Firm Profile

Thorman & Hardin-Levine Co., LPA, advocates on behalf of victims of workplace discrimination and harassment. Both principals of the firm, Mr. Hardin-Levine and Mr. Thorman have received the highest AV Peer Ratings. In addition to their trial work, Mr. Thorman and Mr. Hardin-Levine are regular lecturers and speakers to employee and management groups on workplace rights. They have been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, numerous legal publications and trade magazines for their work in law and on behalf of employees.

Trial:

The attorneys at Thorman & Hardin-Levine aggressively advocate on behalf of their clients. The firm has obtained numerous seven-figure verdicts on behalf of its clients in discrimination, harassment and retaliation cases. The firm’s lawyers have filed complaints on behalf of recipients of some of the largest discrimination verdicts in Ohio. For example, in September, 2006, the firm obtained a $16 million verdict in an age discrimination case; in March 2003, the firm obtained a $7.765 million dollar verdict in an age discrimination and unlawful retaliation case; in September 2003, the firm obtained a seven-figure judgment in a gender discrimination claim against the City of Ashtabula; in February 2004, the firm secured an age discrimination and retaliation verdict against a school district; in May 2005 the firm received a verdict in a gender discrimination, defamation, and retaliation case in excess of $500,000, and in June 2004 the firm obtained a judgment of $900,000 against a corporate employer and an individual supervisor for disability discrimination and retaliation. In short, Thorman & Hardin-Levine maintains an active, aggressive and mature trial practice.

Advocacy:

Effective advocacy may require an attorney to challenge established precedent in order to broaden employee rights. The attorneys at Thorman & Hardin-Levine Co., L.P.A., embrace that responsibility. The firm represented Michael J. Genaro, Sr., the lead Plaintiff in the case Genaro v. Central Transport Co., et al., in which the Ohio Supreme Court recognized individual liability for discrimination under Ohio law. The firm’s attorneys authored the amicus curiae brief of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America in Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., in which the United States Supreme Court unanimously recognized that same-sex sexual harassment is actionable under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The firm’s attorneys also authored the lead brief on behalf of a victim of sexual harassment in a case in which the Ohio Supreme Court first announced the standards for a claim of sexual harassment under Ohio law.

Mediation:

The attorneys at Thorman & Hardin-Levine Co., LPA, mediate employment-related and discrimination disputes. The firm has been retained by management law firms and employee representatives to conduct confidential mediations to facilitate informal resolution of disputes.