KWW is pleased to announce that long-time Akron attorney Karen Lefton is joining the firm in an Of Counsel capacity.
Karen brings more than 25 years of legal experience to KWW. For the last eight years, Karen was Principal of her own firm, The Lefton Group, LLC. Prior to that, she was a Partner with Brouse McDowell and General Counsel for the Akron Beacon Journal. She spent the first 18 years of her career as a journalist. She’s a graduate of the University of Akron School of Law, Miami University (B.A.) and Ashland University (EMBA).
“Karen was drawn to KWW and we were drawn to her by our shared commitment to serving clients both zealously and efficiently,” said KWW President Jim Wilkins. “Karen is first and foremost a skilled labor and employment attorney with impressive credentials and a strong reputation. She also shares KWW’s deep commitment to the community as demonstrated by her civic involvement over many years.”
Karen’s practice includes representation of employers in all types of matters, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. She also is experienced in non-compete and trade secret disputes, as well as union avoidance campaigns. Karen defends clients before administrative agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. She is an experienced traditional labor attorney, working with unionized employers on collective bargaining negotiations, unfair labor practices, and grievances and arbitrations.
In addition, her expertise in media law brings a new dimension to our representation of business entities that find themselves the target of internet postings or other employment-related conduct.
Karen is a seven-time SuperLawyer honoree. Like all three KWW shareholders, Karen is a graduate of Leadership Akron. In 2013, she was recognized with the Distinguished Leader Award from Leadership Akron for her role in leading a campaign to raise more than $2 million for the Women’s Endowment Fund of the Akron Community Foundation.
Karen’s record of community service is vast. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Stark State College and is on the Summit County Public Defender’s Commission. She is a member the Greater Akron Chamber Small Business Council, and was a founding member of WUTNGA (Women Up To No Good Again), whose objective is to elevate the role of women of all backgrounds to the highest levels of leadership in the region’s business and civic worlds. She lives in Copley with her husband, Douglas, a retired physician.