Cathleen M. Bolek
Principal
Location:
Cleveland, Ohio
Phone:
888-389-5955 (Toll Free)
216-245-4216
216-245-4216
Fax:
866-542-0743
E-mail:
CATHLEEN BOLEK has been representing individuals in employment disputes for nearly twenty years, and has extensive trial experience in the state and federal courts in Ohio.
She has been selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Employment Law - Individuals; was on the 2009, 2010, and 2011 Ohio Superlawyers lists in the field of Employment Law; and was included in the 2005 and 2006 Rising Stars Superlawyers lists. Since 2005, the Legal Directory Martindale Hubbell has given Cathleen its highest rating, AV, describing her legal abilities and professionalism as "Preeminent." Avvo.com also gives Cathleen its highest rating, "Superb".
Cathleen serves on the Board of Trustees of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, the Ohio Association for Justice, and the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, and is the Chair of the Employment Law Section of the Ohio Association for Justice. She is a published author and is frequently invited to speak at seminars in the fields of employment law and legal ethics.
Areas of Practice
- Age Discrimination
- Disability & Illness Discrimination
- Gay & Lesbian Rights
- National Origin Discrimination
- Race Discrimination
- Religious Discrimination
- Sex Discrimination
- Mediation
- Employment Law -- Employee
- Affirmative Action -- Employee
- Americans with Disabilities Act -- Employee
- Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) -- Employee
- Employee Rights -- Employee
- Employment Contracts -- Employee
- Employment Discrimination -- Employee
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) -- Employee
- Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA) -- Employee
- Pensions, Benefits & Compensations -- Employee
- Sexual Harassment -- Employee
- Wage & Hour Laws -- Employee
- Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act -- Employee
- Wrongful Termination -- Employee
- Ethics & Professional Responsibility
- Ethics
- Professional Responsibility
- Wages & Hours Law
- Federal Appellate Practice
- Federal Trial Practice
- State Appellate Practice
- State Trial Practice
- Whistleblower/Qui Tam
Litigation Percentage
- 100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions
- Ohio, 1992
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio, 1995
- U.S. District Court Central District of Illinois, 1993
- U.S. Court of Appeals 6th Circuit, 2001
- U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit, 2001
Education
- Case Western Reserve University Law School, Cleveland, Ohio
- J.D. - 1992
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
- A.B. (Cum Laude) - 1988
- Major: Political Science
Published Works
- Fair Labor Standards Act and the Non-Public Employee, Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers' News, Fall, 2006
- Fair Labor Standards Act and the Non-Public Employee, Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers' News, (reprinted with permission in Ohio Trial), Winter, 2008
- State and Federal Law Prohibits Defense Counsel From Conducting Ex Parte Interviews of Treating Physicians, Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers' News, Spring, 2004
- State and Federal Law Prohibits Defense Counsel From Conducting Ex Parte Interviews of Treating Physicians, Cleveland Academy of Trial Lawyers' News, (reprinted with permission in Ohio Trial), Summer, 2004
Representative Cases
- Cehrs v. Northeast Ohio Alzheimer's Research Center, 155 F.3d 775, 4 Wage & Hour Cas.2d (BNA) 1509, 8 A.D. Cases 825 (U.S. Court of App., Sixth Circuit 1998)
- Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Lockshin, 125 Ohio st.3d 529, 2010-Ohio-2207 (Ohio Supr. Ct. 2010)
- Cleveland Bar Assn. v. Greenberg, 112 Ohio st.3d 138, 858 N.E..2d 400, 2006-Ohio6519 (Ohio Supr. Ct. 2006)
