Katie E. Tinnel

Katie Tinnel (née Epperson) focuses her practice on civil litigation, insurance defense, and labor and employment law. She has a proven track record of successfully defending clients in various courts throughout Ohio including the Northern and Southern Federal District Courts of Ohio, the Court of Appeals, county courts throughout Ohio, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Katie has investigated claims of harassment, wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation on behalf of employers and takes great pride in her solutions-oriented approach. Katie also represents large retailers in Ohio in a wide range of issues including Ohio Civil Rights Commission investigations and premises liability matters.

Katie employs a strategic approach in litigating claims on behalf of correctional facilities, particularly in U.S.C. 1983 actions. She utilizes a dynamic approach that ensures fairness for offenders while achieving optimal outcomes for her clients. Katie’s experience encompasses handling a wide range of litigation matters for the private prison system, including appeals up to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Ms. Tinnel serves on the Cleveland Society for Human Resource Management (CSHRM) Board of Directors as the Legal and Compliance Chair. In this role, she keeps members informed of key changes in employment law and employee relations regulations, hosting a variety of CLE programming for HR professionals, and monitoring legislative developments that impact the HR community.

Katie was selected for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association 2024-25 Leadership Academy, a highly regarded and selective program offering leadership and professional development programming. The program features leadership assessments, coaching, and opportunities for community engagement with legal and civic leaders. Katie contributed to Cleveland-Marshall’s School of Law’s “Day of Giving” by participating in fundraising efforts for scholarships for deserving law students. During her time in law school, she was a member of an award-winning moot court team. Additionally, Katie completed an externship with the United States Attorney’s office, further enriching her legal experience.

Prior to joining Mansour Gavin, Katie gained valuable experience at an employment law firm where in addition to investigating employment discrimination allegations, she provided guidance to managers, senior executives, and clients on effective management practices to optimize defense strategies to ensure workplace compliance.

Katie holds a J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and is admitted to the Ohio State Bar as well as the United States District Court for both the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio.