Angelique Paul Newcomb

Angelique (Angel) Newcomb represents and counsels management in all aspects of labor and employment law, with an emphasis on employment discrimination litigation. She represents a wide range of employers, from family-owned businesses to a large regional healthcare system. She appears in state and federal courts and has extensive experience before various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission. She has successfully defended claims under:

• Title VII and state antidiscrimination laws
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
• The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Ohio Minimum Fair Wage Standards
• Ohio Whistleblower Statute
• Ohio Workers’ Compensation Retaliation Statute

Angel has tried several employment discrimination cases. In March 2013, she obtained a directed verdict in Ohio state court on a claim for national origin discrimination. The jury then returned a verdict in favor of the employer on the remaining claim for retaliation. This victory created a domino effect for the employer in which two plaintiffs in related cases voluntarily dismissed their cases and four other plaintiffs settled their cases on terms very favorable to the employer. 

Angel is well regarded for her meticulous preparation and tenacious deposition skills. Her ability to develop critical evidence during deposition which severely weakens or eviscerates the plaintiff’s claims has led to voluntary dismissals and/or the early resolution of numerous cases on terms advantageous for the employer. 

Angel has secured dismissals through dispositive motions and prevailed in numerous state and federal courts on a variety of discrimination and workplace tort claims including:

• Obtaining summary judgment in West Virginia State Court in claims of sexual harassment and retaliation brought by a plaintiff who had voluntarily resigned her employment after being passed-up for promotion, which was affirmed on appeal by the Supreme Court of West Virginia.
• Obtaining summary judgment in race discrimination, disability discrimination and invasion of privacy claims brought by a current employee who believed a personality conflict with her direct supervisor was racially motivated.
• Obtaining dismissal of a retaliation claim made by an employee of a government contractor who could not show he engaged in any protected activity.
• Obtaining summary judgment on a failure to accommodate disability discrimination claim made by an employee who received the requested accommodations, but objected to the employer’s delay in providing them, which had been due to the employee’s extended absence from work.
• Obtaining summary judgment in a case alleging a variety of claims: race discrimination under Title VII and Ohio law, disability discrimination under the ADA and Ohio law, retaliation under the FMLA, violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) , and age discrimination under the ADEA and Ohio law, brought by an employee who was terminated after she was unable to return to work after exhausting all approved medical leave; which was upheld on appeal by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Obtaining summary judgment in a case alleging disability discrimination, failure to accommodate disability discrimination, and aiding and abetting unlawful discrimination.

Angel is also a skilled trainer. She works with clients to develop and deliver training sessions on topics including workplace respect, discrimination/harassment/retaliation prevention, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, including unconscious bias. She is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars and seminars designed for human resources professionals on a wide variety of labor and employment law issues. 

In addition to her litigation and training work, Angel provides labor and employment counseling to clients in numerous sectors including energy, government contracting, manufacturing, healthcare, residential property management, hospitality, and financial services. Her skills include workplace violence prevention issues, and she has successfully secured protection orders for employees impacted by threats of violence. Angel also has extensive experience leading workplace investigations, including fully remote investigations during the COVID pandemic.  

In 2015, Angel began exploring her interest in alternative dispute resolution by completing a 16-hour mediation training course offered by Community Mediation Services of Central Ohio. She serves as a volunteer mediator for the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, where she has helped numerous parties resolve their disputes on mutually agreeable terms. She also previously served as an adjunct professor of appellate advocacy at the Ohio State University College of Law.

In law school, Angel was research editor of the Ohio State Law Journal. She was also a member of the best team in the Michael F. Colley Trial Competition.