Sharon M. O'Donnell, Attorney

Sharon's litigation and trial practice focuses on the defense of private and public entities in a wide array of professional liability and employment law matters, education law matters, medical liability, complex general liability, and class action matters brought in federal and state courts, state agencies, labor boards, and educational agencies.

In addition to alleged wrongful termination actions that include 1983 and First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment claims in federal suits filed in the Middle and Eastern Districts of Pennsylvania, Sharon defends a wide variety of matters including those brought under the Pennsylvania Whistleblower law and related claims brought in state law actions filed in county courts. Sharon has also defended individual, collective, and class actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law, as well as the Fair Debt Collection Practice Act, the Pennsylvania Consumer Protection Law, and related claims.

Sharon's agency practice involves primarily actions brought to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, and special education matters brought in the Pennsylvania Special Education Office for Dispute Resolution. The employment matters typically involve claims brought in the nature of alleged unlawful discrimination and retaliation matters involving Title VII actions, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and other similar federal statutes. Sharon also defends school districts in due process matters brought under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act and related federal and state statutes where a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is typically disputed or related educational services are challenged relating to both gifted and disabled students.

Sharon's practice also involves the defense of matters brought to arbitration under the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act and further provides defense litigation support to public entity solicitors as requested in matters ranging from education issues to employment matters.

Sharon's professional liability practice involves the defense of realtors, insurance agents and brokers, residential and commercial real estate appraisers, and other licensed professionals, including health care professionals, brought in negligence actions in federal and/or state court, and licensing matters brought before the Bureau of Occupational and Professional Affairs.

Sharon is supported by three full-time associates in providing defense litigation services to all of her clients who range from self-insured corporations to private and public entities insured under errors & omissions, directors & officers, professional liability and employment liability practices insurance policies.

In 1990 Sharon graduated from Kings' College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and achieved a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in May 1996. Following graduation, Ms. O'Donnell joined Marshall, Dennehey, Warner, Coleman & Goggin in August 1996 as an associate attorney. She was elected shareholder in 2004.

Sharon has published several articles, some of which have appeared in Pittsburgh Legal Journal and the Pennsylvania Bar Association Quarterly. She also speaks to various organizations on employment, education, and professional liability litigation issues.

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