Ogletree Deakins Names Three New Managing Shareholders

Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Indianapolis Offices Elevate Attorneys to Leadership Role

ATLANTA, GA – February 18, 2011 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that three of the firm’s 40 offices have new managing shareholders – James Pennington in Birmingham; Michelle LeBeau in Bloomfield Hills; and Kristin Keltner in Indianapolis.   
 
Pennington, a native of Alabama, has been representing employers for more than 20 years. He has been heavily involved in firm-wide process improvement, litigation support and e-discovery initiatives to help enhance quality, consistency and efficiency in the delivery of legal services. His practice focuses on defending employers in court and administrative cases, assisting employers in their relations with employees and unions, and handling a variety of legal matters related to higher education. Pennington’s litigation experience includes a broad range of employment-related issues, including discrimination, labor strikes, collective bargaining agreements, employment contracts, class actions, wage and hour disputes, trade secrets, non-compete agreements, and employee benefits.
 
LeBeau has more than 15 years of legal experience and has been practicing employment law exclusively since 1998. She focuses her practice on litigation defense and counseling in the employment arena. She has broad experience in litigating matters before courts and administrative agencies, including federal, state trial and appellate courts, administrative agencies including the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and both the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth and United States Department of Labor as well as in arbitrations and mediations.  LeBeau is also a frequent speaker and lecturer on topics relating to employment law where she presents to legal and human resources professionals. She is also an author of the Equal Pay Act Annual Report for the American Bar Association.

Keltner concentrates her practice in employment litigation. She defends businesses before administrative agencies and in federal and state court, involving all manner of civil rights and other employment-related claims. Keltner also regularly presents training seminars to management and human resources professionals regarding a variety of employment law issues. Her clients regularly rely on her to guide them through difficult personnel issues prior to litigation erupting. She is co-author of the book, Indiana Guide to Preventing Workplace Harassment, which is published by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is the nation’s third-largest labor and employment law firm, representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 500 lawyers located in 40 offices across the United States. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, construction, employee benefits, environmental, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, including more than half of the Fortune 50 corporations in the United States. For more information, please contact Ryan King, public relations manager, at (404) 870-1742.