Garvin & Hickey works closely with company personnel and their Third Party Administrators to reduce workers’ compensation costs. Most clients and their TPA’s utilize the Firm’s experience by seeking advice on all aspects of claim management, including certification of claims, defense strategies, returning employees to work, use of rehabilitation consultants and settlement of claims. Garvin & Hickey represents employers at all administrative hearing levels of the Industrial Commission, hearings before the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and in jury and non-jury trials in all Ohio counties. The Firm has extensive experience in the Courts of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Our representation includes not only the defense of injury and occupational disease claims but also the defense of violations of specific safety requirements and intentional tort actions. Garvin & Hickey has represented employers in defense of OSHA citations and wrongful discharge actions arising out of industrial injuries.

Garvin & Hickey, LLC, has received the highest possible AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. Preston Garvin and Michael Hickey have both been listed in Best Lawyers in America as well as Ohio Super Lawyers.

Garvin & Hickey has extensive experience in assisting employers in successfully transitioning from the State Insurance Fund to a Self-Insured Worker’s Compensation program. Both principals of the Firm have completed the certification requirements for establishing a Qualified Health Plan.

Matt assists parties with identifying whether Medicare has an interest to protect, and determining the appropriate method of doing so. Matt has extensive experience in providing legitimate future medical expense reduction strategies, while protecting any interest Medicare might have now, or assert in the future.

Utilizing the assistance of a nurse, Matt prepares an estimate of claim related future medical costs. He then performs a legal analysis, and works with the parties to create a mechanism for complying with Medicare’s directive to not shift the burden of claim related medical expenses from the primary payer, to Medicare.

Matt can also assist with submission of an MSA to CMS for approval, as well as identifying, contesting and resolving conditional payment liens with Medicare, Medicare Advantage Plans and the Veteran’s Administration.

The majority of the Firm’s practice is in Ohio. However, Garvin & Hickey has conducted audits of clients workers’ compensation programs in other states. Such audits include review of work being performed by in-house personnel as well as the TPA and outside counsel.

Kathy began her workers’ compensation career as a legal assistant with a Cleveland law firm before she obtained her law degree in 1990. From 1990 until 1992 Kathy was associated with a Cleveland firm representing employers in various business matters, particularly workers’ compensation. From 1992 until 1995 she was an attorney with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation representing the State Insurance Fund before Industrial Commission Hearing Officers at all administrative levels. While working with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, she became the supervisor of the Bureau’s Cleveland office with a staff of attorneys and claims specialists. Her attorneys and claims specialists managed and oversaw claims on behalf of the State Insurance Fund.

In 1995, Kathy established her own private practice, limiting her representation to employers at Industrial Commission administrative hearings and all levels of court. In 1998, Kathy became Of Counsel to Garvin & Hickey, LLC. She is located in Northeast Ohio.

Kathy is a frequent lecturer in the area of workers’ compensation. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, the National Association of Female Executives and the Self Insurers Group of Ohio.

Preston began his workers’ compensation career as a Hearing Officer for the Ohio Industrial Commission. He presided over all types of claims, and heard all issues including original allowance, violations of specific safety requirements, final settlements of claims and all issues involving extent of disability.

Preston also served as Legal Director (chief legal advisor) to the Ohio Industrial Commission. In this capacity he advised the commission on a variety of political and legal issues, including a company’s eligibility for self-insurance. He also served on the adjudicating committee, which heard all disputes involving insurance for state fund employers. All attorney Hearing Officers were part of his staff.

After leaving the Ohio Industrial Commission, Preston went to Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, where he represented employers in all aspects of workers’ compensation law. As the Workers’ Compensation Administrator of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey,  he supervised all major cases and personally represented employers in all Ohio courts and at all levels of administrative proceedings. In 1997, he and Mike Hickey formed Garvin & Hickey, LLC, which is dedicated exclusively to representing employers in all matters related to workers’ compensation.

Preston is Special Counsel to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce for workers’ compensation matters. He was appointed as a member of the Select Commission on Workers’ Compensation Administration, the committee that authored the study that later became the basis for Amended Substitute House Bill 222.

Governor Voinovich appointed Preston to the Workers’ Compensation Task Force, which was created to review various compensation and benefit levels. He has testified before various House and Senate committees on numerous workers’ compensation and intentional tort bills.

Preston has also served on various Industrial Commission committees, such as the committee to study permanent total disability compensation, the structured settlement committee and the temporary total disability compensation committee to study the GAP problem. He continues to serve as a member of the standing committee to review Industrial Commission rules.

In 2013, Preston was appointed by Governor Kasich to the Executive Order of the Ohio Commodores, “in recognition for outstanding contributions to the economic development of the State of Ohio. It is considered Ohio’s ‘most distinguished honor.’”

Preston has received the Patrick J. O’Neill award presented by the Ohio Self-Insurers Association. He is listed in the Best Lawyers in America, Woodward and White, Columbus Monthly Magazine, Top Lawyers in Columbus, Ohio Super Lawyers, and has been rated one of the top 50 lawyers in Columbus and top 100 in Ohio, and has an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell. Best Lawyers in America named him “Lawyer of the Year” in 2014, for Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers, in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area.

Preston is a regular speaker for the Ohio Bar Association, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Self-Insurers Association and various other groups.

Preston also serves on the Board of Directors of Kids Chance of America and the board of Kids Chance of Ohio. It is the mission of Kids Chance of Ohio to provide financial support to further the education of children of Ohio workers who have been killed or declared permanently and totally disabled as a result of workplace injuries.

Mike began his workers’ compensation career in 1971 with the Ohio Attorney General’s Workers’ Compensation Section. As an Assistant Attorney General he represented the Ohio Industrial Commission and Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in the trial courts and appellate courts including the Ohio Supreme Court. After four years he was appointed Chief of the Attorney General’s Workers’ Compensation Section. As Section Chief he supervised a staff of twenty-four trial attorneys and served as the Chief Outside Legal Counsel for the Industrial Commission and Bureau of Workers’ Compensation.

Upon leaving the Attorney General’s office he joined the firm of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey where he practiced in all areas of workers’ compensation law, exclusively representing employers. In 1997, he and Preston Garvin formed Garvin & Hickey, LLC, which is dedicated exclusively to representing employers in all matters related to workers’ compensation.

Mike has received the Ohio Legal Center Institute Award of Merit. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Woodward & White; Business First’s Who’s Who in Columbus Law, Columbus Monthly Magazine’s Top Lawyers in Columbus and has been listed in Ohio Super Lawyers since 2004, a distinction limited to the top 5% of Ohio’s practicing attorneys.

Mike is a member of the Columbus Bar Association and Ohio State Bar Association where he serves on the Workers’ Compensation Committee. In 1996 he was appointed by the Ohio State Bar Association, and confirmed by the Ohio Supreme Court, to serve on the Workers’ Compensation Law Specialty Board. The Specialty Board was charged with the responsibility of developing and administering an examination to be taken by attorneys desiring to become certified as a Workers’ Compensation Specialist.

Mike is also actively involved in defending intentional tort actions, and is a frequent lecturer on the subjects of workers’ compensation and intentional tort. He is a regular speaker for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Self-Insurers Association, the Central Ohio Self-Insurers Association and various other groups representing the interests of employers.

Niki attended The Ohio State University for her undergraduate degree and was admitted to the practice of law in Ohio in 2016, after graduating from Ohio Northern University, Claude W. Pettit College of Law. During law school, Niki interned at the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Hardin County Prosecutor’s Office, in Ohio.

Niki joined Garvin & Hickey in 2017. She has experience in representing employers before the Industrial Commission of Ohio, as well as defending employers against Violations of Specific Safety Rules (VSSR).

Additionally, Niki represents and advises employers during inspections and investigations conducted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), responds to notices from OSHA about employee complaints of safety hazards, and represents employers in OSHA litigation, including citation contests and administrative hearings. Niki also helps employers develop safety and health programs and policies.

Niki is a member of the American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, and the Columbus Bar Association.

Nathan attended The University of Dayton for his undergraduate degree in Political Science and The University of Akron for his law degree and Master’s of Public Administration. During his studies in Akron, he participated on the trial team, interned with a Federal Magistrate, interned with the University’s legal department, and served as a legal research assistant to the faculty. He also spent a year as a law clerk for a personal injury firm.

Nathan began his legal career representing the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and State Agencies, from 2014 to 2019, as an Assistant Attorney General at The Ohio Attorney General’s Office. He has extensive litigation experience, defending against workers’ compensation claims. He has represented clients before the administrative agencies, common pleas courts, appellate courts and federal court.

Nathan is a member of the Ohio Self Insured Association and the Ohio State Bar Association. He was previously a member of The American Bar Association, and held an officer’s position with the Young Lawyer’s Division. Nathan is currently seeking a specialization from The Ohio Supreme Court in Ohio Workers’ Compensation.