Rosemary D. Welsh

Rosemary is of counsel in the Vorys Cincinnati office and a member of the litigation group.  Her practice encompasses a broad range of workplace issues, including workers' compensation, premises liability, retaliatory discharge and toxic torts.  She represents clients in the trial court, the courts of appeal, and in the Supreme Courts of Ohio and Kentucky.  A former broadcast journalist, her practice reflects a significant focus on oral and written appellate advocacy.  She was named a Best Lawyer in America for product liability defense each year since 2014.

Rosemary's practice also includes matters involving professional responsibility and the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct.  Rosemary has investigated and prosecuted numerous grievance cases and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Ohio on behalf of the Bar Association.  She also defends attorneys facing ethics complaints before the Board of Professional Conduct and was named as special disciplinary counsel.

Career highlights include:

• Defending manufacturers and premises owners in hundreds of asbestos cases in Ohio and Kentucky arising from workplace exposures
• Defending Ohio employers against claims for intentional torts and violation of specific safety requirements
• Winning an appeal in the Ohio Supreme Court that challenged an erroneous interpretation of Ohio Workers' Compensation law, saving substantial sums for Ohio employers
• Successfully representing the Cincinnati Bar Association in a case that focused on lawyers’ surrendering their professional judgment to others and failing to seek the client’s lawful objectives in the context of foreclosure proceedings.  The Supreme Court of Ohio’s opinion in the matter quoted five paragraphs of Rosemary's closing argument and has been cited as authority more than a dozen times.
• Defending large flavoring and chemical manufacturers against product liability claims
• Representing employers before the Industrial Commission of Ohio and in court on a variety of workers' compensation matters
• Defending lender liability claims in the context of foreclosure litigation and complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Rosemary is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association, the Kentucky Bar Association and the Cincinnati Bar Association.  She is a past chairman of the Cincinnati Bar Association's Grievance Committee and the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee.

Rosemary has presented seminars on Ohio workers' compensation law, the impact of new legislation on asbestos premises liability claims and on water rights and lease agreements for agricultural property.

Rosemary received her J.D. with honors from the University of Cincinnati, where she was the lead articles editor of the University of Cincinnati Law Review.  She received her M.A. in mass communications from the University of Minnesota and her B.A. magna cum laude from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Honors & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, 2023-2024; Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2014-2024 

The Lawrence Maxwell Memorial Advocacy Prize

The International Academy of Trial Lawyers Prize for Trial Practice

The Ernest Karam Book Award

Professional & Community Activities

Junior League of Cincinnati Endowment Trust Fund, Trustee, 2014 to present

Indian Hill Historical Society Board of Trustees, President, 2003 to present

University of Cincinnati Alumni Board of Trustees, 1999-2005

Cincinnati Academy of Leadership for Lawyers, 2005

Leadership Cincinnati, Class XV, 1991-1992