Loriann E. Fuhrer

Director
lfuhrer@keglerbrown.com
  • Download my vCard
  • Join my LinkedIn Network
Portrait of Loriann E. Fuhrer

Loriann E. Fuhrer

Director

  • Download my vCard
  • Join my LinkedIn Network

Known for her calm demeanor, thoughtful advice, and fierce advocacy, Lori has established a reputation as one of the most respected women lawyers in the state. She relies on nearly three decades of experience to help companies navigate business disputes with customers and vendors and advises owners and leadership teams on employment matters.

When the need to litigate arises, Lori seamlessly steps into the ring, representing companies in complex business and employment matters as a counselor, mediator, and in the courtroom. 

Firm Leadership

Having served in numerous leadership roles within our firm, Lori understands the challenges facing business leaders. She has served on the firm’s Executive Committee, as Director of Associate Development, as chair of the Recruiting Committee, and was instrumental in creating the firm’s first Women Lawyers’ Initiative in 2000.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Leveraging her extensive background as a trial lawyer, Lori regularly serves as a private mediator, helping companies and individuals resolve business and employment disputes. Along with adapting her approach to the specific needs of each matter, the participants' personalities, and the stage of the mediation, Lori uses her profound understanding of the legal landscape, keen listening abilities, and sharp judgment to both adeptly manage conflicts and emotions, and evaluate, negotiate, and facilitate possible solutions.

Recognized Advocacy

Lori has tried cases in state and federal courts, both in Ohio and elsewhere, and the quality and consistency of her advocacy has been recognized by many of the industry’s most highly regarded publications.

Along with multiple rankings for Litigation, Chambers USA reports that Lori is praised for being “able to ‘engender confidence and trust,’” and has described her as “smart, extremely diligent and hard-working,” saying she “exhibits an ‘obvious awareness of not only legal issues but business consideration and risk assessment,’” and noting that “she is good with witnesses and in the courtroom.”

Chambers also reported that Lori “offers impressive trial experience in ... breach of contract cases, torts and securities disputes,” and that “in the heat of litigation, she maintains a very good sense of objectivity and a resolve to find a solution.”

Super Lawyers has recognized Lori dozens of times, including multiple listings as a “Top 5” lawyer in Columbus, and as both a “Top 50” woman lawyer and “Top 100” lawyer in Ohio, among others.

Lori also appeared in Columbus CEO as a “Top Lawyer” and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America® consistently since 2013.

  • The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (J.D., 1997)
  • University of Toledo (M.A., 1990)
  • Mount Union College (B.A., 1988)

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • Ohio
  • New York

  • Association of Workplace Investigators, member
  • Columbus Bar Foundation, former trustee, fellow
  • Complex Commercial Litigation Institute, co-founder
  • Diversity Law Institute, member
  • Trial Law Institute, member

  • Recognized by Super Lawyers as an Ohio Super Lawyer, 2025
  • Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Recipient of the Litigation Counsel of America’s 2019 Peter Perlman Service Award
  • Inducted as a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America 
  • Recognized by the Institute for Conflict Management as a Certified Mediator 
  • Order of Certus, Advocate 

  • Behavioral Healthcare Partners, Inc., Board of Directors, Former President
  • Granville Education Foundation, Former Trustee
  • Legal Aid Society of Columbus (LASC), Tenant Advocacy Project, Volunteer
  • Licking Land Trust, Former Trustee
  • The Sheryl L. Kraner, Esq. Youth & Family Behavioral Health Campus, Board of Directors, Former President

Industry Recognition

Super Lawyers:

  • Top 50: Columbus Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2018, 2021 - 2025
  • Top 50: Women Ohio Super Lawyers: 2014 - 2025
  • Top 100: Ohio Super Lawyers: 2015, 2017, 2022 - 2025
  • Top 25: Women Columbus Super Lawyers: 2010, 2013 - 2024
  • Top 5: Columbus Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024

The Best Lawyers in America®:

  • 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013: Recognized for excellence.

Columbus CEO, Best Lawyers:

  • 2024, 2023, 2022: Recognized for outstanding legal work.

Chambers USA:

  • 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014: Ranked as Band 4 attorney in Litigation.
  • 2016: Praised for impressive trial experience in breach of contract cases, torts, and securities disputes. A client noted, "She understands my business and comes up with creative solutions."
  • 2013: One of only four women nationwide selected as a finalist in the 'Up and Coming Litigator' category for the Chambers USA Women in Law Awards. Described as "smart, extremely diligent and hard-working," and "good with witnesses and in the courtroom."
  • 2012: Recognized for maintaining objectivity and a resolve to find solutions in the heat of litigation.

Women WELDing the Way:

  • 2017: Selected as one of 12 women making a positive impact on the economic and leadership development of women in the region, featured in a 2018 calendar.

