Jennifer Walwyn Colvin

In her employment law practice, Jennifer spends a significant amount of her time counseling corporate clients on both the buy and sell side of M&A transactions, providing labor and employment-related diligence, compliance, and transition guidance to support financial, strategic, onboarding and integration goals. She also assists buy-side corporate clients post-transaction with organizing and structuring their workforces, including a specific focus on alignment of policies and safeguards (i.e., restrictive covenants) to optimize efficiency and serve strategic goals.

Jennifer has extensive experience assisting clients in all stages of workplace disputes involving discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, enforcement of restrictive covenants, wage and hour, and breach of contract in both state and federal court as well as through binding arbitration. She has appeared before trial and appellate courts in numerous jurisdictions across the United States, including the Sixth and Ninth U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal. She regularly counsels clients pre-dispute related to managing employee complaints, investigations, requests for accommodation, or other personnel requests.

Jennifer counsels employers on issues and best practices related to all facets of employment and personnel management, including termination, severance terms, reductions in force, wage and hour, reorganization, harassment, retaliation, Title VII, pre-employment procedures, disability accommodation, leave procedures, management of illness in the workplace, and compliance with state and federal fair employment and fair credit statutes. She also frequently conducts onsite or online workplace training for clients of various sizes. 

Jennifer regularly assists clients by drafting and reviewing various employment-related documents, including employee handbooks, executive compensation contracts, employment agreements, non-compete and non-solicitation agreements, settlement and release agreements and policy materials.

Jennifer previously worked as the Assistant Corporate Secretary for The Midland Company/American Modern Insurance group (publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange). She was integrally involved in the $1.3 billion sale of the company to Munich Re Group in 2008. From 2003 to 2004, Jennifer served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Harry Lee Hudspeth, Senior United States District Court Judge for the Western District of Texas.

Jennifer is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Labor & Employment Law (2020-present).

She has been recognized by Chambers USA in Labor & Employment in Ohio: South & Central in Band 4 (2026). Clients provided the following feedback to Chambers researchers: "She is knowledgeable, consultative and decisive."

Jennifer was elected Partner in 2026.

She earned her J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 2003, where she served as the Law Review Symposium editor. She earned her B.S. from Cornell University in 2000.

Honors & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, Labor & Employment, Band 4, Ohio: South & Central (2026)
• The Best Lawyers in America^®, Employment Law - Management (2025-2026), Labor Law - Management (2024-2026), and Litigation - Labor and Employment (2025-2026)
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Employment and Labor (2023-2026)
• Ohio Super Lawyers, Ohio Rising Stars, Employment & Labor (2012-2018)
• Cincinnati Magazine, "Top Lawyers," Labor and Employment Law (2026)
• Cincy Magazine, "Cincy Leading Lawyers," Labor and Employment Law (2018-2023)

Education

Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Labor & Employment Law, 2020

