Ashley Hetzel is a Partner in Freeman Mathis & Gary’s Columbus office and serves as Vice-Chair of the firm’s Government Law national practice section. Ms. Hetzel focuses her government practice on the representation and defense of local governments and their officials in federal civil rights litigation and related state-law claims. She has extensive experience representing Ohio political subdivisions, including cities, villages, townships, counties, and their officers and employees, in state and federal courts.

Ms. Hetzel has handled matters involving immunity and constitutional violations arising under federal and state law. She has defended municipalities, townships, elected officials, and law enforcement officers in a wide variety of claims, including excessive force, false arrest, malicious prosecution, defamation, and other government liability matters. In addition to litigation, she routinely represents local governments in administrative appeals involving zoning classifications and land-use disputes.

Ms. Hetzel’s broader municipal practice includes advising local governments regarding the provision of water, sanitary sewer, and stormwater services, economic development initiatives, Sunshine Law compliance, real estate transactions, easement acquisition, eminent domain matters, and legislative drafting.

Ms. Hetzel’s employment practice includes wrongful discharge, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability discrimination, as well as racial and sexual harassment. She has represented public and private employers in a variety of claims, including those arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the FMLA, as well as the defense of both public and private employers in the defense of claims of alleged sex (quid pro quo) discrimination.