• Admitted to the Indiana Bar and U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Indiana
• Admitted to the Wisconsin Bar and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin

• American, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Indianapolis Bar Associations
• Indiana Rural Health Association
• Indiana Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration

Results:

• After more than a year of litigation in which health care system was represented by another law firm, called in to take lead in multi-plaintiff retaliation case against system’s long term care facility.  In less than 45 days, got up to speed on facts and law; re-interviewed witnesses; and filed affidavits, amended answer/defenses, motions and briefs, resulting in court’s entry of judgment for employer.
• Negotiated with U.S. Department of Labor to limit scope of proposed hospital-wide wage and hour audit and successfully argued employer’s case such that question of liability ultimately was limited to only one employee.
• By using creative pleading/counterclaims, promptly resolved claims of national origin, race/ethnicity, and disability discrimination—and various constitutional claims—by anesthesiologist at the earliest stages of federal court litigation, thereby saving hospital the substantial costs, time, and inconvenience associated with litigation involving a former physician.
• In class action wage case involving more than 100 potential plaintiffs, successfully argued for court order to have matter decided by arbitration rather than a jury trial.
• Assisted lead counsel in case that resulted in a hospital successfully defending extremely short response time for on-call EMTs without having all on call time considered compensable hours worked.

Creative Solutions:

1. Trained managers and helped create and implement a system of more thorough pre-employment screening; ADA-compliant applicant and employee medical examinations; FMLA-compliant policy provisions concerning notice, required documentation, and meeting deadlines; and temporary work assignment program, all geared toward reducing the substantial expenses associated with absenteeism by injured or ill employees.
2. With very little law as guidance at the time, successfully assisted in steering through Title VII, ADA, and other legal issues associated with physician who had gender identity order.
3. In a matter made more complex by attorney’s allegations of race discrimination and continued monitoring, helped establish parameters for remainder of physician’s contractual term of employment, and transition from employment, in a manner that protected patient care while avoiding a retaliation claim.

Managing Change:

1. Provided training and guidance to managers and supervisors to address challenges of moving to new, much larger facility, including preparing new job descriptions to reflect new expectations and physical demands; modifying performance evaluations to address new expectations; re-evaluating the effectiveness of current accommodations to workers with impairments; and adding, reducing and changing staff in various areas.
2. Provided counsel in executive team meetings, helped supervise the review and analysis of workforce data for potential discrimination/retaliation claims, and assisted in the preparation of separation agreements as part of a major workforce reduction.  Trained mangers and supervisors on communication to employees and the public about the business reasons for the reductions, a particular challenge considering, during the same time period, rumors were flourishing about the employer's purchase of another large entity.
3. Provided counsel throughout process of reclassifying exempt status of substantial segment of large employer’s workforce to help comply with federal and state wage and hour laws, including training of executive and management teams and preparation of communications to employees, thereby reducing risk of class action and financially devastating award of up to three times back pay over a multi-year period, plus employees’ attorneys fees.

Recent Speeches:

• December 14, 2011:  Jackson County HR Group - "Why Can't We Be Friends? (And Other Questions About Employee Use of Social Media)"
• June 8, 2011:  Indiana Rural Health Association - "Dealing with the Injured/Ill Employee"
• September 14, 2010:  Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association (South Central Indiana Chapter)—“Mortgage Loan Officers and Federal Wage Hour Law”
• July 20, 2010:  Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association (Michiana Chapter)—“Mortgage Loan Officers and Federal Wage Hour Law”
• July 20, 2010: Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association (Northeast Indiana Chapter)—“Mortgage Loan Officers and Federal Wage Hour Law”
• July 13, 2010: Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association (Greater Indianapolis Chapter)—“Mortgage Loan Officers and Federal Wage Hour Law”
• June 9, 2010:  Logansport Area Personnel Association--“Federal Health Care Reform: A Reference Guide for Employers”
• March 4, 2010: Indiana Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration—“Employee Use of Social Media”
• February 25, 2010:  Indiana State Bar Association, Health Law Symposium (Continuing Legal Education for Attorneys)--“Drafting Covenants Not to Compete for Indiana Physicians”
• February 17, 2010:  Indianapolis Bar Association (Continuing Legal Education for Attorneys)--“Drafting Covenants Not to Compete”
• January 5, 2010:  Logansport Area Personnel Association--“Documenting Employment Concerns: Counseling and Discharge”

• Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Lives in Indianapolis with wife and son

• Hiking with son
• Watching football and baseball
• Exercise
• Travel
• Grilling