Amanda L. Godzinski

Partner

Columbus
T +1.614.462.2662
F +1.614.462.2616

Overview

Amanda Godzinski has more than a decade of experience helping clients navigate the spectrum of issues arising from the employer-employee relationship. She partners with senior executives and management teams to develop and implement creative and pragmatic ways to prevent, litigate and resolve employment-related disputes and achieve their business objectives.

Amanda provides practical and strategic advice on all areas of employment law, including wage and hour compliance, performance management, internal investigations, leaves of absence and workplace accommodations, terminations and workforce reductions and employee complaints. Additionally, she regularly drafts employee handbooks and policies, employment agreements and separation agreements.

Amanda has also successfully litigated numerous wage and hour class actions, as well as cases involving claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, retaliation and trade secret misappropriation before courts and administrative agencies across the country.

She also serves on the firm’s Columbus Women’s Committee and Recruiting Committee.

Experience

  • Handled numerous sensitive internal investigations involving allegations of discrimination, hostile work environment, bullying, retaliation and other serious misconduct against high-level executives and board members.
  • Regularly provides workplace trainings for management and employees, including equal employment opportunity and performance management trainings.
  • Assisted major rail carriers in defense of more than 50 employee whistleblower and retaliation claims asserted under the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) through all stages of the process, from the initial complaint through trial and on appeal to the Administrative Review Board and U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • As a lead attorney, has successfully represented employers in a number of hearings, trials and arbitrations involving complex legal issues. Roles included formulating defense strategies, managing large-scale discovery, taking and defending depositions, preparing witnesses, developing and conducting direct and cross examinations and drafting dispositive motions and post-hearing and appellate briefs.
  • Represented restaurant chain in putative nationwide class and collective wage and hour action alleging 80/20 and uniform reimbursement claims, and successfully defeated motion for conditional certification.
  • Successfully defended a putative class action filed under the Family and Medical Leave Act on behalf of a class of more than 400 employees, achieving denial of class certification.
  • Conducts internal human resources and wage and hour audits, including conducting on-site employee interviews and record reviews, to proactively identify and resolve potential violations of the law.
  • Regularly conducts employment due diligence in a range of corporate deal structures.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • Ohio Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2015 to 2022)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®
    • “Ones to Watch” Ohio: Labor and Employment Law - Management (2022 to 2023)

Memberships

  • Ohio State Bar Association

Community

  • Gender Equity in the Legal Industry

Prior Positions

  • Judicial Extern for the Honorable Judge John R. Adams, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio

Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • Ohio

Education

  • J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 2012; magna cum laude; Case Western Reserve Law Review, Contributing Editor and Associate Editor
  • B.A., University of Akron, 2009, summa cum laude