J.D., UCLA School of Law, 2003

B.S., Cornell University, 2000

Experience

• Represented a registered investment advisor firm client in the enforcement of contractual rights against a departing employee and recovery of unearned compensation. Calfee counseled the client regarding misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets and assisted the client in pursuing the departing employee for return of unearned compensation. (2024)
• Represented a private equity firm client in a buy-side transaction involving the client's acquisition of an additional entity for one of its platform entities. Calfee provided counsel on all employment-related matters (e.g., wage and hour, state and federal law compliance, hiring, and employee disputes) including development of a strategic plan for employment law compliance across multiple states. (2025)
• Defended a privately owned manufacturing company client against a lawsuit filed in federal court by an independent contractor sales representative with claims of unpaid commissions. Calfee negotiated a favorable settlement for the client. (2024)
• Defending a private equity fund client against claims of disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation alleged by an employee placed through a staffing agency at one of the client-owned entities. Calfee is engaged in defending the client and individual managers in the Ohio Civil Rights Commission proceedings and negotiating with the claimant's counsel with respect to potential settlement of the dispute. (2025)
• Represented an Illinois manufacturing company client in a matter involving the allegation of eight claims by a former employee, including disability discrimination for termination under both state and federal law, disability discrimination for failure to accommodate under both state and federal law, retaliation under both state and federal law, and disability discrimination for hostile work environment under both state and federal law. Calfee negotiated a favorable settlement for the client, without the need to engage in formal written discovery or depositions. (2024)
• Serving as outside employment counsel for a start-up registered investment advisor firm client in all aspects of employment matters, including the advice and drafting of employment agreements for multiple new employees in two states employed as registered investment advisors, non-registered support team members, and executive management positions. (2025)
• Served as outside employment law counsel for a manufacturing company client in its implementation of executive employment agreements for its Executive Leadership Team (ELT), which includes employees in three states. Calfee developed state-law-compliant forms of agreement with appropriate provisions for severance, change in control, and restrictive covenants for each member of the client’s ELT. (2024)
• Advised a client, a historic recreation venue, regarding employment matters resulting from its high-profile permanent closure, from the start of the consideration to close through the execution process, including employment notice, separation of employees, and the transition matters. 
• Advised a publicly traded, Fortune Global 500 food company client on employment-related matters in Master Services Agreement and applicable appendices for contract between the client and a cloud-based talent sourcing contractor, which involved a months-long negotiation with the contractor and the international client company. 
• Represented a private equity firm client in seeking and successfully negotiating a waiver of non-solicitation restrictions related to executive solicitation and hiring. 
• Represented start-up investment advisory firm in negotiating a favorable resolution of a nonsolicitation and buy-out contract dispute, brought by prior employer of recently hired investment adviser representative. 
• Serving as defending counsel for a global medical treatment company against an allegation of religious discrimination and failure to accommodate in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court. The Plaintiff, a former employee alleged religious discrimination and failure to accommodate religious beliefs based on their discharge following refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in violation of a company-wide vaccine mandate. This case is one of a few cases addressing the validity of a vaccine mandate during a worldwide pandemic and the scope of religious accommodation in the workplace. There is no direct governing authority on the issues raised in this case, and litigation of this dispute will contribute to the development of employer rights and religious accommodation jurisprudence.
• Defended an automation systems supplier in a Department of Labor (DOL) audit, including all facets of the client's labor management under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including classification of employees and wage payment. Calfee was able to resolve the audit with no monetary penalties or adverse findings.
• Served as lead outside counsel to a multinational manufacturer and its related companies in various acquisitions and post-acquisition labor and employment transition and integration matters, including executive retention and separation agreements, worker classification issues (including under complex new statutes and regulations regarding determination of independent contractor status), appropriate design of vacation, bonuses and leave arrangements, and employee disputes.
• Advised client regarding the transfer of company headquarters from California to Ohio.
• Secured a favorable settlement for the client, a third-party administrator focused on "final mile" delivery services, in a collective and class action lawsuit brought by numerous delivery drivers alleging misclassification of delivery drivers as independent contractors and failure to pay overtime as required by the FLSA and state law.
• Negotiated resolutions for various clients related to claims arising out of termination as part of a reduction in force related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Advised client with respect to WARN-Act compliance and other considerations associated with the closure of a portion of the client’s operations.
• Advised a nonprofit client during the investigation and resolution of employee complaints of harassment against an executive.
• Represented private equity owner regarding investigation and resolution of employee complaints of sexual harassment by executive.
• Successfully resolved wage and hour collective action for a client in the hospitality industry with an alleged improper tip pool.
• Successfully represented a commercial furniture company in the enforcement of restrictive covenants against a former executive, securing compliance with restrictive covenants as written.
• Successfully defended online media services employer against declaratory judgment action filed by former company president seeking to invalidate restrictive covenant agreement, securing compliance with restrictive covenants as written.
• Successfully defended a company against claims of sexual harassment and retaliation by a company executive.
• Secured a favorable resolution of age discrimination allegations made by a separated employee and secured the return of company property and confidential information.
• Negotiated and later successfully enforced a separation agreement with the former company president.
• Successfully defended a client against an EEOC charge filed by a former employee who alleged race and disability discrimination.
• Successfully defended a company against claims of breach of restrictive covenant and misappropriation of trade secrets by a new employee’s former employer.
• Represented a client in a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals matter, resulting in the court affirming the lower court’s grant of summary judgment in a client’s favor and dismissing a former employee’s claims of disability discrimination and retaliation, failure to accommodate, worker's compensation retaliation, and tortuous injury.
• Secured a summary judgment in a client’s favor on the plaintiff's age discrimination claim.
• Secured a summary judgment in a client’s favor on the plaintiff's age, race, and national origin discrimination and harassment claims.

Professional & Community

• American Heart Association/Stroke Association, 2025 Cincinnati CycleNation Executive Leadership Team
• Cincinnati Bar Association, Member
• St. Xavier High School Mother’s Club Board

Presentations & Publications

Presentations

• Cincinnati Business Courier HR Forum Panelist (May 15, 2025)
• “Wage & Hour Issues: Where Employers Misstep,” (October 26, 2023)
• Cincinnati Business Courier HR Forum Panelist (April 19, 2023)
• "Wage and Hour Pitfalls," Oswald HR Roundtable (December 13, 2022)
• “Recurring Issues Managing COVID-19 in the Workplace,” (October 29, 2020)
• “Legal Aspects of Returning to Work,” (June 3,2020)
• “Effective Strategies for Workforce Reductions,” (May 14, 2020)
• “Wage and Hour Update: New OT Regulations and More” (June 6, 2019)

Publications

• Targeting Gang Crime: An Analysis of California Penal Code Section 12022.53 and Vicarious Liability for Gang Members, 50 UCLA L. Rev. 685 (2002)
• Co-author, The Perversity of Sexual Harassment Law: Effects of Recent Court Ruling, 42 Cornell Hotel and Rest. Admin. Quarterly 1265 (2001)