Professional Experience
Christine T. Cossler focuses her practice on private and public sector labor and employment law and school law. Christine has represented private and public sector employers in litigating a wide range of employment-related matters, including defending companies against discrimination, harassment and wrongful discharge allegations, breach of contract, promissory estoppel and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing actions, ERISA claims, non-compete and non-disclosure issues and various tort causes of action including intentional tort claims. Similarly, she has defended clients' interests at administrative proceedings before the State Employment Relations Board, the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. Building off of this experience, Christine regularly counsels both public and private sector clients on employment-related matters, including litigation risk management, and provides training in a variety of areas, including harassment prevention, employee privacy and technology concerns in the workplace.
In addition to employment litigation and counseling, Christine has successfully represented clients' interests in the arbitration of claims brought by employees and unions, has prosecuted and defended unfair labor practice charges with SERB and the NLRB, and has processed grievances.
Christine also represents boards of education throughout Ohio in all facets of school law, providing general counsel to those entities. Christine's diverse school law experience includes defending against a parents' challenge in the United States Supreme Court to a student's special education program, counseling school districts on special education issues, prosecuting student discipline issues, defending against a coach's claims of defamation and defending against a public records challenge. Additionally, Christine regularly deals with student and employee discipline issues, policy development and technology issues in education.
Areas Of Emphasis
Education Law
In addition to representing boards of education in litigation matters and labor relations, Christine has provided regular advice and counsel to school law clients in the following areas:
- Board policy formulation, implementation and administration;
- Contract advice, guidance and drafting, including third-party agreements;
- Employment and personnel issues, including hiring, firing, evaluation and corrective action counseling;
- Assisting clients to interpret, apply and administer the collective bargaining agreements;
- Defending the interests of boards of education in arbitration proceedings, including those based on contract interpretation and employee discipline;
- Public records and the sunshine law, along with privacy concerns of employees and students;
- Student legal issues, including challenges to Board policies, discipline and First Amendment issues; and
- Counseling regarding special education issues
Christine is also a frequent trainer on new teacher orientation and legal updates on education issues.
Presentations
- "2010 Walter & Haverfield LLP Labor and Employment Law Seminar," "Employee Handbook Tips and Pitfalls," Outline, Presentation, Holiday Inn in Independence, September 30, 2010.
- "Spring School Law Seminar," Quail Hollow, April 13, 2010.
- "Frequently Asked Questions: School Law," Quail Hollow Resort, February 25, 2009.
- "Employment Laws Made Simple: Ensure compliance with employment law procedures and practices!" National Business Institute Seminar, December 10, 2008.
Education
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 2002, Valedictorian, Summa Cum Laude
Youngstown State University
Licensed to Practice
- All courts in Ohio
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
Awards & Recognitions2007; 2009-2012 - Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers magazine, as a member of its Rising Stars list. Areas of practice: Employment & Labor; Schools & Education.Christine is a member of the Cleveland Employment Law Inns of Court. Prior to joining the firm, Christine was also a Law Clerk to the Honorable James S. Gwin, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio. |
Articles by Christine T. CosslerDecember 2011 - "Dog and Pony Show: New Guidance for Service Animals in the School Setting," School Business AffairsApril 2010 - "Privacy Concerns: The Effects of the Latest FERPA Changes," School Business Affairs December 2009 - Training - Your Best Friend or Worst Enemy?, Manufacturing.Net Summer 2009 - "The Law Tackles New Cyber Trends," Your Teen April 2009 - "IRS Issues Guidance Regarding Meaning of "Involuntary Termination" for Purposes of the COBRA Premium Reduction" October 2007 - "One Liners," Cleveland Business Connects |
