I enjoy wine, cooking, and experimenting with new foods. Because of my family background, I make a lot of Creole dishes (and frequently invite friendly folks over to enjoy them). My other passions include reading, traveling, all-things, Harry Potter, spending time with my friends, and being at the beck-and-call of my dog, Bronko.
“I always appreciate the opportunity to take on and solve a good legal puzzle. Labor and employment litigation offers an ideal intersection of intellectual challenge, human behavior, and real-world consequences. Juries respond to clear stories, honest framing, and advocacy that respects their intelligence—and that is where I do my best work.”
Setara Ozan is a Senior Trial Counsel who has spent her life preparing for the courtroom—long before she ever entered law school. Beginning when she captained the mock trial and debate teams in high school, Setara has always gravitated toward advocacy, persuasion, and the disciplined craft of trial work.
Setara defends employers in complex labor and employment litigation, representing clients in workplace discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination matters in state and federal courts nationwide. She is a seasoned jury trial lawyer who has tried cases to verdict across multiple jurisdictions and regularly conducts mock trials to prepare clients for high-stakes litigation.
To sharpen her trial skills, Setara spent her early practice years handling catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. In that practice, she tried, mock-tried, and arbitrated complex cases which allowed her to develop deep experience in high-exposure litigation, expert-driven cases, and emotionally charged factual narratives. This background informs her strategic approach today—particularly in cases involving credibility disputes, damages narratives, and juror psychology.
In the courtroom, Setara is known for her confident, steady presence, biting cross-examinations, and her ability to translate complex facts into compelling, accessible narratives. She combines rigorous preparation with dynamic presentation techniques, using tone, movement, analogy, and visual storytelling to educate and persuade juries. Her approach reflects her belief that effective advocacy is rooted not in theatrics, but in clarity, credibility, and respect for the fact-finder.
Setara is deeply committed to legal education and mentorship. She served for more than ten years as a national trial team coach at Cumberland School of Law and was an adjunct professor teaching Basic Skills in Trial Advocacy. She recently taught at Samford University Cumberland School of Law from 2016 through 2024, experiences that sharpen her ability to think on her feet, respond to evolving trial dynamics, and communicate effectively with diverse audiences.
She also advises employers on preventative policies and procedures designed to foster healthy workplace cultures and mitigate litigation risk. In this work, Setara brings a nuanced, practical understanding of workplace dynamics—particularly in the context of modern social awareness movements. Based on Setara’s life experiences, she is uniquely qualified to offer a pragmatic understanding of what constitutes discrimination, as distinct from conduct that may be unpleasant but not illegal.
Outside of the courtroom, Setara enjoys cooking, traveling, true crime, and Harry Potter. Her ferocious trial persona rarely follows her outside of the courtroom, where she generally prefers puppies over people.