Thompson Hine Expands Chicago and Columbus Footprints with Accomplished Full-Service Labor & Employment Partner Heather Renée Adams | Thompson Hine LLP

Thompson Hine LLP, a national law firm recognized for its innovation focus, announced today that Heather Renée Adams has joined the firm as a partner in the Labor & Employment practice group, further strengthening the firm’s presence in Columbus and Chicago and deepening its traditional labor and employment capabilities.

Licensed to practice in Ohio and Illinois, Adams is a true workplace attorney, advising on the full range of issues that arise in the modern workplace. A practical, common sense counselor, she skillfully navigates all levels of an organization—from the frontline to the C suite. A trial attorney by training, Adams is a sought after advisor whose guidance is grounded in deep litigation experience.

“Heather is a trusted workplace advisor with deep relationships in the Columbus and Chicago markets,” said Nancy Barnes, Thompson Hine’s Labor & Employment practice group leader. “With her practical and approachable style, Heather has longstanding relationships with a wide array of clients who rely on her for their most sensitive business and workforce challenges. Her strengths in litigation, counseling, and traditional labor align squarely with our national strategy. She is also an excellent cultural fit who shares our values and our commitment to delivering exceptional, full service client support.”

Adams’s unique practice includes complex employment litigation, traditional labor matters, and comprehensive workplace counseling. She has tried novel whistleblower cases, including a case of first impression in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois involving the Federal Railroad Safety Act, which she tried to a complete defense jury verdict and successfully defended before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. She has also defended employers in False Claims Act litigation and other complex matters.

Adams also has significant traditional labor experience. She is at the table when it matters. She represents both public and private entities in all facets of traditional labor practice, including collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, union avoidance strategy, and labor management relations.

As a workplace counselor, Adams provides strategic advisory services to senior executives and leadership teams across the United States. She also conducts highly sensitive investigations and leads comprehensive policy reviews, helping organizations assess risk, strengthen compliance, and implement practical, business aligned workplace policies that withstand legal and operational scrutiny.

“I was drawn to Thompson Hine for its collaborative culture and its commitment to innovation. The firm’s integrated, team driven platform provides the ideal environment to deliver greater value to clients through coordinated, creative, and efficient solutions,” said Adams.

Adams also highlighted the firm’s growth and expanding national footprint, with offices in northern and southern California, New York, and Washington, D.C. She emphasized that the California presence is particularly valuable given the state’s high volume of complex employment litigation.

Adams has been named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation – Labor and Employment (2024–2025), selected as an Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Star by Ohio Super Lawyers magazine (2023), and an Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star by Illinois Super Lawyers magazine (2017–2021). She received the Presidential Award from the Ohio Women’s Bar Foundation (2023) and the Black Women Lawyers’ Association of Greater Chicago, Inc. (2016–2017). Adams is a member of DePaul University College of Law’s Dean’s Advisory Committee, the International Association of Defense Counsel, the Ohio Justice and Policy Center Advisory Committee, and the Franklin County Human Services Levy Review Committee.