Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
PeopleServices

Menu

  • People
  • Services
  • Resources
  • Locations
  • Careers
  • About
  • Contact
New Hampshire Joins Data Protection Trend, Passes Comprehensive Data Protection Law
  1. People

Hannah J. Kraus

Associate
Cleveland
T.
216.363.6109
liamE

Hannah maintains a broad labor and employment practice, advising clients on all facets of workplace law. She represents employers in disputes before state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies, and regularly provides day-to-day counseling to help mitigate risk and ensure smooth workplace operations.

In her litigation practice, Hannah defends employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour violations under Title VII, the ADA, the FMLA, the FLSA, and similar state laws. She frequently appears before the EEOC, OCRC, and other state civil rights agencies, and also represents clients in matters before the NLRB. She oversees cases from start to finish, drafting pleadings, dispositive motions, written discovery, deposition outlines, mediation statements, and settlement agreements.

Hannah also counsels clients on everyday employment issues, helping them take proactive steps to reduce risk and strengthen workplace policies. She drafts employment, separation, and restrictive covenant agreements, as well as complex multi-state employee handbooks and policies. She also regularly supports mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions by identifying employment-related risks during due diligence and helping clients assess how those risks may affect deal value, structure, and post-close integration.

Known for her tactical approach, diligence, and versatility, Hannah is a trusted advisor to clients navigating sensitive or high-stakes employment matters. Her ability to quickly adapt to shifting circumstances makes her a valuable partner in achieving both immediate and long-term business objectives.

Representative Experience

  • Represented the Austin American-Statesman as lead negotiator in bargaining with the Austin NewsGuild to reach agreement on a first labor contract between the Statesman and its front-line journalists. Statesman journalists unanimously ratified the contract November 21, 2024 after 3.5 years of negotiations. 
  • Defended client against a claim of unpaid wages and unpaid overtime for a remote, on-site ATM technician. Secured a complete victory at arbitration by proving that NCR's policies and practices appropriately paid for all time worked by such remote technicians, provided the technicians follow company policy and appropriately report their time worked. Also successfully defeated novel claims by claimant's counsel that imputed income for personal use of a vehicle or insurance premium credits for being healthy should be considered wages to increase the regular hourly rate and overtime premiums and not fringe benefits.
  • Represented a private equity buyer in its acquisition of a wholesale distributor of pipes, valves, and fittings.
  • Represented Qualus Power Services, a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital, in its acquisition of The Asset Company, PLLC (d/b/a ASSET Engineering), a provider of specialized engineering services to utilities, renewable and energy storage developers, and industrial clients throughout the United States.
  • Represented Qualus Power Services, a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital, in its acquisition of Linda Rogers & Associates, a specialized advisory, program management, and engineering firm with differentiated capabilities in information technology, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity, in support of critical power infrastructure and network resiliency and reliability.
  • Represented Trivest in the platform acquisition of Province, a leading and nationally recognized restructuring and advisory firm.
  • Represented a private equity-back manufacturer of machine tools in its acquisition of a manufacturer of plastic injection molding & precision machined components for telecom equipment.
  • Represented Qualus Power Services, a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital, in its acquisition via merger of GridBright, a leading power industry technology solutions firm.
  • Labor & Employment
  • Cleveland State University College of Law, 2021, J.D.
    • summa cum laude
    • Business Editor, Cleveland State Law Review (2020-2021)
    • President, Student Bar Association (2020-2021)
    • Vice President, Jewish Law Students Association (2019-2020)
  • The Ohio State University, 2018, B.A. in Psychology and Criminology
    • magna cum laude
    • Minor in Hebrew
  • Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • Recognized by Cleveland Jewish News as a “Local Lawyer/Super Attorney", 2022
  • Published in Cleveland State Law Review, “Buckeyes Against the Boycott: Why Ohio’s Law Opposing BDS is Protected,” 2020
  • Board Member, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, Young Leadership Division
  • Member, Cleveland Employment Inn of Court
  • Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
  • Member, FDCC Ladder Down Cleveland, Class of 2024
  • Member, LEADS Cohort of Future Jewish Leaders, 2022
Articles and Presentations
May 2, 2025
Cleveland City Council Passes New Pay Transparency and Salary History Ordinance
March 31, 2025
Trump’s Anti-DEI Agenda Remains at Center Stage
November 21, 2024
No More Non-Competes? An Overview of Federal and State Trends | Hannah J. Kraus, Grace M. Karam, Phil Eckenrode

View all

News
April 22, 2025
Benesch Advises Rotunda on Strategic Investment in Capital Machine Technologies
February 27, 2025
Benesch Advises TowerBrook Capital Partners on Acquisition of Majority Stake in Industry-Leading Berkeley Research Group
December 9, 2024
Benesch Represents Austin American-Statesman in Landmark Labor Contract with Austin NewsGuild

View all

  • 2025 Benesch
  • Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Related Sites
  • GDPR Statement
  • Terms
  • Client Payment Portal
  • Careers
Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn