Kathy Graves has more than 30 years of experience representing management in all areas of employment and labor relations, including state and federal employment litigation and in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Her wealth of experience benefits her clients in all areas of employment-related matters.

• Represents management in all areas of labor and employment law and litigation.
• Serves as lead counsel in all phases of litigation, including appellate argument.
• Regularly represents employers in the investigation and defense of charges of discrimination filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
• Represents employers in defending actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Represents employers in whistleblower retaliation actions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Acts.
• Counsels employers in making employment decisions, including hiring, promotion and discharge, and in complying with various federal and state statutes and regulations affecting the employment relationship.
• Assists employers in developing sound personnel policies and handbooks.
• Counsels clients on a broad spectrum of employment related issues, including employment and separation agreements, restrictive covenants and reductions-in-force.

Professional Recognition

• Premier Employment Lawyers: Exclusive Featured Attorney for Little Rock, AR (2020)
• Chambers USA: Ranked in Labor & Employment in Arkansas (2004-2020)
• The Best Lawyers in America©:  Employment Law – Management (2011-2020)
• The Best Lawyers in America©:  Labor Law – Management (2011-2020)
• The Best Lawyers in America©:  Litigation – Labor and Employment (2011-2020)
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in Little Rock since 1995
• Mid-South Super Lawyers Top 50 Arkansas: 2018, 2019
• Mid-South Super Lawyers Top 50 Women: 2018, 2019
• Mid-South Super Lawyers: Employment & Labor (2006-2019)
• Arkansas Business Top 100 Women in Arkansas (1996)
• Gayle Pettus Pontz Award (1990)

Representative Experience

• Singer v. Harris, 897 F.3d 970, 973 (8th Cir. 2018) (disability and defamation)
• Patrick v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 2016 Ark. App. 221, 489 S.W.3d 683 (2016) (malicious prosecution)
• Brown v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 36 F. Supp. 3d 810 (W.D. Ark. 2014) (race discrimination)
• Busch v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., No. 5:12-CV-05079, 2014 WL 2086086 (W.D. Ark. 2014) (disability and failure to accommodate)
• Maumelle Med. Clinics, Inc. v. Wal-Mart Stores Arkansas, LLC, 492 F. App’x 709 (8th Cir. 2012) (discrimination claim under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981 and 1982 and state law)
• Ellison v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., No. 11-5070, 2012 WL 11213322 (W.D. Ark. 2012) (sex discrimination and retaliation)
• Birmingham v. AIG Life Ins. Co., No. 06-CV-4019, 2009 WL 982050 (W.D. Ark. 2009) (ERISA disability claim)
• Adams v. Tyson Foods, Inc., 433 F. App’x 487 (8th Cir. 2011) (age discrimination)
• Roeben v. BG Excelsior Ltd. P’ship, 2009 Ark. App. 646, 11, 344 S.W.3d 93, 100 (2009)(defamation)
• Clinkenbeard v. Air Transp. Int’l, Inc., 2006 WL 3735976 (E.D. Ark. 2006) (age discrimination)

Education

• Southern Methodist University J.D. (1975) Order of the Coif, Southwestern Law Journal
• Rhodes College B.A. (1972)

Involvement

• Fellow, American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
• Member, Litigation Counsel of America
• Member, American Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law and Litigation Section
• Member, Arkansas Bar Association – Labor and Employment Law Section
• Member, Pulaski County Bar Association
• Fellow, Arkansas Bar Foundation

For 65 years, Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. has been a progressive leader in the legal community. We are a full-service corporate law firm that provides strategic, comprehensive legal services to help clients achieve their goals. We work as advocates and partners to help our clients meet the variety of legal needs required to succeed in today’s complex, competitive business environment.

With our 90 attorneys and four offices in Arkansas and Texas, we operate with a streamlined approach to build the most effective and skillful team possible for every client. Our team of lawyers offer a depth of knowledge and diverse professional experience, stemming from distinguished careers in government, business and law. Our trial lawyers are recognized for representing national companies across diverse industry sectors in their most important litigation matters. Our team of corporate lawyers consistently handle many of the largest transactions in the State of Arkansas and regionally bringing experience, skill, and focused client service to every deal. Our insurance regulatory practice is one of the preeminent practices in the United States and the distinguished team of lawyers handle regulatory issues for insurance industry clients in all 50 states and D.C. When a multitude of distinct skills are needed, our team draws on the resources of a full-service firm to provide the regulatory, litigation and business pieces that a complex matter sometimes requires.

For 65 years, we’ve valued our solid, long-term relationships with our clients above all else- they are the core of who we are.

Laura Thalacker is the co-founder of Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd., a labor and employment and commercial litigation firm located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Laura has been practicing employment law and litigation for over 25 years. Prior to founding Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. with her longtime friend and colleague, Doreen Spears Hartwell, Laura worked for over 17 years at Nevada’s largest law firm, where she was a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department. Laura is ranked in Chambers USA 2020, and has been included in The Best Lawyers in America since 2010. She was awarded Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” honors by Best Lawyers in 2015 (Employment Law-Management), 2016 (Litigation-Labor and Employment) and 2018 (Employment Law-Management). She is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale Hubbell  and, in 2013, was recognized as one of the “Top 50 Women Attorneys” in Mountain States Super Lawyers. 

Laura focuses on representing employers in Nevada, throughout the U.S., and worldwide in employment law matters. She is certified by both the Society for Human Resources Management and the Human Resources Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in human resources. Using her unique combination of practical human resources experience and skills, as well in-depth knowledge of labor and employment law, Laura takes a pro-active, preventative, and strategic approach to helping clients comply with a myriad of complex, and sometimes contradictory, federal and state employment laws. Laura takes prides in her accessible and down-to-earth approach with clients, her ability to explain complex legal issues in practical and understandable terms, and her skills in listening to clients and understanding and achieving their objectives for legal representation.

In the area of human resources compliance and counseling, Laura advises employers on a wide array of workplace issues including discipline and termination, reductions in force, leaves of absence, prevention of discrimination and harassment, social media use, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, drug testing, confidentiality and non-competes. Laura also drafts employee handbooks, policies, and employment contracts. She further provides training to employees, managers, and executives on various human resources topics.

In addition to working with employers on legal compliance and litigation prevention, Laura defends employers in employment-related litigation in Nevada state and federal courts. Laura has represented employers in a variety of cases, including litigation alleging discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, violation of leave of absence laws, wage and hour violations, breach of contract, and non-compete and trade secret violations. In her administrative practice, she defends employers before federal and state agencies such as the EEOC, the Nevada Equal Rights Commission, the United States Department of Labor, and the Office of the Nevada Labor Commissioner.

Laura is a past Chairperson of the State Bar of Nevada’s Labor and Employment Section, and is former Chairperson of the State Bar of Nevada’s Publications Committee. Laura is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of employment law topics for Bar Association, client, and community events. She is an active member of, and from 2016-2019, served on the Labor & Employment Steering Committee of IR Global, a worldwide network of legal and business professionals. Laura has participated in a number of IR Global “Virtual Series” publications, and contributes to “Practical Law” in the area of non-competes. She also provides pro bono legal services for non-profit organizations, including serving as legal counsel for the Nevada Land Trust and the Rape Crisis Center of Southern Nevada.

Education

B.A. (summa cum laude), Political Science and Women’s Studies, Wartburg College (1991)

J.D. (with high distinction), University of Iowa College of Law (1994)

Admissions & Certifications

• State Bar of Nevada (1994)
• United States District Court, District of Nevada (1994)
• United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (1997)
• Certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (2014-present) (Human Resources Certification Institute)
• Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources (2015-present) (Society for Human Resources Management)

Memberships

• Labor and Employment Section, State Bar of Nevada
• Litigation Section, State Bar of Nevada
• Labor and Employment Section, American Bar Association
• Society for Human Resources Management
• IR Global Labor and Employment Steering Committee (2016-2019)
• Former Regional Vice-Chair (North America), Lex Mundi Global Labor and Employment Practice Group

Select Honors

• 2020 Premier Employment Lawyers – Exclusive Featured Attorney for Las Vegas – NV
• Ranked in Chambers USA 2020 (Labor & Employment)
• 2018 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law-Management, The Best Lawyers in America
• 2016 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation-Labor and Employment, The Best Lawyers in America
• 2015 Las Vegas “Lawyer of the Year” for Employment Law-Management, The Best Lawyers in America
• Best Lawyers in America – Employment Law (Management); Labor Law (Management); and Litigation–Labor and Employment (2010-present)
• Top 50 Women Lawyers, Mountain States Super Lawyers (2013)
• Las Vegas Top Employment Lawyer-Management, Vegas, Inc. (2012)
• AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell

Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd.

