NATIONAL – FordHarrison LLP, one of the country’s largest management-side labor and employment law firms, is pleased to announce that the firm added seven associates to offices throughout the U.S. including Berkeley Heights, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Spartanburg.
"We're excited that Julia, Emily, Michael, Erin, Carli, Seth, and Jennifer recently joined the firm," said John Monroe, FordHarrison Managing Partner. "They are bright and talented additions to FordHarrison, and undoubtedly, their skills and ambition will enhance our ability to serve clients across many areas."
Julia B.
Chang
Senior Associate | (Los Angeles, CA)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Julia worked as an Associate
Attorney at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore where she
focused on representing non-profit, education, and public clients
in a broad range of employment and labor matters. Julia is an
experienced labor and employment attorney with a strong background
in employment litigation, labor relations, administrative
proceedings, and compliance counseling. Her experience includes
representing public and private sector clients in all aspects of
employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment,
retaliation, wrongful termination and wage and hour claims. In
addition to litigation, Julia has represented public entities in
unfair labor practice disputes and grievance arbitrations. Her
experience includes matters before the National Labor Relations
Board and the Public Employment Relations Board.
Emily E.
Costanzo
Associate | (Nashville, TN)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Emily worked as an Associate
Attorney at Leitner, Williams, Dooley &
Napolitan. Emily is an experienced labor and employment
attorney who focuses on representing employers in workplace law
matters. Emily defends employers in claims involving wrongful
termination, wage and hour disputes, and workplace misconduct.
Emily works closely with her clients to ensure their interests are
represented and their litigation needs are fully met.
Michael G
Morrison, II
Senior Associate | (Spartanburg, SC)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Michael worked as an associate
attorney at McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLC
where he represented both employers and insurers in employment and
workers' compensation matters. In addition to representing
clients in cases before state and federal courts, Michael has
served as an advocate before the American Arbitration Association
and various other administrative tribunals, including the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission, the South Carolina Human Affairs
Commission, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Industrial
Commission. Earlier in his career, Michael practiced
management-side labor and employment law for an international labor
and employment law firm in the U.S. Virgin Islands and before that,
he represented employees in the Carolinas.
Erin M.
Shrum
Associate | (Nashville, TN)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Erin worked as an associate attorney
at Howell & Fisher, PLLC. There, Erin defended
municipal entities and employees against claims brought under
federal and state law. Erin also previously served as a legal aid
attorney, where she represented low-income tenants in eviction
proceedings and collaborated with local agencies and nonprofits to
facilitate public assistance. During law school, Erin interned with
the United States Department of Labor and volunteered as a Crisis
Intervention Advocate for Michigan State University’s Center
for Survivors.
Carli L.
Smith
Senior Associate | (Dallas, TX)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Carli worked as an associate
attorney at Freeman, Mathis & Gary, LLP. Prior
to that, Carli worked at a boutique law firm in Chicago, where she
assisted with employment litigation cases in the Northern and
Central Districts of Illinois. She also played a key role in
representing a Fortune 500 technology company in corporate
immigration matters, with a particular focus on the
employment-based permanent residency process. Carli focuses her
practice on advising clients in labor and employment law matters
and business immigration.
Seth A.
Spiegal
Counsel | (Berkeley Heights, NJ)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Seth worked as a partner at
McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP.
Seth routinely represents employers in federal and state courts and
before administrative agencies in matters such as employment
discrimination lawsuits, whistleblower litigation, wage and hour
class and collective actions, unfair labor practice charges, and
noncompete proceedings. Before entering private practice, he served
as a law clerk to the Honorable James F. McClure, Jr. of the United
States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Jennifer R.
Weatherup
Counsel | (Los Angeles, CA)
Prior to joining FordHarrison, Jennifer worked as senior counsel at
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani. Jennifer is skilled
in all phases of litigation, including the preparation and argument
of critical motions such as demurrers, motions to strike, and
motions for summary judgment. With a strong background in
alternative dispute resolution, Jennifer has prepared for and
managed successful mediation proceedings; her role involved the
preparation of persuasive mediation briefs and pre-mediation
reports, and communicating with carriers and clients throughout the
process. She also has extensive deposition experience, having
deposed witnesses and defended depositions of employees, third
parties, plaintiffs, and experts.