Independence Employment Lawyers

Mr. Smith is a highly experienced attorney with a longstanding reputation for delivering exceptional results. With an extensive background in trial advocacy and negotiation, he offers a full spectrum of legal services tailored to meet the needs of diverse clients. Mr. Smith’s practice areas include criminal defense, unemployment appeals, and DUI/OVI defense, where he is deeply committed to safeguarding the rights of individuals navigating complex legal situations. Beyond his individual client work, Mr. Smith serves as a trusted advocate for labor unions, providing representation in matters such as contract negotiations, arbitration, and litigation in both federal and state courts. He frequently represents...

Michael P. Karst is an associate attorney at Kastner, Westman & Wilkins, LLC. Michael devotes his practice to representing employers in workplace disputes involving a wide range of labor & employment laws including: * Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); * Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); * Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA); * Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII); and * Ohio Revised Code Section 4112 He also counsels employers on day-to-day employment matters, including leave management, wage/hour issues, terminations, severance packages, non-compete obligations, and employment agreements. Each year since 2017, Michael has been named a Super Lawyers...

With more than twenty years experience as a trial lawyer representing plaintiffs who have been injured by the misconduct or negligence of another, or who suffered a workplace injury, Mr. Sivinski concentrates his practice in personal injury, wrongful death, criminal defense, products liability, asbestos-related injuries and labor law and has tried in excess of 100 cases to verdict, including five multi-million dollar verdicts. Mr. Sivinski's reputation as a skilled and sophisticated litigator has enabled him to negotiate settlements in excess of $100 Million Dollars for injured clients. Mr. Sivinski has also achieved national recognition for his widespread work on...

Kelly Rochotte is an employment and housing practitioner in Cleveland, Ohio. She focuses on assisting clients in navigating the judicial system with strength, diligence, and compassion.

Steve Voudris is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Labor & Employment Law who focuses his practice on representing employees who have been wrongfully terminated, suffered discrimination in the workplace, or have not been paid their overtime wages, tips or any wages for any unpaid time (such as for training or for working through lunch). He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin Law School and Miami University. He spent the first six years of his legal career at the Cleveland office of Jones Day, one of the largest law firms in the world, and...

My focus is on problem solving and I've been doing it for 25 years now. By this, I mean getting results by doing whatever it takes, whether by negotiation, settlement, jury trial, or appeal all the way up to the Supreme Court.

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” – M. Gandhi

I was 23, uninsured, and injured on my stagehand job. To fight for getting my hospital bills paid, I hired a lawyer. He inspired me, and for the next seven years, I worked and saved for law school.

When I graduated, a big law firm hired me to fight for businesses in court. But I wanted to fight for employees, and eight years later, I opened my own firm and became a small business owner myself. I learned, however, that lawsuits rarely have real “winners.” Real...

Matt Besser is a discrimination lawyer in Cleveland, representing employees in employment discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, and wrongful termination cases. In addition to his work at Bolek Besser Glesius LLC, Matt is the General Counsel of the ACLU of Ohio. Matt holds the prestigious “AV Preeminent”® rating from attorney rating service Martindale-Hubbell. U.S. News' Best Lawyers Magazine has repeatedly named him one of the “Best Lawyers” in Cleveland for employment law, and named him the 2022 Cleveland Employment "Lawyer of the Year" for his work representing employees in discrimination cases. For its part, Super Lawyers Magazine has named him to its Cleveland...

Cathleen is an accomplished civil trial attorney and a principal in the firm Bolek Besser Glesius LLC. She has been representing individuals in employment disputes for more than twenty years. Cathleen is listed in the 2014, 2013 and 2012 publications "Best Lawyers," her firm has been listed those same years in "Best Law Firms," and she has been included in Ohio Super Lawyers and Ohio Rising Stars Magazines multiple times. Since 2005, the Legal Directory, Martindale Hubbell, has given Cathleen its highest rating, AV®. Martindale Hubbell assigns the AV® certification mark only to those attorneys who have been ranked...

I have led my law firm, Wilson & Wilson Co., L.P.A., and been a CPA licensed in Ohio for over 30 years, along with being a licensed attorney in Georgia for over 12 years. I have extensive experience in complex civil litigation, personal injury and medical malpractice representing mainly smaller litigants in David vs. Goliath situations by personally handling cases in an efficient and cost effective manner without sacrificing results. My experience as a CPA and many years as outside corporate counsel for a wide range of companies handling litigation, taxation, transactional and management advisory matters have given me...

I am an attorney, arbitrator and mediator with expertise in construction law, employment and labor law, litigation, and business disputes. I have litigated and served as a neutral in hundreds of cases involving construction disputes, commercial business disputes, and employment disputes. AV rated by Martindale Hubbell since 1994, signifying the highest standard of legal abilities and professional ethics and conduct. Member of the ADR Federal Court Panel for the Northern District of Ohio, the panel of arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association, serving as an employment, construction and commercial arbitrator, a member and former Chair of the Construction Advisory Council...