Litigation Counsel of America:

  • Senior Fellow and co-founder of the Complex Commercial Litigation Institute. Fellowship is highly selective and by invitation only, based on accomplishment and effectiveness in litigation, as well as superior ethical reputation.

Mediation Experience + Qualifications

Lori is a highly regarded attorney with extensive experience as both a trial lawyer and qualified mediator. With more than 25 years of experience in dispute resolution, she focuses her mediation practice on routine and complex business disputes and employment matters. As a trial lawyer, Lori has represented plaintiffs and defendants and has a broad knowledge of legal issues and subject matter, court and jury dynamics, and the various emotional and economic factors at play in business and employment disputes.

Litigation Experience

From her beginnings as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Judge David A. Nelson on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Lori has built a distinguished career as a litigator. Having grown up as a “general litigator,” Lori has litigated diverse disputes, including banking, real estate and mortgage-backed securities cases; patent, trade secrets, non-compete and antitrust cases; breach of contract and business tort cases; Fair Labor Standards Act collective actions; single-plaintiff employment cases; business partner/shareholder disputes; defamation actions; agricultural disputes; and federal housing law disputes. Her active involvement in such litigation has equipped her with an ability to grasp new subject matters comfortably and bring common sense to the matter. As outside general counsel to a commercial furniture manufacturer and other businesses, Lori brings a practical approach to her work. According to attorney rating service Chambers USA, “In the heat of litigation, [Lori] maintains a very good sense of objectivity and a resolve to find a solution.' As one client reports, 'She understands my business and comes up with creative solutions.'”

Mediation Work

As a mediator, Lori brings her wealth of experience, exceptional listening skills, and discernment to facilitate and evaluate potential resolutions. Her background as a trial lawyer positions her to navigate conflicts with a deep understanding of the legal landscape. Lori recognizes the importance of comprehending the facts, anticipating potential outcomes, and understanding the personalities and interests involved. Chambers USA reports that Lori is praised for being able to “engender confidence and trust” and exhibits an “obvious awareness of not only legal issues, but also business considerations and risk assessment.” Lori's distinguished career is marked by her active involvement in trial advocacy and leadership roles. Her reputation as a highly skilled mediator is not solely rooted in her legal acumen, but also in her years as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, allowing her to understand business and employee issues as a businessperson and an attorney. As a mother of two young adults, Lori is calm and approachable, with a cultivated ability to recognize, acknowledge and dial-down emotions. Lori’s mediation style flexes between facilitation and evaluation, depending on the needs of the matter, the personalities of the participants, and the stage of the mediation.

Industry Recognition

Beyond her mediation expertise, Lori has attained significant success in her litigation career. Her adept navigation of the complexities inherent in legal matters, combined with her steadfast commitment to securing favorable outcomes and to professional conduct, has earned her a noteworthy standing within the legal community. Lori was selected as a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, where she co-founded the Complex Commercial Litigation Institute. Lori is consistently named one of the "Top 100" attorneys in Ohio and one of the "Top 50" women attorneys in Ohio by Super Lawyers, a prestigious peer-review service. Moreover, Lori has ranked among the "Top 5" attorneys in Columbus, regardless of practice area or gender, by Super Lawyers for the past two years.

Lori is trained and recognized as a certified mediator by the Institute for Conflict Management, and has served as mediator for dozens of matters as a designated mediator of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.


Workplace Investigations

Lori leads Kegler Brown’s Workplace Investigations practice and is one of only 10 lawyers in Ohio to hold membership in the Association of Workplace Investigators, the premier international trade group focused on promoting and enhancing the quality of impartial workplace investigations.

As an employment litigator with nearly 25 years of professional experience, Lori has been called upon by employers and their counsel to lead investigations and litigate cases concerning a wide range of allegations of financial, ethical and other workplace misconduct.

Lori is an Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder. Obtaining this certificate means that Lori has demonstrated success at achieving the core knowledge and skills necessary to successfully perform impartial workplace investigations.

Selected Highlights

  • Conducted a sexual harassment investigation of complaints by multiple complainants for a manufacturing company.
  • Conducted a sexual harassment investigation involving allegations against a member of senior management.
  • Provided advice to a professional services firm concerning allegations of improprieties by a senior partner.
  • Provided advice concerning an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and other potential wrongdoing in connection with a failed consensual relationship between co-workers.
  • Provided counsel concerning institutional investigations of research scientists accused of committing research misconduct.

Representative Trial Court Experience

Lori represents business clients in state and federal courts, and has tried cases to juries, the bench and arbitrators in Ohio and elsewhere. She has developed a reputation among her peers and among evaluation services nationally as an effective litigator at both the trial and appellate levels. Her reputation and experience have earned her selection into the Litigation Counsel of America, an organization that admits fewer than 1 in 200 attorneys for fellowship. A selection of her more recent trial court experience is outlined below.

Breach of Contract and Business Tort Litigation

  • After Lori and the Kegler Brown litigation team obtained complete dismissal of all claims brought by the plaintiff in a breach of contract and business tort case brought in federal court against a leading financial services company and its related bank, Lori succeeded in obtaining a judgment in excess of $2,300,000 on the bank’s fraud and breach of contract counterclaims.
  • Lori obtained dismissal upon summary judgment of all the plaintiff’s claims in a case brought in state court against a leading financial services company’s related bank. Plaintiff had alleged multi-million-dollar damages in connection with breach of contract and unjust enrichment claims.
  • Lori obtained dismissal upon summary judgment of all the plaintiff’s claims in a case brought by a former agent against a leading group of insurance companies, alleging breach of contract and fraudulent inducement.
  • Applying her creativity to the defense of her client’s lawsuit, Lori successfully persuaded the plaintiff in a breach of contract case against her client to voluntarily stay the action before discovery commenced, and to pursue its claims against another party in another jurisdiction. The plaintiff ultimately dismissed its claims against Kegler Brown’s client, with no discovery having been taken.

Mortgage-Backed Securities Litigation

  • Lori played a key role as part of a trial team headed by a prominent New York firm, and has significant experience handling and trying commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) cases in multiple jurisdictions, including in federal courts in Ohio, Nevada, Oklahoma and Illinois on behalf of a major national financial institution.

Employment Litigation

  • Lori and Kegler Brown represented a McDonald’s Corporation franchisee in two related FLSA actions brought in federal district court in the Southern District of Ohio. In one, Lori successfully persuaded the trial court to decertify the collective action after discovery. In the second, the trial court granted Lori’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction based on the defendants’ Rule 68 offer of judgment, reducing significantly the threat of statutory attorneys’ fees in the case.
  • Lori and Kegler Brown represented the defendants in an FLSA collective action brought in federal court in the Southern District of Ohio; this is one of several similar lawsuits brought by counsel for an international union against non-unionized electrical contractors. Kegler Brown was successful in opposing and avoiding altogether any certification of the action as a collective action.
  • Lori represented the defendants in an age and sex discrimination case brought in federal court in the Northern District of Ohio. Through highly effective deposition of the plaintiff, Lori was able to achieve for the defendants a very favorable result at mediation prior to expending resources preparing and filing a summary judgment motion.

Representative Appellate Decisions

Lori began her legal career as a judicial clerk to Judge David A. Nelson in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and has been handling appeals for clients ever since. She has developed a reputation among her peers and among evaluation services nationally as an effective litigator at both the trial and appellate level. Her appellate experience has earned her selection into the Litigation Counsel of America, an organization that admits fewer than 1 in 200 attorneys for fellowship. A selection of her appellate experience is outlined below.


U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Matter: New Lansing Gardens Housing Limited Partnership, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Columbus | View Decision
Matter: Teresa O'Brien v. Ed Donnelly Enterprises, Inc. | View Decision
Matter: Jessica Dellarussiani v. Ed Donnelly Enterprises, Inc. | View Decision
Matter: Robinson v. University of Akron | View Decision
 

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Matter: Herbert Rocco v. Gordon Food Service | View Decision


State Courts of Appeal (Briefed + Argued)

Matter: CosmetiCredit, LLC v. World Financial Network National Bank | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: Briefed and argued for Defendant-Appellee World Financial Network National Bank, affirmed

Matter: Bedle v. Kowars | View Decision
Venue: Indiana Court of Appeals
Status: Briefed and argued for Defendant-Appellee; dismissal of Plaintiff's complaint affirmed

Matter: Harris v. Mt. Sinai Medical Center | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Supreme Court
Status: Briefed for Amicus

Matter: Blanchard Valley Health Association v. Promedica Health System | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Third Appellate District
Status: Briefed and argued for Defendant-Appellee Lima Memorial Joint Operating Company; affirmed

Matter: Ann H. Womer Benjamin, Superintendent of Ohio Dept. of Ins. v. KPMG Barbados | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: Briefed and argued for Plaintiff-Appellant

Matter: Complete General Construction Company v. Koker Drilling Company | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: Briefed and argued for Defendant-Appellant

Matter: Candlewood Lake Association, Inc. v. Scott | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: Briefed and argued for Plaintiff-Appellee; judgment affirmed


State Courts of Appeal (On Brief)

Matter: Charvat v. Farmers Ins. Columbus, Inc. | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: On brief for Defendants-Appellees

Matter: Holt Co. of Ohio v. Ohio Machinery Co. | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: On brief for Plaintiffs-Appellants

Matter: Benjamin v. Ernst & Young, LLP | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: On brief for Plaintiff-Appellee; judgment affirmed

Matter: Benjamin v. Sawicz | View Decision
Venue: Ohio Tenth Appellate District
Status: On brief for Plaintiff-Appellant