Professional Experience

Jill O’Shea specializes in employment law and complex litigation.  Jill was previously employed as Associate General Counsel with Duke Energy Corporation and its predecessor company, Cinergy Corporation.  While there, she served as the Head of the Employment/HR/Labor Group from 2003 to 2006.  Her areas of practice included employment litigation, preventative law work, advisory work on employment issues, policies and procedures, labor work, and training presentations. In addition, from 1999 to 2003, Jill worked as Senior Counsel in Cinergy’s Litigation Section.  There, her areas of practice included employment litigation, complex personal injury, property damage, and other litigation, as well as preventative law work.

Jill was previously a partner in the defense firm of Rendigs, Fry, Kiely & Dennis, LLP in Cincinnati, Ohio and was employed with the firm from 1986-1999. Her area of specialty with Rendigs was complex litigation, and her areas of practice included employment law, wrongful death and personal injury, property damage, architect, engineer and construction law, product liability, premises liability, and toxic tort, environmental, and commercial litigation.

Jill has extensive experience in all aspects of trial work including pre-trial, motion, first chair in trial, administrative hearings, arbitrations and mediations, alternative dispute resolution, and appellate work.

Her employment, human resources, and labor work experience includes:
-Advisory work regarding compliance with federal, state, and local employment discrimination laws;
-Family and Medical Leave Act issues, discipline, and terminations;
-Separation and employment agreements;
-First chair in court and administrative hearings, arbitrations, mediations, and alternative dispute resolution;
-Responses to agency claims or charges;
-Labor advice and counsel including negotiations, grievances, and labor arbitrations;
-Legal training and presentations;
-Design of corporate personnel policies and manuals; and
-Workplace investigations.

Representative Matters

• Counsel for corporation in highly successful race discrimination class action where class certification was not pursued by Plaintiffs following discovery, and individual claims dismissed voluntarily or by favorable court ruling.
• Obtained favorable results both in litigation and through negotiation in employment and other complex litigation in State and Federal Courts including multiple court rulings in favor of the corporation.

Community Involvement

• Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers:  Fellow Committee (2006 to present); Inaugural Class (1997)
• Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Arbitration Panelist
• University of Cincinnati College of Law Board of Visitors (2006- present)
• The Indian Hill Winter Club Board of Trustees (2008 – present)
• ReSource (fka The Community Resource Center) Board of Trustees  (2004 – present)
• AEGIS Claims Task Force (2004 – 2006)
• Natural Gas Claims and Litigation Association Executive Committee (2002 – 2005)

Presentations

• University of Cincinnati College of Law Speaker:  “Alumni Teach In” (2007); “Sarbanes-Oxley” (2006); “Carbon Monoxide Case Study” (2004); “Gas Main Case Study” (2003)
• Cincinnati Bar Association Speaker

Professional Associations

• Cincinnati Bar Association:  Nominating Committee (2007-2008); Board of Trustees (1999-2004);  Judicial Candidate Review Committee (1996-1998)
• Ohio State Bar Association