Nelva J. Smith

Biography

Known as a fervent advocate for her clients, Nelva Smith is a labor and employment attorney whose wide-ranging experience makes her an extremely effective advisor for her clients. From general day-to-day counseling, to litigation, workers’ compensation, and safety and health issues, employers of all sizes rely on Nelva to guide them through the myriad challenges of labor and employment law. Nelva is diligent and aggressive in defending her clients’ interests and is experienced assisting clients in the automotive, aviation, construction, and manufacturing industries.

As a member of the firm’s Workplace Safety Team, she has defended employers in front of the Industrial Commission on a variety of issues that arise out of Ohio workers’ compensation matters, and she also has extensive experience in safety and health issues, with an emphasis on OSHA. She has presented on several occasions nationally on OSHA topics, and she has twice been a contributing editor to the national treatise on Occupational Safety and Health Law.

Nelva has experience defending employers in general employment litigation, charges before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, charges before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, charges before the National Labor Relations Board, and defending OSHA citations, and she has also successfully handled wage and hour audits before a state government agency.

In addition, to her employment experience, Nelva is also on the firm’s Higher Education Team and actively represents several universities and colleges in the region against Title IX litigation. Nelva is a member of the Environment, Social, Governance (“ESG”) group, a group of attorneys with experience and knowledge about how ESG impacts all aspects of business.

Representative Experience

  • Defended OSHA violations for manufacturing clients in the aircraft and automotive industries resulting in reduced penalties and vacated citations
  • Defended a manufacturer in the rubber mixing industry in Ohio in one of the first sets of citations under the combustible dust OSHA National Emphasis Program (NEP)
  • Successfully represented rubber tire manufacturer in multiple OSHA citations involving combustible dust
  • Represented a large automotive component manufacturer in a workplace accident involving an extremity injury caused by hydraulic press, resulting in the OSHA citation being fully vacated
  • Represented a Missouri-based rubber mixing plant in multiple OSHA citations involving both machine guarding and combustible dust

Licensed In

  • Ohio

Education

  • J.D. Capital University Law School
  • B.A. Capital University

Memberships

  • Columbus Bar Association
  • Ohio State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Certified, OSHA 10 Hour General Industry

Achievements

  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Education Law (2024-Present), Litigation – Labor and Employment Law (2024)
  • Best Lawyers® 2025 Columbus, OH Education Law, Lawyer of the Year

Speaking Engagements

  • Presenter: S&J: “Tri State Update: Cannabis in the Workplace” – August 4, 2021
  • Presenter: Ohio Chamber: “OSHA and Employer Vaccination Programs” – June 24, 2021
  • Presenter: ARPM: “From the Legal Perspective: PPE and Vaccinations in the Workplace” – May 26, 2021
  • Trainer: Ohio Department of Higher Education: “Title IX Investigator Training” – January 12, 2021
  • Presenter: PIOGA: “Navigating Employer Legal Responsibilities through the COVID-19 Pandemic” – November 12, 2020

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