I have been in the practice of law for over two decades and have clients all over the United States and some overseas. I have years of jury trial experience against all kinds of opposing parties from multi-billion dollar corporations to the local county prosecutor's office. I am a member of the prestigious million dollar advocates forum which less than 1% of all trial lawyers are members of, and I have prevailed in litigation against companies such as big three auto manufacturers, steel makers, nuclear materials providers, and won cases against corporate giants like Kellog Brown and Root (KBR)and Halliburton....

Irina P’Simer has founded P’Simer Law with the vision of reinventing the way law firms enable business success. She started her career representing small businesses, its owners and employees across multiple legal disciplines. Through her diverse practice, she help create and organize new businesses, proactively mitigated legal risk for existing businesses with clear communication, strong negotiation style and unwavering commitment.
As a former executive at an engineering and technology solutions provider she has proven experience in strategic and tactical aspects of operating a successful business. As previously both the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and General Counsel (GC) in...

Aggressive, trial-hardened attorney dedicated to fighting for clients in the courtroom, at the negotiating table, and in the community. From Stark County. Serving Stark County. Edmond J. Mack represents individuals, family-owned businesses, municipalities, and large corporations. Attorney Mack has successfully prosecuted and defended multi-million dollar claims in a wide range of civil disputes, including sales governed by the Uniform Commercial Code, real estate matters, employment litigation, catastrophic injury cases, and governmental liability claims. “The only real lawyers are trial lawyers, and trial lawyers try cases to juries.” - Clarence Darrow

Warner represents brave whistleblowers who expose the misuse of federal dollars in local government grant programs, military contracting, Medicare and Medicaid programs, and at for-profit proprietary or career schools. These actions, brought under the Federal False Claims Act, empower citizens to act on behalf of the Federal Government to recover misspent and wasted funds. To date, Warner’s clients have helped return almost $20,000,000.00 to the United States Treasury.

Adrienne Hines is a skilled Ohio workers' compensation attorney certified by the Ohio Supreme Court as a Workers Compensation Specialist. In addition to work injuries, she represents clients in consumer bankruptcy filings (both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13) and she handles injuries such as car accidents and dog bites. Adrienne has nearly 20 years of experience helping people who have been injured or impacted by outside circumstances. At Wisehart Wright Trial Lawyers, Adrienne offers personalized and compassionate legal representation, guiding clients through every step of the claims process. Her goal is to secure the best possible outcome for each case. If...

Since beginning my legal career in Akron Ohio, over 28 years ago, I have dedicated my practice to representing individuals and families that have been victimized by wrongful conduct, including auto accidents, malpractice, dangerous products and discrimination or other wrongful conduct in the workplace. I have represented clients in the trial and appellate courts throughout the State of Ohio and Florida. My goal is to place my clients in a position to allow them to make informed decisions on their legal matters, which in some cases will have a major impact on their lives. I aggressively pursue litigation on...

Having represented individuals, families and businesses over 21 years, and having had attorneys represent me in the past, I have learned that clients deserve compassion, vigorous representation, and honesty. My practice areas demand that I provide my clients with these qualities.

I have represented clients who have lost the dignity of work because of errors in their background report or background checks or lost the ability to get a loan because of a credit report error across the nation. Too many times people in these circumstances feel hopeless. I work hard to provide that needed hope...

Dynamic attorney and business professional with over 21 years of experience with a proven record of effectively representing a wide array of clients in all phases of complex labor and employment, commercial, civil and appellate litigation as well as in providing day-to-day legal counsel and training to a variety of clients related to labor, employment, corporate and business law issues. Extensive experience serving as General Counsel, as well as serving as lead counsel responsible for the oversight, management and direction of clients' legal and litigation strategies. Substantial background in serving as chief spokesperson and lead negotiator in contract negotiations. Proven...

Irene graduated from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1980 and was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1981.

Irene is also admitted to the U. S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio; the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio; the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit; the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania; and the U.S. Tax Court.

Irene is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Trumbull County Bar Association, and NOSSCR (National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives).

Patrick J. D'Andrea currently represents numerous landowners and small businesses in the Ohio Utica and Marcellus Shale Oil and Gas play including leases and leasing, amending existing leases, pipeline agreements and rights of way, oil and gas mineral sales, location agreements and much more. He has been involved in Business and Personal Injury cases and litigation for over 30 years. He has represented many fortune 500 companies in the Oil and Gas and Real Estate Development aspects of his business. He has litigated hundreds of business and personal injury cases. Previous: Director of Development, Summit County, Ohio, Akron City Councilman...