Employment Law & Regulations

Kristyn Hurley is a Senior Human Resource Consultant for Berkshire Associates Inc. As an expert in compliance, Kristyn has partnered with hundreds of companies, of all sizes and industries, to accomplish their affirmative action and EEO compliance objectives. With over fifteen years experience, Kristyn has successfully provided Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) audit support, salary analyses, personnel action reviews, and HR strategic, functional, and planning assistance to Berkshire’s clients throughout the country. Her diverse skill set extends beyond compliance to include special training in traditional and Internet recruiting, behavioral interviewing, and new hire employment negotiations. Other areas include workforce analyses, compensation, employment policy development, and succession planning.

Dana Cotham is an attorney, law professor, and nationally-sought after speaker.   Dana considers herself a workplace advocate and enjoys making complicated employment law issues easy to understand.  She provides customized, in-house training and public seminars to her clients throughout the United States discussing human resources and employment law topics including the FMLA, ADA, Sexual Harassment, and Retaliation.  Dana has written policies and procedures for both large and small employers including the Nevada Supreme Court. 

Mark Toth has served as Chief Legal Officer of ManpowerGroup’s U.S. operations since 2000. He is a recognized expert on legal issues affecting the U.S. workplace and has been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Business Week, 60 Minutes and many others. His award-winning employment law blog was recently named one of the Ten Best Corporate Blogs in the World. He has been named to SHRM’s national Top Ten Highest Rated Speakers list each of the past two years and is the former Chair of the American Staffing Association.

Christine Zebrowski is an Employment Lawyer, Arbitrator, Mediator and Trainer. She is an experienced legal practitioner in the employment law field and has served as an Associate Attorney for the law firm of LeBouef, Lamb, Green and MacRae (now Dewey & LeBoeuf), as in-house employment counsel for the National Geographic Society, and in her current role as the Owner of her own employment law boutique firm, Overbrook Law. Her experience in alternative dispute resolution includes serving as an Arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, as a Mediator for the District of Columbia Superior Court, and as a representative of both plaintiffs and defendants in many forms of ADR. She also created a company-wide ADR program for the resolution of employment law disputes while serving as in-house counsel for the National Geographic Society, which is in its seventh year of successful operation.

Matthew Effland is the Vice President – Employment Counsel for KAR Auction Services, Inc.  KAR is a provider of vehicle auction services in North America, facilitating the used vehicle marketplace by providing auction services for sellers of used, or whole car, vehicles and salvage vehicles through its auction locations and multiple internet venues. The Company has a network of 65 whole car auction locations and 164 salvage auction locations, as well as offering a variety of online and financing services.  In his role, Matt provides guidance and support to KAR’s Human Resources department, drawing on his 14 years of management-side private practice.  Matt is licensed in both California and Indiana, and is the author of the recently-published SHRM Book ”The Perils and Pitfalls of California Employment Law: A Guide for HR Professionals.”

Whitney Warner, SPHR is a Partner with the labor and employment law firm of Moody & Warner, P.C. Her practice includes representation of both employers and employees. Ms. Warner was named one of the Best of the Bar 2010 by New Mexico Business Weekly. She was awarded the 2009 Professional Excellence Award by SHRM of NM, the state’s top honor in the HR field. Ms. Warner and the firm are recognized by “Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” as leaders in employment law in New Mexico. She has been recognized in "Southwest Super Lawyers," a listing of the top 5% of lawyers based on peer nominations. She has been active volunteer leader in local, state and national SHRM activities.

Samir Luther is a Program Director at the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute, the nation’s leading organization that identifies, trains and supports openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender public officials. From 2004-2010, Samir authored the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index and State of the Workplace for LGBT Americans. He has worked with leading Fortune 1000 and AmLaw 200 firms to create innovative approaches to recruit and retain talented LGBT workers. Samir is a frequent speaker on same-sex partner and spousal benefits and transgender inclusion and, in 2010, he joined the Society for Human Resource Management’s Workforce Diversity Panel.

Robert A. Boonin is a member of the national law firm of Dykema Gossett and is based in its Ann Arbor office. Rob is an honors graduate from The University of Michigan Law School, holds a Masters in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University, and a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  Practicing law for nearly 40 years, Rob has litigated employment law matters before federal and state courts across the nation, handles all forms of union matters for employers, and regularly counsels clients on such issues as discrimination, FMLA compliance, and wage and hour law. 

Rob is a recognized leader in his field.  For instance, he is: on the Chambers USA list of top employment law attorneys; listed as a Best Lawyer in Employment Law; repeatedly recognized as one of Michigan’s “Super Lawyers”; a Fellow and a Past-President of the Litigation Counsel of America; a Past Chair of  the national Wage and Hour Defense Institute; a Past Chair of the Michigan Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section; and a Fellow of the distinguished American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  Rob also in an immediate past-chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee (which covers FLSA matters), and serves as an Editor of the most recognized authority on the FLSA, the Bloomberg BNA legal treatise – The Fair Labor Standards Act.

 

Robert A. Boonin is a member of the national law firm of Dykema Gossett and is based in its Ann Arbor office. Rob is an honors graduate from The University of Michigan Law School, holds a Masters in Labor and Industrial Relations from Michigan State University, and a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.  Practicing law for nearly 40 years, Rob has litigated employment law matters before federal and state courts across the nation, handles all forms of union matters for employers, and regularly counsels clients on such issues as discrimination, FMLA compliance, and wage and hour law. 

Rob is a recognized leader in his field.  For instance, he is: on the Chambers USA list of top employment law attorneys; listed as a Best Lawyer in Employment Law; repeatedly recognized as one of Michigan’s “Super Lawyers”; a Fellow and a Past-President of the Litigation Counsel of America; a Past Chair of  the national Wage and Hour Defense Institute; a Past Chair of the Michigan Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section; and a Fellow of the distinguished American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.  Rob also in an immediate past-chair of the American Bar Association’s Federal Labor Standards Legislation Committee (which covers FLSA matters), and serves as an Editor of the most recognized authority on the FLSA, the Bloomberg BNA legal treatise – The Fair Labor Standards Act.