Practice Areas

• Environmental
  • Climate Change and Green Technology
  • Toxic Substances
• Labor and Employment
  • Employment Litigation
• Litigation
  • Appellate Practice
  • Business and Commercial
  • Class Actions
  • E-Discovery and Electronic Information Management (EIM)
    • Extranets and Shared Information
    • Records Creation, Retention, and Destruction Policies
  • Employment Litigation
  • Products Liability
  • Toxic Torts
    • Asbestos, Silica, and Manganese
    • Chemical and Radiation Exposure

Industries

• Manufacturing
• Nanotechnology
• Transportation and Logistics

Education

• University of Dayton School of Law, J.D., 1991, summa cum laude
• University of Dayton, B.A., 1988, with Honors

Bar & Court Admissions

• Ohio

Ms. Harty is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the litigation practice group.  She is national counsel for a Fortune 200 corporation, defending it on all toxic tort products and premises liability, intentional tort and workers’ compensation matters.  She also develops strategies for the client’s compliance with international hazardous material regulations, such as REACH, (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances), RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive) and GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals).  Ms. Harty develops product warning and risk reduction programs for clients and works extensively with experts on medical, industrial hygiene, epidemiology, human factors, and toxicological issues regarding asbestos, benzene, beryllium, butadiene, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, silica, TDI (toluene Di-isocyante) and other toxins. 

Ms. Harty also defends corporations in class actions, employment litigation and contractual disputes relating to software and technology licensing agreements. 

Career highlights include:

• Successfully defending five wage and hour class action lawsuits in Massachusetts and obtaining a favorable decision in the Massachusetts Supreme Court
• Securing the dismissal of a putative class action alleging claims of fraud and breach of contract against a software developer
• As national counsel, successfully defending toxic tort claims in almost every state as well as in federal courts, including through Multi-District Litigation

Ms. Harty is a frequent speaker on topics regarding class actions, litigation holds, e-discovery and the recent changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, REACH, China RoHS, European Union RoHS, and global hazardous material regulations.

Ms. Harty received her J.D. summa cum laude from the University of Dayton School of Law and her B.A. with honors from the University of Dayton.

Honors & Awards

• Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2012
• Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Class Action/Mass Torts, 2005-2006

News

• Harty Featured in Columbus C.E.O. Article on Law Firm Outreach Efforts
• Associate Training Didn't Take Back Seat to Recession, Cost Cuts

Events

• 2010 E-Discovery CLE
• Current Issues in Commercial Law and Litigation

Publications

• "How 'Green' Is Your Chemistry: California's Green Chemistry Legislation And Its Impact," Mealey's Personal Injury Report, November 10, 2008 
• "Who Decides What's in Your Product?" Industry Week, September 10, 2008

• Regulating Nanomaterials
• Client Alert: Sedona Conference® Releases Latest Commentary on Inactive Information Sources
• Client Alert: EPA Announces Carbon Nanotubes to be Treated as New Chemical Under TSCA
• Client Alert: Nanotechnology Excluded from Insurance by Continental Western Insurance Group
• "How 'Green' Is Your Chemistry: California's Green Chemistry Legislation And Its Impact"
• "Who Decides What's In Your Product?"
• "Sophisticated User Decision Helps: But it Doesn't Let Manufacturers off the Hook"