Meet The Team
Fearless, Experienced & Dedicated Ohio Attorneys
When life-changing harm occurs, you need more than just legal advice—you need action. You need a team that will stand up to powerful interests, fight to restore your financial future, and ensure that what happened to you never happens to anyone else.
At Cooper Elliott, we don’t just handle cases; we take on causes. Our attorneys are battle-tested in the courtroom but deeply compassionate in the conference room. Whether we are fighting for a single family or changing laws that protect the entire community, our mission is the same: to deliver justice when it matters most.
You’ve come to the right place. Meet the team that will fight for you.
Our Attorneys
Our Team
Kim Cecil
Kim joined the firm in 2018. She has more than 25 years of experience as a paralegal and has spent the majority of her career helping injured victims. Prior to joining Cooper Elliott, Kim worked for a variety of well-respected law firms in Columbus, Ohio preparing legal documents, investigating injury cases and providing litigation and client support to injured victims.
Sommer Donnelly
Sommer joined the firm as a paralegal in 2023. She holds a bachelor of science from the University of Cincinnati, and before Cooper Elliott she worked for several years at a medical malpractice defense firm. Sommer values helping the firm’s clients in all respects, which gives her a great sense of purpose in her work and work product.
Tammy McKinney
Tammy is the firm’s Legal Services Coordinator, serving as the primary point of contact for people seeking representation, as well as the primary contact for clients seeking updated information. Tammy also provides administrative civil litigation support to all members of the firm. Before joining Cooper Elliott in 2003, Tammy worked in various business settings.
Grady O'Brien
Jennifer O'Brien
Jennifer O’Brien joined the firm after spending more than 15 years working in civil litigation and legal support roles. Much of her career has focused on medical malpractice, wrongful death and complex litigation matters. Prior to joining Cooper Elliott, Jennifer worked for law firms and public offices in the Cincinnati area, where she assisted attorneys with trial preparation, medical record review, client communication and overall case management.
Sophie Rice-Williams
Sophie joined the firm as a paralegal in 2024. She values making real differences in our clients’ lives and facilitating change on a larger scale within the legal system. Sophie holds a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University, and before joining Cooper Elliott she worked at another law firm for several years representing injured people.
Kat Royal
Paralegal
Kat joined the firm as a paralegal in 2025 and brings extensive experience supporting complex litigation matters across multiple practice areas. She holds a Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and a post-degree professional certificate in paralegal studies from Cuyahoga Community College. Kat takes pride in providing thorough, detail-oriented support to attorneys and clients alike, and finds purpose in helping matters move efficiently toward resolution.
Lori Lindsey Smurr
Lori has been the Office Administrator for Cooper Elliott since its inception in 1995. Lori is responsible for all administrative operations of the firm. In addition to her administrative role, Lori also provides litigation support to the firm and is the primary point of contact for the firm’s vendors and consultants.
Michael Tonovitz
Michael joined the firm as a paralegal in 2021. He specializes in client relations, investigations, and other litigation support. Michael began his paralegal career in 2016 after graduating with honors from Capital Law School’s ABA-accredited paralegal program. Before that, he worked in the service industry for nearly ten years.