Jillian is a member of the firm’s Professional Liability Department where she focuses her practice across a broad spectrum of professional liability matters, including but not limited to, the defense of municipalities and their employees, non profit directors and officers, real estate professionals, insurance agents and brokers, and employers. She has practiced in both state and federal courts and has argued before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Jillian has been defending municipalities and their employees since 2013 and she has continued this practice with Marshall Dennehey, now leading the Cleveland office’s professional liability practice. Although varied, Jillian’s public-sector liability practice focuses on police practices, sovereign immunity issues as well as labor and employment claims. Her employment practice extends to private employers, defending claims before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the EEOC, Ohio and federal courts regarding discrimination, harassment and retaliation, including claims brought pursuant to Title VII, the ADA, ADEA, the FMLA, trade secret litigation, whistleblower actions, housing discrimination and related tort claims.
In her real estate work, Jillian has a strong track record of obtaining favorable results for real estate agents, real estate brokers, title agents, and home inspectors in cases brought against them related to alleged negligence, misrepresentation, disclosure errors, and contract disputes. Jillian also concentrates her practice on D&O liability defending condominium and homeowners associations, as well as their directors, officers, and property managers, in matters involving alleged breaches of fiduciary duty, declaration disputes, real property document issues, and FHA, HUD and Fair Housing claims. Additionally, she routinely defends insurance agents and brokers and miscellaneous professionals in matters pertaining to negligence, errors and omissions. Jillian also has lived experience in non-profit D&O liability as a volunteer president of the board to a local community development corporation.
Further, Jillian’s practice extends to privacy and data breach matters, where she helps clients manage cyber risk and navigate incident response, containment, and compliance obligations. She also has experience defending corporate and individual insureds in product liability, construction, premises liability, and personal injury claims.
A native of New York’s Finger Lakes region, Jillian earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from SUNY Albany. She received her juris doctor from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, where she launched her litigation career as an award winning student in the Criminal Defense Clinic. Before joining the firm in 2017, she gained valuable public sector experience as a judicial staff attorney and assistant director of law-skills she continues to draw upon in her advocacy for political subdivision clients.
Outside the office, Jillian can often be found enjoying live music or exploring the Cleveland MetroParks with her husband and their dogs.
Honors & awards
The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Health Care Law
2023
The Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
2024
The Best Lawyers in America, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
2026
Year joined
2017
Results
Successfully Defended a Suburban Mayor in a Defamation Case
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
January 16, 2025
We successfully defended an appeal of a trial court decision dismissing a defamation claim against a suburban mayor. The plaintiff, a former police officer, brought actions against a former city mayor and related defendants, asserting defamation, false light and related claims. The plaintiff alleged that statements made during a press conference disparaged him and violated a non-disparagement clause in his separation agreement. The court ruled the defamation and false light claims were correctly barred by the one-year statute of limitations under R.C.
Summary Judgment Won in Slip and Fall Case Involving a Large Supermarket Chain
Premises & Retail Liability
November 5, 2024
We won summary judgment in Franklin County, Ohio, for a large supermarket chain in a slip-and-fall case. The plaintiff alleged he slipped and fell in the parking lot on ice that remained more than two days after the most recent snow fall and after the lot had been plowed and salted by a co-defendant. The plaintiff’s expert opined that no amount of remaining snow or ice is acceptable and that the standard of care according to the Ohio Building Code requires complete removal in order to maintain a “slip-resistant” surface.
Dismissal Affirmed on Appeal in Ohio Personal Injury Lawsuit
General Liability
Appellate Advocacy & Post-Trial Practice
June 5, 2024
Our motion to dismiss was affirmed on appeal after the Ninth District Court of Appeals found that the plaintiff had sued a non sui juris entity by suing a county department in a personal injury suit. The plaintiff initially filed suit against the department, which was later dismissed without prejudice to allow more time to develop the plaintiff’s medical records. When he refiled his suit, he again named a county department as the defendant. We filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that a county department does not have the capacity to be sued.
Summary Judgment on Behalf of Former Mayor in Civil Rights Lawsuit
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
March 4, 2024
Jillian won summary judgment in favor of her client, a former suburban mayor, after seven years of protracted litigation, arising out of alleged defamation. In 2016, Jillian’s client was arrested for domestic violence. Although the criminal case was ultimately dismissed, the charge significantly tarnished her personal life and career and she lost re-election. In 2017, the police chief and a lieutenant that led the investigation into the criminal charge left their positions, allegedly forced out by the mayor.
Summary Judgment Secured in Protracted Defamation Case
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
March 4, 2024
We won summary judgment for a former suburban mayor after seven years of litigation. As background, in 2016, our client was arrested for domestic violence, but the criminal case was ultimately dismissed for lack of evidence and sealed. In 2017, after the police chief and lieutenant left their positions, the City found documents regarding the sealed charges against the mayor in their offices. This spurred an internal investigation into the police investigation into the mayor, which found that there were significant deficiencies in the criminal investigation.
Thought Leadership
Totality of the Circumstances: Tasing Okay in Immediate Passive Resistance
Cleveland
Public Entity & Civil Rights Litigation
January 1, 2026
In a colorful opinion from the Sixth Circuit, the court found that it was not excessive force to tase the plaintiff when he refused to supply his hand for cuffing in the wake of more significant refusals to submit to the police o
Legal Updates for Real Estate E&O - CASE LAW UPDATE
Cleveland
Real Estate E&O Liability
November 1, 2025
Ohio Supreme Court Clarifies Sellers’ Disclosure Obligations: No Duty to Disclose Publicly Recorded EasementsAshmus v. Coughlin, 2025-Ohio-2412
It Was Just a Mistake! Or Was It Negligence? Ohio Supreme Court Defines Mistake for Contract Principles
Cleveland
General Liability
October 1, 2025
In a certified conflict, the Ohio Supreme Court considered whether a negligent failure to exercise a lease renew option warranted equitable relief. The Court found it did not. Case Law Alerts, 4th Quarter, October 2025 is prepared by Marshall Dennehey to provide information on recent developments of interest to our readers.
98 Marshall Dennehey Attorneys Recognized in the 2026 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America
August 20, 2025
Marshall Dennehey is proud to highlight the firm’s 98 attorneys who have been recognized in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America. Less than 6% of all practicing lawyers in the U.S.
Ohio Supreme Court Holds Seller Had No Duty to Disclose Recorded Sewer Easement in 'As-Is' Sale
Cleveland
Real Estate E&O Liability
July 14, 2025
The Ohio Supreme Court has reversed an appellate opinion and found that a seller does not have a duty to disclose a publicly-recorded sewer easement. In Ashmus v.
Classes/Seminars Taught
Ohio Personal Injury Litigation: Secrets Only the Top Attorneys Know, National Business Institute (NBI) Webinar, December 15, 2022
Political Subdivision Tort Liability, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, August 2015
Pro Bono Activities
Brief Advice Clinic with Legal Aid Society of Greater Cleveland, 2009
Immigration Clinic with Catholic Charities, 2009
AmeriCorps Service Member benefitting Legal Aid of Western New York, 2009