- Cleveland Bar Assn. v. Feneli, 86 Ohio st.3d 102, 712 N.E.2d 119, 1999-Ohio-140 (Ohio Supr. Ct. 1999)
- Phillips v. Burt, 77 Ohio St.3d 1229, 673 N.E..2d 1380, 1997-Ohio-268 (Ohio Supr. Ct. 1997)
- Groening v. Pitney Bowes, Inc., 105 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 938 (Ohio App., 8th Dist. 2009)
- Hardwick v. Sherwin Williams Co., 91 Fair Empl. Prac.Cas. (BNA) 142, 2003-Ohio-657 (Ohio App., 8th Dist. 2003)
- Johnson v. Univ. Hosp. of Cleveland, 150 Ohio App.3d 256, 780 N.E.2d 619, 2002-Ohio-6338 (Ohio App., 8th Dist. 2002)
- Blanton v. Cuyahoga cty. Bd. of Elections, 150 Ohio App.3d 61, 779 N.E.2d 788, 90 Fair Empl. Prac.Cas. (BNA) 600, 2002-Ohio-6044 (Ohio App., 8th Dist. 2002)
- Blatnik v. Avery Dennison Corp., 148 Ohio App.3d 494, 774 N.E.2d 282, 2002-Ohio-1682 (Ohio App. 11th Dist. 2002)
- Hood v. Diamond Prod., Inc., 137 Ohio App.3d 9, 738 N.E.2d 6 (Ohio App. 9th Dist. 2000)
- Harmon v. Phillip Morris Inc., 120 Ohio App. 3d 187, 697 N.E.2d 270 (Ohio App. 8th Dist. 1997)
- Reese v. Euclid Cleaning Contrs., Inc., 103 Ohio App.3d 141, 658 N.E.2d 1096 (Ohio App. 8th Dist. 1995)
Classes/Seminars
- Employment Law Overview: Recognizing the Cause of Action and Protecting the Statute of Limitations, Ohio Association for Justice, 2011
- Ethics Issues in Employment Litigation, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, 2010
- Trial Tactics and Strategies, Cleveland Employment Lawyers Association, 2009
- Employment Rights of People with Disabilities, Eastern Ohio Rehabilitation Association, 2008
- The Fair Labor Standards Act and the Non-Public Employee, Ohio Academy of Trial Attorneys, 2007
- The Litigating Game; Must Adversaries be Enemies?, Ohio Employment Inns of Court, 2007
- Sanctions, Frivolous Conduct, and the Professional Lawyer, The Cleveland Employment Lawyers' Association, 2005
- Yin & Yang of Trying an Employment Case, The Cleveland Bar Association, 2005
- Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Protection, Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association, 2004
- Employer Mandated Arbitration, Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association, 2004
- Discovery Hassles, The Cleveland Employment Lawyers' Association, 2002
- Ohio Employment Torts and Employment at Will, The Cleveland Employment Lawyers' Association, 2000
- Mock Sexual Harassment Trial, Cleveland Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Seminar, 2000
- Ethics, Professionalism & Substance Abuse: A Panel Discussion, Cuyahoga County Bar Association, 1999
Honors and Awards
- Best Lawyers in America, Employment Law - Individuals, 2012 - Present
- Martindale-Hubbell "AV" Rating, 2005 - 2011
- Superlawyers, 2009 - 2011
- Avvo.com 10.0/10 "Superb" Rating
- Superlawyers Rising Star, 2005 - 2006
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Ohio Association for Justice, Member, Board of Trustees, 2009 - Present
- Ohio Association for Justice, Employment Law Section, Chair, 2009 - Present
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member, Board of Trustees, 2011 - Present
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Trial Counsel to Grievance Committee
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Bar Admissions Committee, 1998 - Present
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member, Bar Admissions Appeal Subcommittee, 2010 - Present
- Cleveland Employment Inns of Court, Founding Member, Master of the Bench, 2005 - Present
- Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, Member, Board of Trustees, 2005 - Present
- Ohio Employment Lawyers Associations, Member, 1998 - Present
- American Association for Justice, Member, 1993 - Present
- Cleveland Employment Lawyers Association, Member, 2000 - Present
Pro Bono Activities
- Trial Counsel, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Grievance Committee, 1997 - Present
- Volunteer, Ronald McDonald Family Room, University Hospital, 2007 - Present
