Ogletree Deakins Elects 15 New Shareholders

ATLANTA, GA – February 2, 2010 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), the nation’s third-largest labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce the following 15 attorneys were voted shareholders at the firm’s Annual Shareholders Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on January 31: Frank Davis of the firm’s Austin office; Michelle Arendt of the firm’s Cleveland office; W. Kyle Dillard of the firm’s Greenville office; John Henning, IV and Robert Seidler, Jr. of the firm’s Indianapolis office; Chris Pace of the firm’s Kansas City office; David Fishman of the firm’s Los Angeles office; Tom Rattay and Evan Shenkman of the firm’s Morristown office; Leah Freed of the firm’s Phoenix office; Bernhard Mueller of the firm’s Raleigh office; Dawn Knepper of the firm’s San Antonio office; Danielle Ochs-Tollitson of the firm’s San Francisco office; Ignacio Garcia of the firm’s Tampa office; and Melissa Bailey of the firm’s Washington D.C. office. 

Frank Davis, of the firm’s Austin office, practices exclusively in the area of labor and employment law.  In addition to counseling clients on a broad range of labor and employment issues, Davis’ litigation practice has included appearances in both federal and state court throughout Texas.  He earned his J.D. from Southern Methodist University in 2001 and a B.A. from the University of North Texas in 1991. 
 
Michelle Arendt, of the firm’s Cleveland office, focuses her practice on employment and labor law and, in particular, civil rights litigation.  She litigates claims of wrongful discharge, harassment and discrimination for both public and private sector employers. She counsels employers on employment practices and compliance with employment-related statutes and regulations.  Arendt earned her J.D., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 1998 and a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Dayton in 1994.    

Kyle Dillard, of the firm’s Greenville office, focuses his practice on litigation, both in state and federal courts and he also devotes a significant portion of his time to counseling clients who seek to proactively identify best practices and develop legally sound policies and procedures.  Dillard received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2001 and a B.A., cum laude, from Furman University in 1995.

John Henning, IV, of the firm’s Indianapolis office, concentrates his practice in employment litigation, including all types of civil rights and employment-related claims.  Henning also has significant experience in business and product liability litigation, having represented numerous Fortune 500 companies in numerous federal and state courts across the country.  Henning earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2001 and received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Texas Christian University in 1996.  

Robert Seidler, Jr., of the firm’s Indianapolis office, devotes his practice to serving as an advocate for employers in a range of employment and labor law matters with an emphasis on the representation of management in the arbitration of grievances under collective bargaining agreements, in employment discrimination claims, and before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  He received his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 2001 and a B.A. from Butler University in 1998. 

Chris Pace, of the firm’s Kansas City office, represents management in a variety of employment disputes before federal and state courts, administrative agencies, and before various arbitral tribunals.  He also provides human resources counseling advice to employers on employee relations issues.  Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Pace served as lead in-house employment litigation counsel to a Fortune 50 company.  Pace received his J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1995 and B.A. from the University of Kansas in 1992. 

David Fishman, of the firm’s Los Angeles office, handles all facets of the litigation process in labor and employment disputes.  He has defended employers against charges of race, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, and disability discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, and defamation.  Fishman also has experience defending employers in wage and hour class actions.  He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California in 2001 and a B.A. from Emory University in 1998. 

Tom Rattay, of the firm’s Morristown office, has conducted bench and jury trials in federal and state courts, mediations, and arbitrations and appeals in a wide variety of employment matters.  He has also handled litigation involving claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as well as cases concerning restrictive covenants, theft of trade secrets and unfair competition.  Rattay received his J.D. from the New England School of Law in 1996 and a B.A. from Susquehanna University in 1991.

Evan Shenkman, of the firm’s Morristown office, defends employers in state and federal courts and agencies against allegations of race, age, sex, and disability discrimination and harassment, as well as defamation, negligence, and various other common law claims.  He also provides traditional labor advice, and represents employers before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and in labor arbitrations.  Shenkman earned his J.D., cum laude, from Boston College Law School in 2001 and a B.S. from Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations in 1998.

Leah Freed, of the firm’s Phoenix office, represents both public and private sector employers in all aspects of labor and employment litigation.  She also advises employers with respect to litigation avoidance and compliance with state and federal employment laws to avoid wrongful termination, sexual and racial harassment, retaliation and discrimination lawsuits.  Freed received her J.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2001 and a B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Arizona 1998.

Bernhard Mueller, of the firm’s Raleigh office, assists U.S. and foreign companies in obtaining temporary, non-immigrant “work visas” and permanent immigrant visas based on the multinational executive and manager, labor certification, and outstanding researcher strategies.  Mueller earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2001, a MIBS (Master in International Business Studies), cum laude, from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business in 2001, and a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of South Carolina in 1995.

Dawn Knepper, of the firm’s San Antonio office, is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and is licensed in both Texas and California.  She represents employers in all aspects of employment law, including employment litigation and counseling.  She advises and defends clients in federal and state employment-related lawsuits and agency claims, including actions alleging discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.  Knepper received her J.D., with honors, from Golden Gate University School of Law in 2000 and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996.

Danielle Ochs-Tollitson, of the firm’s San Francisco office, is an experienced civil litigator with an emphasis on the defense of employment-related claims in federal and state trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies.  Her experience includes successfully defending employers in both jury and bench trials and in arbitration proceedings.  She earned her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1995 and a B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1991.

Ignacio J. Garcia, of the firm’s Tampa office, provides counseling and litigation services on employment and equal employment opportunity issues.  He advises clients on matters under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other federal and state employment laws.  Garcia received his J.D. from the Florida State University College of Law in 2000 and a B.S., magna cum laude, from Florida State University in 1997.

Melissa Bailey, of the firm’s Washington D.C. office, has an extensive background in government relations and labor and employment law, including substantial litigation experience in occupational safety and health matters.  She represents employers in a wide range of industries, including chemical, manufacturing, mining, construction, automotive, health and hospitality services.  Earlier in her career, Bailey served as Labor and Employment Counsel to the Senate Committee on Small Business, then chaired by Senator Kit Bond (R-MO).  Bailey earned an LL.M. (Labor and Employment Law) from Georgetown University Law Center in 1995, a J.D. from Kansas University Law School in 1994, and a  B.A. from Northwestern University in 1990.

With the addition of these 15 shareholders, Ogletree Deakins now has 264 shareholders firm-wide.

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 450 lawyers located in 37 offices across the United States.  In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, 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.