Mechelle Zarou assists employers with obtaining temporary and permanent visas for skilled foreign workers. She has extensive experience in obtaining L-1, H-1B, O-1, TN and E visas on behalf of foreign workers, as well as permanent residency based on employment. She also has experience assisting the firm’s healthcare clients with their specialized immigration needs, including obtaining J-1 visa waivers, visa screen certifications, and H-1B cap exemptions. She advises employers on compliance with immigration regulations and I-9 employment eligibility verification.
Mechelle’s practice encompasses all areas of labor and employment law, including wrongful discharge, discrimination, workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, business immigration, labor negotiations and arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges.
Mechelle regularly advises employer clients on a variety of workers compensation and unemployment compensation issues, and represents employers at all levels of the administrative hearing process for such claims. In addition, Mechelle handles workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation court appeals, as well as intentional tort lawsuits due to workplace injuries.
Mechelle also regularly advises clients regarding state and federal employment law claims, with particular emphasis on the FMLA, the ADA, and Title VII and related state statutes. She also defends employers who face administrative charges before the EEOC, OCRC, OSHA and the NLRB, as well as court actions relating to employment discrimination or retaliation. Mechelle’s labor practice includes frequent defense of employee grievances in arbitration.
Representative Matters
Mechelle has successfully briefed and argued American Interstate Insurance Co. v. G&H Service Center, 112 Ohio St. 3d 521 (2007), a workers’ compensation subrogation case, before the Ohio Supreme Court, resulting in a unanimous decision in favor of Mechelle’s client.
Honors
- 2010 Ohio State Bar Foundation’s Community Service Award for Attorneys 40 and Under. The Community Service Award recognizes attorneys aged 40 or younger who contribute substantial time and effort to a local social service or a local civic, artistic or cultural organization. The service must be outside the recipient’s practice of law and must be given without compensation. Recipients should represent the ideals of the legal profession, be a credit to the profession and enjoy a fine professional reputation.
- 2008 Trustees Award presented by the Toledo Bar Association. The Trustees Award is given by the Toledo Bar Association Board of Trustees to a young member of the Association who exemplifies professionalism in the practice of law and who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the legal profession through active involvement in the Toledo Bar Association.
- 20 Under 40 Leadership Award recipient. The 20 Under 40 Leadership Program focuses on individuals under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their careers and/or in the community.
- Best Lawyers in America, 2009 – 2015
- Ohio Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine, 2007, 2009 – 2014
Professional and Community Affiliations
- Toledo Bar Association, Board of Directors; Member; Long Range Planning Committee Co-Chair
- Toledo Women’s Bar Association
- Ohio State Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Junior Bar Association, Executive Committee
- American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Toledo School for the Arts, Board Member, Personnel Committee
- Toledo legal community’s biennial Habitat For Humanity build, Chair of the Steering Committee
- Master in The Morrison R. Waite American Inn of Court of Toledo