Laura Thalacker and Doreen Spears Hartwell joined together in 2014 to form Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. after working together for nearly 15 years, first as associates and then as partners, in the litigation department of Nevada’s then largest law firm. A strong foundation built on friendship and trust, coupled with more than 45 years of combined legal experience, give Laura and Doreen a solid base from which to serve their clients in Southern Nevada and beyond.

Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. is a well-known and respected labor and employment law and commercial litigation firm. In 2017, the Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association honored the firm as its “Law Firm of the Year.” For the past several years, US News & World Report and The Best Lawyers in America has recognized Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. as a “Tier 1” Las Vegas law firm in the areas of Employment Law-Management and Litigation–Labor and Employment and “Tier 2” in Labor Law- Management and Commercial Litigation.

As a boutique employment law and business litigation firm, Hartwell Thalacker, Ltd. is able to provide its clients with the individualized attention and care their matters deserve. Laura and Doreen take a hands-on, personal approach to their work, getting to know their clients and understanding the ins and outs of their businesses. Ask their clients, and you will learn that Laura and Doreen are trusted, invaluable advisors and advocates. They take a pragmatic, common sense approach to legal representation and work side-by-side with clients to allow them to focus on growing and running their business instead of costly legal matters.

Cecilia Romero is a seasoned employment and commercial litigator representing and defending companies in litigation matters in federal and state court on harassment, discrimination, disability, retaliation, medical/military leave, wage and hour, non-competes, breaches of fiduciary duties, and breaches of contract.

In addition to her litigation work, Cecilia investigates and responds to charges of discrimination, harassment and retaliation filed with the EEOC and UALD.

She is a trusted adviser, counseling companies on all employment aspects including hiring, training, terminations, severance agreements, policy creation and implementation, employment contracts and leaves under the ADA and FMLA.

Recognition

• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business,Labor & Employment, 2017-2018
• Fellow, The Litigation Counsel of America, A Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, 2015-present
• Lexology and International Law Office, Client Choice Award, Employment & Benefits in Utah, 2018
• Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) “Top Lawyers Under 40,” 2015
• Utah State Bar Association, Raymond S. Uno Award for the Advancement of Minorities in the Legal Profession, 2013
• The Best Lawyers in America© Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Labor and Employment – Salt Lake City, 2019
• The Best Lawyers in America© Employment Law – Management, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2013-2019; Commercial Litigation, 2019
• Mountain States Super Lawyers®, “Top 50 Women”
• Mountain States Super Lawyers®, Business Litigation, 2012, 2014-2016; Employment Lit: Defense, 2017, 2018
• Mountain States Super Lawyers® Rising Stars, Business Litigation, 2008, 2009, 2011
• Utah Business Magazine, “30 Women to Watch,” 2010
• Utah Business Magazine, Utah Legal Elite, 2006-2018

HOLLAND & HART

We strive to lead our profession by giving the highest level of service and loyalty to our clients and by forging a team—lawyers, paralegals, staff, and other professionals—whose work is infused with our values.

Joe Holland and Steve Hart were highly trained lawyers who just so happened to also be Rocky Mountain climbers. In 1947 they came together to build a firm. Their philosophy was simple: keep going up, and if you get stuck, there is always another route to the top. This is where the spirit of the firm’s pioneering and innovation began.

We acknowledge a special obligation to our communities, and we actively seek and undertake opportunities for giving our skills, time, and talents to pro bono and public service activities.

We have a long-standing national reputation as a law firm committed to providing legal and civic pro bono services to non-profit organizations that help others, and to those who are indigent, downtrodden, and would otherwise go without legal help. The firm expects that its lawyers will donate a portion of their time and professional services to activities that fall within traditional notions of pro bono, charitable, civic, or educational endeavors that benefit the community at large, or the communities served by our offices.

Keith Pyburn is a partner in the firm’s New Orleans office. He has represented management in the practice of labor relations and employment law since 1975, after graduating from Tulane University School of Law in 1974 and serving as a Law Clerk to Justice John Dixon of the Louisiana Supreme Court.

He was lead counsel for Avondale Industries, Inc. in connection with responding to a union corporate campaign from 1990-1999 and served as lead counsel to PPG Industries in their successful defense of the use of paper and pencil employment tests. Cormier v. P.P.G. Industries., 702 F.2d 767 (5th Cir. 1982).

A sampling of his publications and lectures include: “Ethical Consideration in Joint Representation of Supervisors and Employers in Sexual Harassment Cases,” The Labor Lawyer, Volume 5, Number 1, Winter 1989; The Consequences of “Joint Employment”; The Implications of Sturgis and its Progeny, Southern Methodist University Multi-State Labor and Employment Law Conference, 2002; Legal and Technical Developments in the Use and Challenges to the Use of Testing in Employment, Society of Industrial and Occupational Psychologists, 2001.

Keith has been listed in The International Who’s Who of Management Labour & Employment Lawyers and named one of the City’s 50 “Outstanding Lawyers” by New Orleans CityBusiness.

He is “AV” Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized in Louisiana Super Lawyers since 2007.

Keith has also been listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers since 2002 and in The Best Lawyers in America since 1999.

He was recognized as a Litigation – ERISA Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America for 2014. He was also selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 – Labor Management Relations in 2015.

Fisher & Phillips

Some of the Savviest Employers Bring Us Their Toughest Employment Problems. Whether it’s a class action involving thousands of potential class members, a jury trial with exposure in the millions, or a union organizing effort or strike that could cripple a company, employers with their choice of employment lawyers choose Fisher Phillips to handle their most difficult and dangerous cases.

We Are Innovative, Nimble and Always Evolving. We continuously look for ways to work more efficiently and better serve our clients. Our leadership is able to make decisions quickly to direct the necessary resources to a particular challenge. We are able to propose alternative fee arrangements that make sense and we use our broad database of experience to improve our processes.

We Are A Destination Law Firm of Choice for Labor and Employment Lawyers at the Top of Their Game. Many highly successful partners have chosen to bring their practices to our firm. They have been attracted by our entrepreneurial culture, our collegial atmosphere, the opportunity to practice with other excellent lawyers, and our transparent compensation system that rewards great client service.

We Have Deep Industry Experience As Well As Subject Matter Expertise. A great lawyer who is unfamiliar with a client’s business is of limited value. We understand how our clients succeed, the business challenges they face, and how they employ people. Whether it’s manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, education, financial services, technology, retail, or other industries in which our clients compete, our labor attorneys understand the industry and speak the language.

We Operate Globally As Well As Locally. We have 32 offices and we continue to expand, and we have attorneys admitted in just about every U.S. jurisdiction. We know the local courts and agencies where we practice. We also have the resources to work seamlessly across offices to handle the most complex problems. In addition, we assist our clients with respect to global movement of employees, compliance with employment laws and codes of business ethics of other countries, and international employment contract and employee benefits issues. We have a network of local counsel on six continents with whom we partner to serve our clients anywhere in the world they operate.

Tanya A. Bovée

Firm: Jackson Lewis P.C.
Location: Hartford – CT

• 90 State House Square 8th Floor
  Hartford, CT 06103
  USA

Tanya A. Bovée is the Office Managing Principal of the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C.

Ms. Bovée helps employers resolve employment disputes and handle personnel matters, including performance management, internal investigations, and disability leave management. She regularly trains employers on myriad employment law issues. She also has an active litigation practice, defending employers from federal and state claims. Ms. Bovée also defends employers in OFCCP compliance reviews and oversees the preparation of affirmative action plans for employers around the country.

Ms. Bovée is a member of the firm’s Litigation, Disability, Leave and Health Management, Affirmative Action Practice Groups, Pay Equity Resource Group and Diversity Committee. She is also the Co-Chair of the firm’s Asian American Resource Group.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Ms. Bovée represented employees in employment litigation and advised multinational corporations on tax exposure.

Honors and Recognitions

• The Best Lawyers in America© 2016
• Connecticut Bar Association, Ladder Award (2016)
• Connecticut Law Tribune, “New Leaders in the Law” (2012)
• Connecticut Law Tribune, one of the “Dozen who Made a Difference”
• Connecticut Super Lawyers 2018
• Eastern Region Lawyers of Color, inaugural “Hot List” award (2013)
• National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Best Lawyers under 40 (2009)
• National Diversity Council, Multicultural Leader
• Top 25: 2015 Women Connecticut Super Lawyers

Jackson Lewis P.C

Jackson Lewis P.C. is a law firm with more than 850 attorneys in major cities nationwide serving clients across a wide range of practices and industries. Having built its reputation on providing premier workplace law representation to management, the firm has grown to include leading practices in the areas of government relations, healthcare and sports law. Named the “Innovative Law Firm of the Year” by the International Legal Technology Association, the firm’s commitment to client service and depth of expertise draws clients to Jackson Lewis for excellent value-driven legal advice.

Rebecca Weis is a member of Stites & Harbison, PLLC. Her practice includes counseling and litigation in which she represents employers of all sizes in employment and business-related disputes. She regularly defends clients against employee charges and lawsuits asserting claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She also defends alleged violations of whistleblower statutes and laws governing disability accommodation, family and medical leave, and wage and hour requirements.

Rebecca helps her clients mitigate risk associated with employment-related claims through strong policies, handbooks, contracts, and in-house training. She also regularly advises human resources professionals, in-house counsel, supervisors, and business owners regarding difficult-to-navigate medical leave and accommodation, disciplinary, and termination issues.

Additionally, Rebecca drafts and litigates both sides of disputes arising from restrictive covenants such as non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements. She has been successful in obtaining and defending against injunctive relief arising from restrictive covenants, and has tried such cases to verdict.

For her many legal accomplishments, Rebecca has been recognized as a Kentucky Super Lawyers® Rising Star every year since 2013, as an “Attorney to Watch” by Business First of Louisville, as an Insider Louisville Top Influencer, and chosen for Business First of Louisville’s top Forty Under 40. Rebecca also awarded the Recent Alumna Award by the University of Louisville Law Alumni Council in 2017.

Rebecca is a member of the Jefferson County, Kentucky, and American Bar Associations, as well as Defense Research Institute’s Labor and Employment Law Committee. Rebecca has a long history of civic and community service. She previously served on the Board of Directors for the following organizations: the Leadership Louisville Center; Greater Louisville, Inc.; the Louisville Downtown Development Corporation; Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Foundation; Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies; Dress for Success Louisville; and the University of Kentucky.

Rebecca is incredibly proud of the five years she served on the Young Professionals Association of Louisville’s (YPAL’s) Board of Directors. During that time, Rebecca chaired the organization’s public issues committee, served as its general counsel and secretary, and ultimately served as its President. Her accomplishments as President include developing and rolling out the organization’s advocacy policy, founding the annual YP Unite Summit hosted by young professional groups throughout the state and country, and hiring YPAL’s longest-serving Executive Director.

Currently, Rebecca serves on Greater Louisville, Inc.’s Economic Development Committee. In that role, she weighs in on potential federal and state legislation that may affect her clients and their employees.

In her free time, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her husband and their young daughter, and when she can, traveling to places she’s never been.

Stites & Harbison, PLLC

A full-service law firm representing clients across the United States and internationally, Stites & Harbison, PLLC is known as a preeminent firm managing sophisticated transactions, challenging litigation, and complex regulatory matters on a daily basis. The firm represents a broad spectrum of clients including multinational corporations, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, health care organizations, private companies, nonprofit organizations, family-owned businesses and individuals.

The firm maintains 10 offices across the Southeastern region and is able to service the needs of international clients with its memberships in Business Counsel, Inc. and Lex Mundi. Additionally, Stites & Harbison is a member of The Harmonie Group, the national network of top litigation law firms, and is the Kentucky representative to the prestigious Southern Law Network. The firm is a member of the American Property Tax Counsel (APTC) with membership in the organization limited to the preeminent property tax law firm in each state.