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Brian G. Dershaw
- E bdershaw@taftlaw.com
- T (513) 357-9359
- F (513) 381-0205
Summary
Brian serves as chair of Taft’s Cincinnati Employment and Labor Relations practice and has broad experience serving as employment, litigation, and outside general counsel for companies of all sizes. He regularly appears in state and federal trial and appellate courts in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, non-compete, trade secret, and contract litigation. He actively uses alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration, to represent the best interests of our clients.
Day-to-day, Brian works closely with clients on projects related to employee discipline and discharge, policies and contracts, leave management, reductions in force, and the many other ways the law intersects with the human resources aspect of businesses. He regularly counsels clients on cyber-security risk assessments and policies and data privacy issues as they relate to the workforce. Brian further advises in the areas of wage and hour and employee and independent contractor classification.
Brian is an experienced management-side labor attorney, assisting clients with union elections, collective bargaining, strike avoidance and preparation, unfair labor practice charges, arbitrations, and fact-finding hearings.
In serving the higher education industry, Brian works closely with public and private institutions and their boards of trustees relative to the myriad legal issues related to students, staff and faculty, institution and program accreditation, and compliance, including, but not limited to, Title IV funding requirements and other U.S. Department of Education regulations. Brian is a member of the National Association of College & University Attorneys (NACUA).
Brian is listed in Best Lawyers in America for Labor Law - Management and for Litigation - Labor and Employment. He has also been recognized by Ohio Super Lawyers for Employment & Labor Law and was previously honored as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star (2010-2014). He has been awarded an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest possible rating for ethical standards and legal ability. Brian is a member of Leadership Cincinnati, Class 43, a fellow of the Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (CALL), Class X, and a graduate of Leadership Northern Kentucky, Class of 2015.
He serves on steering committees for the:
• Northern Kentucky University Labor-Management Conference.
• Ohio State Bar Association's Midwest Labor and Employment Seminar.
In addition, Brian is the president of the board of trustees for iSPACE, a STEM education non-profit, and a trustee for the Mariemont School Foundation. He also serves on the Admissions Committee of the Cincinnati Bar Association, and was previously on its executive committee.
Brian collaborates with Make it Plain Consulting, a human capital management firm specializing in HR consulting, workforce training and performance coaching. With Make it Plain, Brian has been a presenter at numerous cultural competency, diversity and inclusion programs. His focus has been anti-harassment and anti-bullying.
Brian is a learning facilitator for UNDIVIDED, a racial solidarity program that brings people together for meaningful conversation and experiences to allow for growth and healing. He also co-led Living UNDIVIDED, a venue for committed UNDIVIDED facilitators to process and build upon their experiences.
Brian received his J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he was a member of the Moot Court Board, and his B.A., cum laude, from Capital University.
Awards
-
Honoree, Best Lawyers in America (2016 - present)
Honoree, Ohio Super Lawyers, Employment & Labor (2015 - present)
Honoree, Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars (2010 - 2014)
Leading Lawyers Honoree, Cincy Magazine, Labor
(2021 - present)
Additional Information
All Service Areas
All Practices
Education
- University of Cincinnati College of Law (2000)
- Capital University (1997)
Admissions
- Federal - 6th Circuit Court of Appeals
- Federal - Southern District of Ohio
- Federal - Northern District of Ohio
- Federal - Eastern District of Kentucky
- Federal - Western District of Kentucky
- Federal - Southern District of Illinois
- Federal - District of Colorado
- State - Ohio
- State - Kentucky
Speeches and Publications
- Speaker, "Employment Law Update," 39th Annual Labor-Management Conference: Building Labor-Management Relationships Through Cooperation and Knowledge, Northern Kentucky University (May 2022)
News
Fifty-Two Taft Attorneys Recognized as 2023 Leading Lawyers by Cincy Magazine News
Thirty-Six Taft Attorneys Recognized in Ohio Super Lawyers 2023 Law Bulletins
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: The Department of Labor’s Newly Proposed Independent Contractor Rules News
Dershaw Quoted in Law360 Employment Authority Article
Past Events
Professional Affiliations
- AV Peer Review Rating (LexisNexis/Martindale-Hubbell)
Awarded
- Law360
Member, Labor Editorial Board (2022)
- Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers (CALL)
Fellow, Class X
- Cincinnati Bar Association
Member and Former Chair, Admissions Committee
Former Member, Executive Committee - Leadership Cincinnati
Member, Class 43
- Kentucky Bar Association
Member
- Leadership Northern Kentucky
Member, Class of 2015
- National Association of College & University Attorneys (NACUA)
Member
- Ohio State Bar Association
Member
- Potter Stewart Inn of Court
Former Barrister (2008 - 2009)
- Supreme Court of Ohio Lawyer to Lawyer Mentoring Program
Mentor
- Make it Plain Consulting
Trainer
Community Involvement
- iSpace
President, Board of Trustees
Former Chair, Development Committee - Mariemont School Foundation
Trustee
- Capital University Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Recipient (2008)
- Northern Kentucky University Labor-Management Conference Planning Committee
Member
- OSBA Annual Midwest Labor & Employment Conference
Member, Planning Committee
- Both Shores: Leadership Northern Kentucky/Leadership Cincinnati
Former Member, Regionalism Committee on Sustainability (2015 - 2018)
Former Co-Chair, Regionalism Committee on Sustainability (2016) - Peaslee Neighborhood Center
HR Committee (2011 - present)
Former Trustee (2004 - 2011)
Former Co-Chair (2008 - 2010) - UNDIVIDED
Learning Facilitator