Affiliations

• American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Section)
  • Member, Employee Benefits, Equal Employment Opportunity and Individual Employee Rights Committees
• Federal Bar Association (Eastern District of Michigan)
• State Bar of Michigan
  

Representative Engagements

• El Paso Tennessee Pipeline Company v. Yolton, Supreme Court No. 06-201 (US Chamber, NAM and ABC amicus)
• Hampton et al. v. Henry Ford Health System et al, 2005 WL 2246928 (USDC ED MI)
  (summary judgment in favor of defendants in cash balance plan design class action; plaintiffs agreed not to appeal if defendants withdrew motion for fees)
• Regal Tharp (EEOC Complaint 2004)
  (dismissal of systemic age discrimination complaint involving cash balance plan and comparatively younger transitioned workers)
• Bittinger et al. v. Tecumseh Products, 83 F. Supp.2d 851 (ED MI 1998)
  (summary judgment in favor of defendants in retiree insurance class action involving collectively bargained employees from briefs prepared before accepting client’s invitation to come in-house)
• Spaulding et al. v. Tecumseh Products USDC ED MI 1996
  (summary judgment in favor of defendants in retiree insurance class action involving collectively bargained employees; plaintiffs agreed not to appeal if defendants withdrew motion for fees)
• Edwards v. IBM, USDC ED MI 1994
  (summary judgment in favor of defendants in ITO II (voluntary EROP) case)
• Fontella et al. v. Allied Signal, USDC ED MI 1990
  (retiree insurance class action voluntarily dismissed by UAW after discovery and interviews of company’s chief economic spokesman)
• Fontaine, Paase et al. v. MichCon, USDC ED MI 1988
  (summary judgment in favor of defendants in breach of fiduciary duty litigation)
• UAW et al. v. Tecumseh Products, USDC ND Ohio 1986
  (settlement by consent hearing after summary judgment motions filed)

Presentations

• ERISA Preemption and Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act, MCLE Conference (June 2007)
• Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act and ERISA Preemption, MCLE Conference (June 2006)
• ERISA Litigation, Lorman Education Services (June 2004)
• He Said; She Said – Trends in Sexual Harassment Litigation, National CLE Conference Labor and Employment Law, Law Education Institute and BNA, Vail, Colorado (1998)
• Diversity in the Work Place, National CLE Conference Labor & Employment Law, Law Education Institute and BNA, Vail Colorado (1997)
• Till Death Do Us Part?: Modification of Retiree Insurance Benefits, Institute of Continuing Legal Education 19th Annual Labor and Employment Law Seminar, Detroit, Michigan (1994)

Recognition

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America
• Listed in Chambers USA:  America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
• Listed in Who’s Who Legal USA:  Management Labour & Employment
• Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
• Member by invitation, American Employment Law Council

Professional Appointments

• Chair, Sixth Circuit Credentials Committee, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, 2004-2006 
• State Bar of Michigan Committee on Legal Standards and Professional Responsibilities, 2002-2006
• State Bar of Michigan Model Personnel Policies Committee, 1996-2006
• Institute of Continuing Legal Education Labor Advisory Board, 1996-2006
• Management Co-Chair, ABA Labor Section Individual Employee Rights Committee, (ERISA Subcommittee, past Management Co-Chair, Plant Closing and Reduction-in-Force Subcommittee
• Management Co-Chair and Corporate Co-Chair, ABA Labor Section
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, ABA/EEOC
    Liaison Committee, 1996-2006
• Law Clerk, Hon. Charles L. Levin, Michigan Supreme Court

Community Service

• Member of Board of Trustees, Oakland Mediation Center, 2000-2006
• Member of Board of Trustees, Suzuki Royal Oak, 1997-2000