Shareholder Lisa Kathumbi Rejoins Littler in Columbus

Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has added Lisa M. Kathumbi as a shareholder in its Columbus office. An attorney with Littler from 2013 to 2016, Kathumbi rejoins the firm from Bricker & Eckler LLP where she was a partner in the labor and employment group.

With clients that range from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies, Kathumbi represents employers in state and federal courts against allegations of discrimination and harassment, accommodation and leave violations, breach of non-compete agreements, wrongful termination, and whistleblower violations, among other matters. With extensive experience in employee benefits litigation, she also advises clients on denial of benefits claims arising under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). In addition to her litigation work, Kathumbi provides training and counsel to employers on a wide range of employment issues and conducts high-stakes workplace investigations. Early in her career, Kathumbi was senior legal counsel to the Ohio Department of Health.

Recognized in the legal industry and the Columbus business community as a leading employment attorney, Kathumbi has earned a number of accolades, including being named Columbus Lawyer of the Year for employment law management by Best Lawyers of America in 2021, a Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group in 2020 and receiving the Barrister’s Salute Award from the John Mercer Langston Bar Association in 2018. Active in the legal and business communities, she is an alumna of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s fellowship program, has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations and was elected the first Black president of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association (OWBA) in 2016. Kathumbi also received the OWBA’s President’s Choice Award in 2015 and was recognized by the Women for Economic and Leadership Development’s Ohio chapter for “WELDing the Way” in 2017.

Kathumbi received her J.D. and B.A. from the University of Cincinnati and her M.A. from the University of Chicago.