Office of Priscilla Hapner

Priscilla Hapner has over twenty years of experience consulting with, advising, and representing management in organizations of all sizes in a variety of industries as well as the public and non-profit sectors concerning compliance with state and federal employment legislation, including the Family and Medical Leave Act; statutes governing sex, race, religion, age, disability and national origin discrimination, harassment and retaliation; and laws affecting compensation, trade secrets and non-competition, whistle-blowing, hiring, firing, layoffs, union relations, record-keeping, and privacy.  

Ms. Hapner also has significant experience in the area of business and commercial litigation and disputes, including disputes involving contracts, privacy, First Amendment, news-gathering, and civil contempt of court orders.

Ms. Hapner is admitted to practice in Ohio, in the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio, the Western District of Pennsylvania, and the Eastern District of Michigan and the United States Courts of Appeal for the Second, Third, Sixth and District of Columbia Circuits.   

Ms. Hapner graduated with honors in the liberal arts from The Ohio State University and summa cum laude from the OSU Moritz College of Law (where she served as an Articles Editor on The Law Journal, a member of the moot court team and the President of the Student Funded Fellowship (providing public interest law fellowships for law students)).   She was certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by HRCI from 2006-2011.  Her career highlights include:

•  Successfully arguing before the Supreme Court of Ohio and the 10^th District Court of Appeals.

• Significant trial and evidentiary hearing experience in state and federal courts and administrative agencies.

• Obtaining summary judgments on behalf of employers.

• Successfully mediating resolutions of employment and commercial disputes.

Ms. Hapner’s current and former professional and community activities include:

• Columbus Bar Association (Professional Ethics Committee (2005-08)) (Chair of the Delivery of Legal Services Committee promoting pro bono legal services (2000-02)) (Volumbus Mentor (2005-06))

• Ohio Supreme Court Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program (Volunteer Mentor, 2010)

• Ohio State Bar Association (2001-11) 

• Human Resources Association of Central Ohio (Newsletter and Program Committees) (2002-09)

• South Central Ohio Human Resources Council (2006-11)
• Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association (2004-07) 

• Pittsburgh Personnel Association (1993-96)
• Leadership Columbus (Class of 2002)

• Stoddart Avenue Community Garden (Founder and Garden Manager) (2009- present)
• United Way of Central Ohio Management Advisory Committee (2004-07) (Chair, Staff Development Workgroup (2006)
• United Way of Central Ohio Accountability  Committee (2007-10) (Chair, Staff Development Sub-Committee (2007-09))

• Board of Trustees for Actor's Theatre (i.e., Shakespeare in Schiller Park) (2001-04) (President, 2003-04)
• Board of Trustees for the Columbus Light Opera (Secretary, 1999-01) (1998-02)

• Steering Committee of the Winter Clothes Out for the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh (1992, 1994-95)

• Franklin County Children’s Services (volunteer mentor) (1997-01)
•   Volunteer, Mississippi Conference UMC Disaster Response (April-May 2007) (rehabilitating homes in and near Gulfport, MS damaged by Hurricane Katrina)

Ms. Hapner began her career as an associate at Kirkpatrick & Lockhart in Pittsburgh, was a senior associate and partner at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur in Columbus, and counsel at the Columbus office Frost Brown Todd before forming her own firm.

Find her on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/priscilla-hapner/0/9/665

Identified as one of Central Ohio's "Top Lawyers" by Columbus CEO Magazine (April 2009, 2010 and 2011).

Upcoming Speaking Engagements:

"Employment Law Update," Ohio Society of CPAs, Dayton Accounting Show, May 16, 2012.

"When to Worry About What Goes  Bump in the Night . . . Or the Employee Break Room,"  Hands On Central Ohio, March 8, 2012.

"Employment Law Update: Things that Go Bump in the Night,"  Ohio Society of CPAs, Human Resources Conference in Columbus, Ohio, May 23, 2012.

Selected Speaking Engagements:

"The ADA Amendments Act and Medical Exams," Columbus Bar Association Continuing Legal Education, December 3, 2008.

“Documenting Disciplinary Actions,” UWCO Management Retreat Series, October 6 and 14, 2008.

“Investigations of Current and Prospective Employees,” Lorman Educational Services, July 22, 2010; October 28, 2008; Octobrer 26, 2007; and January 2005.

"Lovers, Liars & Losers," Central Ohio HR Network, February 27, 2008; Human Resources Association of Central Ohio, August 14, 2007.

“Intermittent Leave under the FMLA,” Columbus Bar Association, September 5, 2007.

“Advanced Workplace Investigations,” Lorman Educational Services, February 3, 2006.

“Mandatory Arbitration Policies in Employment,” Columbus Bar Association, March 2002.

“Overview of Federal and State Record Retention Requirements,” Lorman Educational Services, June 2004, June 2005, July 2006; Columbus Bar Association CLE, March 20, 2007.

“The New FLSA White Collar Exemption Regulations,”  Human Resources Retirement Community Association, May 2004; Columbus Bar Association, May 2004; Human Resources Association of Central Ohio, August 2004; Hillsboro Rotary Club, September 2004.

“Legal Issues with Background Investigations and Negligent Hiring,” South Central Ohio Human Resources Association, September 2003.

“Family and Medical Leave Act in Ohio,” Lorman Educational Services, July 2000, February 2002 and February 2003.

“Alternative Dispute Resolution Policies,” Ohio CLE Institute, June 1999.

"How to Conduct an Internal Investigation,” Council on Education in Management, March 1998, September 1998, March 1999 and September 1999.