Overview

Bonnie L. Kristan has defended employers for over 20 years, litigating cases in state and federal courts and defending trial outcomes on appeal in various areas of employment and workers’ compensation law. In addition to her litigation practice, Bonnie provides practical solutions, strategic advice and compliance guidance in all areas of employment law, with an emphasis in areas with a medical and/or safety component, such as workers’ compensation, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA). She conducts in-house training sessions to help employers avoid employment-related liability and is a frequent speaker on various employment law topics before human resources professionals and other business groups.

Bonnie is a past member of the firm's Women’s Leadership Initiative and Associates Committee.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Ohio State Bar Association

Member

Workers' Compensation Section

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Chair

Workers’ Compensation Section

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Vice Chair

Workers' Compensation Section

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Secretary

Workers' Compensation Section

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Treasurer

Workers' Compensation Section

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

Legislative Chair

Medina County Society for Human Resource Management

Member

Self-Insurers' Group of Ohio

Member

Beech Ball Planning Committee

Beech Brook

Parent Liaison

Parents Advocating Challenge in Education, Medina City Schools

Participant

YWCA Women's Leadership Boot Camp

Board Member

Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio

Member

Clinical Planning Committee

Women’s Recovery Center

Board Member

Achievement Centers for Children

Class of 2011-2012

Ohio Women's Bar Foundation Leadership Institute

Class of 2010-2011

Leadership Medina County

Past Mentor

Leadership Council on Legal Diversity in Law School

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2018-2024

Named, Rising Star

Ohio

Super Lawyers

2005-2006, 2009

Recipient, Law Fellows Scholarship

News, Analysis & Press

How to protect workers with mental health issues

Crain's Cleveland Business

April 4, 2020

Speaking Engagements

2023 Ohio Regional Employer Conference

Cleveland, OH

October 5, 2023

2022 Ohio Regional Employer Conference

Cleveland, OH

October 6, 2022

2021 Ohio Virtual Regional Employer Conference

October 14, 2021

The Legal Implications of the Wandering Worker

Cleveland, OH

July 23, 2021

2019 Ohio Employer Conference

Cleveland, OH

October 10, 2019

From the Desk to the Bench: The Practical Impact of Recent Family Leave on Disability Discrimination Developments

Cleveland, OH

October 2018

Shattering the Glass Ceiling - Top-Level Leadership

Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, Cleveland, OH

May 2018

#MeToo: How to Address Complaints of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and Creating a Culture of Respect

Portage County Human Resource Association

May 2018

High Times: Can Employers Say "No" to Legal Marijuana and What If They Don't?

Littler Mendelson, Cleveland, OH

October 2017

It’s a Women’s World: Employment Law Impacting Women in the Workplace

HR Star Conference, Cleveland, OH

July 2016

Women in the Workplace

Littler Mendelson, Cleveland, OH

October 2015

Employment Law Update

Littler Mendelson, Cleveland, OH

October 2014

Strategies for Managing Leaves and Medical Issues

Littler Mendelson, Cleveland, OH

October 2013

Strategies for Managing Employee Leaves and Medical Issues Amid Conflicting Concerns

The Executive Employer Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

May 2013

Leave Coordination and Workers’ Compensation – Common Issues

Littler Mendelson Webinar

November 2012

Hot Topics in Employment Law

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Medina County, OH

May 2012

Navigating the Changing Employment and Labor Law Landscape

Littler Mendelson, Cleveland, OH

October 2011

Top Labor and Employment Takeaways of 2011

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Medina County, OH

May 2011

2010 Legislative Update

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Medina County, OH

May 2010

The Carrot, the Stick or the Carrot Stick: An Overview of Employee Wellness Programs

Economics of Stewardship and Sustainability, Health, Safety and the Environment Conference - Xavier University

April 2010

Big Government is Back: Hot Button Issues in Employment Law for 2010

Association of Corporate Counsel of America, Northeast Ohio Chapter

2010

Disciplining or Terminating a Workers' Compensation Claimant and H1N1 Flu: Preparing the Workplace for a Pandemic

The 2009 Ohio Employer

Littler Mendelson, Cleveland, OH

October 2009

Education

  • J.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Law, 1998
  • B.S., Miami University, 1993
  • B.A., Miami University, 1993

Bar Admission

Ohio
North Carolina

Courts

  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana