Employment Law Update in Wisconsin

Nadia L. Gonzalez

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

• Associate at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
• Advises businesses on a range of matters affecting the employer-employee relationship
• Before joining the firm, she was a summer associate at the firm, and she also completed a legal externship with the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois
• Previously worked as a legal clerk for a Wisconsin-based insurance company, where she worked closely with in-house counsel to analyze and provide guidance on legal issues involving human resources matters, compliance, contracts, litigation avoidance, and other issues
• J.D. degree, University of Wisconsin Law School; B.A. degree in political science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Can be contacted at 608-416-1701 or [email protected]

Kurt F. Ellison

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Kurt Ellison

• Associate at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
• Counsels’ clients on a variety of labor and employment and business-related matters with a concentration in employment litigation and workplace safety. He represents employers in both civil and criminal matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts and before administrative agencies. Kurt advises and defends clients in matters regarding employment, workplace safety (OSHA), wage and hour disputes, labor disputes, construction litigation, insurance, municipal law, and contractual matters When circumstances warrant, Kurt takes cases to trial and wins
• Recent representations include: Co-counsel in a complex seven day jury trial that resulted in a $625,000 verdict for the client, Represented a large employer against federal collective and class action wage and hour suit; achieved denial of certification of both collective and class action claims and subsequent resolution of remaining individual claim for client, Represented municipality and citizens of subdivision against contractors who built a defective roadway; after defeating several motions, obtained significant recovery for municipality through settlement
• Prior to joining Michael Best,he practiced in the areas of employment, business, and insurance litigation at several Wisconsin law firms. While earning his law degree, he interned for the Honorable Diane E. Sykes in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Earlier, he completed a judicial internship with the Honorable William M. Conley of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
• Member, American Bar Association, HR Committee Member, American Players Theatre (APT)
• Marquette University Law School, Juris Doctor (J.D.), magna cum laude, 2013; Articles Editor, Marquette Law Review and Alpha Sigma Nu, the National Jesuit Honor Society, University of Wisconsin, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), 2010; Political Science
• 608-283-0104 or [email protected]

Holly E. Courtney

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Holly Courtney

• Partner at Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
• Practice focuses on labor and employment disputes and counsel; as a litigator, mounts forceful and persuasive defenses before federal and state courts and administrative agencies on behalf of employers; as an advisor, helps management develop and maintain compliant employee policies
• Includes issues related to discrimination, including harassment and retaliation; drug and alcohol testing; employee leave; wage and hour law; workers’ compensation; unemployment insurance; the National Labor Relations Act; restrictive covenants; employee handbooks and policies and separation and severance agreements
• Prior to joining the firm, judicial intern to the Hon. David T. Prosser, Jr. with the Wisconsin Supreme court, Hon. Richard J. Sankovitz of the Milwaukee County Circuit Court; also served as a mediator in the Milwaukee County Circuit Court Small Claims Division
• J.D., cum laude, Marquette University Law School; B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 608-283-0121 or [email protected]