Ann-Marie Ahern

Focusing on employment law cases across Ohio, Ann-Marie Ahern leads the employment law practice at McCarthy, Lebit, Crystal & Liffman, Co. LPA.  In her more than 20 years as an employment lawyer, Ann-Marie has successfully handled hundreds of cases, and through verdict and settlement, has obtained over $60 million in results for her clients.

Ms. Ahern is an Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment law. Her comprehensive practice includes representing employees, executives, whistleblowers, individuals and companies. She has a proven track record of helping people who have been wrongfully discharged and helping people through the most challenging of workplace issues.  

Ms. Ahern has been involved in multiple seven figure verdicts and settlements, including a $30 million verdict on behalf of a single plaintiff in an age discrimination claim.  In 2019, Ms. Ahern secured a $3.5 million award for her clients in a breach of contract action.  Ms. Ahern represented a False Claims Act relator in a matter which settled for $61 million, which was one of the top 100 Qui Tam recoveries in US history.  In 2019 and 2020, Ms. Ahern handled several seven figure executive termination/ compensation disputes, each of which was resolved in favor of her client.  

In 2020, Ms. Ahern was named Employment Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers for Cleveland in the category of Employment Law Individuals.  Ms. Ahern has earned the highest rating possible of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell, she has an Avvo “Superb” rating, she has been listed in The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100, and she has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America.  She was honored in 2017 by Smart Business Magazine with the "Progressive Woman" award, and in 2014, she was honored by the CMBA Women in the Law Section with the "Women Making a Difference" award.  In 2021, she will be inducted into the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Hall of Fame.    

Ms. Ahern is a sought after speaker to lawyers, the working public, and other professional groups on employment law, wage equity and harassment.   She is frequently quoted by national media, including Time. com, USA Today, The Washington Post, and SHRM.  She is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America.  She is a past President of the ATLA (now American Association for Justice) Employment Rights Section.  She is a Master Bencher in the Cleveland Employment Inn of Court.  For more than 10 years, Ms. Ahern served as a Trustee for the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation and Association. She now serves on the executive committee of the CM Law Board of Visitors and is the Chair of the Career Placement work group  

* AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.