Overview

Employers seek out attorney Jill Bigler to advise and represent them in a broad range of labor and employment litigation matters.

She regularly works with clients on matters arising under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and state employment laws.

Jill’s experience includes litigation in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. Clients rely on Jill to handle such matters as discrimination and harassment involving race, gender, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, and religious or political affiliation; intentional infliction of emotional distress; breach of contract; wrongful termination in violation of public policy; and violations of ERISA. Jill also represents employers as defense counsel approved by Employment Practices Liability Insurance and Directors and Officers Liability Insurance carriers. In addition, Jill regularly advises on and litigates non-compete, non-solicit, and trade secret issues.

A trusted advisor, Jill counsels employers on day-to-day employment issues, such as drafting employment policies, handbooks, employment agreements, severance agreements, and other employment-related documents.

Focus Areas

Experience

  • Helped clients understand their legal obligations under new labor and employment laws passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jill drafted work-from-home, leave, and reopening policies; advised on mass layoff and WARN Act obligations, furloughs, terminations, unemployment issues, and alternative work arrangements; and recommended best practices for essential workers, employee testing and health assessments, employee travel, face covering requirements, and safe reopening.
  • Represented a national mortgage loan company in two lawsuits in which the client hired two mortgage loan officers from a competitor, and the competitor sought to enforce the loan officers’ non-compete agreements. Jill negotiated a global settlement that considerably reduced the length of each employee’s non-compete agreement.
  • Conducted a full analysis of a health care client’s multifaceted bonus programs to determine compliance with state and federal wage and hour laws. Jill developed options for changing the criteria of several bonus programs and pay calculations to avoid possible wage law violations in calculating overtime and created a plan for correcting possible improper overtime calculations for the previous two-year period.
  • Represented a mortgage lender in a dispute following the abrupt resignation of a branch manager and 25 employees who left to join a competitor, taking confidential information with them. Jill secured a temporary restraining order prohibiting the employees from working for the competitor and then negotiated a settlement with the former employees and their new employer, which prohibited the employees from soliciting their former employer’s clients.
  • Defended the president and CEO of a national software company against claims of sex and age discrimination, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress in connection with the accusing employee’s termination from the company. Jill secured a favorable judgment for the company and a dismissal of the employee’s claims.
  • Represented a regional health system in a harassment lawsuit following the termination of an employee related to her affair with a coworker. The employee had claimed that 10 other influential employees were engaged in consensual affairs with coworkers. Jill successfully negotiated a settlement on behalf of the health system, avoiding depositions and cross-examinations of other employees in court.
  • Advised a regional health system’s vice president of human relations regarding the investigation, suspension, and ultimate termination of a nurse who allegedly made off-duty threats to an on-duty coworker, including threats of violence involving a firearm. Jill assisted in revising the health system’s weapons-free policy and crisis protocol for emergency situations.

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor and Employment (2022-2025), Employment Law - Management (2024-2025), Labor Law - Management (2024-2025)
  • Chambers USA: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business: Ohio—Labor & Employment, "Up and Coming" (2021-2024)
  • Ohio Rising Stars, Employment & Labor: Employer (2018)

Credentials

Education

  • The University of Toledo College of Law (J.D., 2008)
    • Assistant Executive Editor, The University of Toledo Law Review
  • Kent State University (B.S., magna cum laude, 2004)

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee

Professional & Community Involvement

  • American Bar Association
  • The Better Lawyer, Editorial Board (2015 to 2017)
  • Columbus Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association (Labor & Employment Law Section Council)
  • Ohio Women's Bar Association
  • Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation Leadership Institute, Class of 2015–2016

Media

Events

Insights

Insights

Jump to Page

Privacy Preference Center

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.