Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Phone: 216-464-3004
Fax: 866-542-0743

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Cleveland Employment Law Attorney

Bolek Besser Glesius Best Law Firms 2024 Employment Law ClevelandCathy Bolek AvvoCathy Bolek AvvoCathy Bolek Martindale-HubbellBolek lawyer of the year

Cathleen has nearly 30 years of experience fighting for employees in employment disputes. She is consistently recognized as one of the best attorneys in Ohio.

The Best Lawyers in America selected her as its 2021 Cleveland Employment “Lawyer of the Year” for her work representing individuals in employment discrimination cases. That magazine’s selection process seeks to determine “the consensus of leading lawyers” about the skills and integrity of their fellow lawyers. It has previously named Cathleen to its “Best Lawyers” list for Cleveland Employment Law – Individuals every year since 2012. Another peer review publication, Super Lawyers Magazine, has repeatedly recognized Cathleen as well. In 2019, it listed her as one of the Top 100 Attorneys in Ohio, and has included her among the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Ohio for five years straight. For its part, attorney rating service Martindale-Hubbell gives Cathleen its highest rating, “AV,” describing her legal abilities and professionalism as “Preeminent.” Avvo.com gives Cathleen its highest rating, “Superb.”

Cathleen is also a recognized leader in the legal community. She is a past President of the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, a founding member of the Cleveland Employment Inns of Court, and a former member of the Executive Committee of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Board of Trustees. She has also chaired several CMBA committees, including the Bar Admissions Committee, the Lawyers’ Mental Health and Wellness Committee, and the Small Firm & Solo Practitioner Section. In addition, Cathleen is a past Chair of the Employment Law Section of the Ohio Association for Justice and served on the Board of Trustees for that organization.

Some of Cathleen’s recent legal successes include:

  • Along with Matthew Besser, winning a unanimous $986,605.21 verdict in a Cuyahoga County age discrimination trial against one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers.
  • Winning a $1,000,000 arbitration award in an employment contract dispute between our client and her former employer.
  • Obtaining a $700,000 settlement of a retaliation claim.
  • Reaching a $360,000 settlement for a woman who was terminated while she was pregnant.

Because of her reputation for skill and integrity, Cathleen is a published author and is frequently invited to speak at seminars in the fields of employment law and legal ethics.

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

Bar Admissions

  • Ohio, 1992
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, 1993
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, 2014
  • U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, 2001
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 1995
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 2001

Areas of Practice

Honors & Awards

  • Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in America, Cleveland Employment Law – Individuals, 2021.
  • Best Lawyers in America, Cleveland, Employment Law – Individuals, 2012 – present
  • Martindale-Hubbell “AV” Rating, 2005 – Present
  • Top 100 Attorneys in Ohio, Ohio Super Lawyers in America, 2019.
  • Top 50 Women Attorneys in Ohio, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine, 2016 – present
  • Super Lawyer in Employment Law, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine, 2009 – 2011, 2015 – 2018
  • Rising Star in Employment Law, Ohio Super Lawyers Magazine, 2005, 2006
  • Avvo.com 10/10 “Superb” Rating

Professional Associations & Memberships

  • Ohio Association for Justice, Member, Board of Trustees, 2009 – 2014
  • Ohio Association for Justice, Employment Law Section, Chair, 2009 – 2014
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Member, Board of Trustees, 2011 – 2014
  • Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Trial Counsel to Grievance Committee, 1997 – Present
  • 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; Treasurer, 2014 – Present
  • Ohio Employment Lawyers Associations, Member, 1998 – Present
  • Cleveland Employment Lawyers Association, Member, 2000 – Present

Published Works

  • The Injustice of Mandatory Arbitration Clauses, Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys Newsletter, Winter 2017
  • Taxation of Personal Injury Settlements: An Introduction for Non-Tax Lawyers by a Non-Tax Lawyer, Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, CATA News, Winter 2011–12
  • 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

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Classes & Seminars

  • Equal Pay Act, Cleveland Employment Inns of Court, 2017
  • Medical Authorizations: Current Law, Limits and Use by Counsel, Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, 2016
  • Epilepsy in the Workplace, Your Rights Under the Law, Empowering Epilepsy Conference, 2015
  • Common Law Torts Available to Employees for Workplace Harassment and Discrimination, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, 2014
  • Attorney Ethics and Professionalism, Tuscarawas County Law Library Association, 2013
  • IOLTA Dos and Dont’s, Ohio Association for Justice Winter Convention, 2013
  • Discovery in Employment Cases: The Duty to Preserve and Collect Evidence, Determining What to Produce and Avoiding Sanctions, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Northern Ohio Labor and Employment Law Conference, 2013
  • Employment Law for Personal Injury Lawyers, Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys, 2013
  • Expanding Protected Classes, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Northern Ohio Labor and Employment Law Conference, 2012
  • Civility in Employment Litigation, Federal Bar Association, Cleveland Chapter, Labor and Employment Law Seminar, 2012
  • IOLTA Nuts and Bolts, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association Ethics Seminar, 2011
  • 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

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 (6th Cir. 1998)
  • Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Lockshin, 125 Ohio St.3d 529, 2010-Ohio-2207 (Ohio 2010)
  • Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Greenberg, 112 Ohio St.3d 138, 858 N.E.2d 400, 2006-Ohio 6519 (Ohio 2006)
  • Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Feneli, 86 Ohio St.3d 102, 712 N.E.2d 119, 1999-Ohio-140 (Ohio 1999)
  • Phillips v. Burt, 77 Ohio St.3d 1229, 673 N.E.2d 1380, 1997-Ohio-268 (Ohio 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)
  • Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Gruttadaurio, 136 Ohio St.3d 283, 2013-Ohio-3662 (Ohio 2013)