D., 1989)
• University of Texas at Austin (B.A., summa cum laude, 1986)
• Georgetown College (B.S., magna cum laude, 1981)

• Peer Review Rated AV in Martindale-Hubbell
• Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers (2014)
• Best Lawyers^®
  • "Lawyer of the Year" for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2020, 2024)
  • Arbitration (2022-2024)
  • Labor Law - Management (2022-2024)
  • Employment Law - Management (2022-2024)
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment (2022-2024)
• Kentucky Super Lawyers^®
  • For employment & Labor (2021)
• Chambers USA^®: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Labor & Employment    
• Honoree by Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana (2007)
• Business Woman of the Year (2006)
• University of Louisville Distinguished Alumni (2006)
• "Top Lawyers” by Louisville Magazine (2013, 2016) 
• Mentor of the Year from Dinsmore (2018)

• Kentucky Bar Association
• Louisville Bar Association
• American Bar Association
• Louisville Bar Foundation
• Louis D. Brandeis American Inns of Court
• Jefferson County Women Lawyers Association
• Leadership Louisville, Class of 2005
• Actors Theatre of Louisville, Advisory Board member
• Louisville Bar Foundation, board member
• Young Professionals Association of Louisville, Advisory Board
• Louisville Society for Human Resource Managers, legal adviser to board
• University of Kentucky's Institute for Workplace Innovation, Advisory Board