Fisher Phillips Elects New Partners

ATLANTA, GA (Janaury 2, 2009) - Fisher Phillips has announced the election to Partner of seven attorneys at the national labor and employment law firm. The promotions to partner were effective January 1, 2009.

Fisher Phillips Managing Partner and Chairman Roger Quillen said, "Our new partners represent the depth and breadth of experience that Fisher Phillips brings to our clients. Each of these new partners has developed a successful practice, and in some cases highly specialized practices, in the increasingly complex field of labor and employment law. It's an honor to have these colleagues join our partnership."

New Partners in Irvine, CA:

Christine Baran litigates employment related disputes involving claims of sexual harassment, employment discrimination, workplace violence and wrongful termination. In addition, Baran represents commercial property owners and property management companies in the defense of housing discrimination claims under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, the Unruh Act, and the federal Fair Housing Act as well as disability discrimination claims under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She counsels employers, managers, rental property owners and property management companies on all aspects of employment and fair housing laws and the development of preventive policies and procedures to avoid employment and fair housing claims. Baran is actively involved with the Orange County Apartment Association and the Apartment Association of California Southern Cities, providing seminars on fair housing laws and practices. Baran earned her J.D. from the New York Law School in 1989 and a B.A. from New York University in 1984.

Mark J. Jacobs focuses his practice on defending employment related lawsuits and administrative complaints on a variety of issues, including harassment, retaliation, and discrimination. Jacobs represents employers in both state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement. He has expereince handling complex, multi-plaintiff harassment and discrimination matters, wage & hour and other administrative matters. A significant portion of his practice is devoted to preventive employee relations programs that include supervisory training and the development and administration of effective human resources polices and practices. Prior to joining the firm, Jacobs worked as a Legislative Aide in the California State Assembly and served as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Attorney General's Office. He earned his J.D. with Distinction in 2000 from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento and a B.A. magna cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Redlands, Redlands, CA in 1995.

New Partner in Philadelphia:

Risa B. Boerner litigates and counsels clients on a variety of employment-related issues, including issues pertaining to the hiring and termination of employees, compliance with employment discrimination laws, negotiating and drafting employment agreements, covenants not to compete, confidentiality agreements, trade secrets, employee raiding, unfair competition, and related matters. Boerner has litigated employment matters in federal and state courts and before arbitration panels throughout the country. She has represented clients in a variety of industries, including printing and publishing, finance, asset management and valuation, online retailing, retail mortgage lending, personnel placement and recruitment, computer technology, construction, manufacturing, medical, securities, banking and insurance. She has also assisted corporate clients in drafting and updating existing employment agreements and in implementing local and nationwide policies for protecting trade secrets and other proprietary information, and has advised clients on how to tailor restrictive covenants to comply with legal requirements in multiple jurisdictions. Boerner earned her J.D. from Cornell Law School in 1995 and a B.A. from the University of Rochester in New York in 1992.

Other New Partners:

Kathleen McLeod Caminiti of the New Jersey office has extensive experience handling employment litigation matters, ranging from individual plaintiff discrimination claims to class actions. Caminiti has successfully defended cases alleging civil rights violations, race, sex, age and handicap discrimination, sexual harassment, whistle-blowing, wrongful discharge and retaliation. She also has defended employers and financial institutions in ERISA cases, including class actions seeking severance, pension and health and welfare benefits, as well as trade secret and restrictive covenant litigation. She has successfully represented clients in wage and hour matters, including collective actions under the FLSA. Caminiti earned her J.D. magna cum laude in 1987 from Boston College Law School and a B.A. cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1984 from Rutgers College.

Andrew Froman of the Tampa office has practiced employment law for the past 13 years, on behalf of management, throughout Florida and especially in Southwest Florida. He advises clients on matters regarding discrimination, sexual harassment, trade secrets, covenants against unfair competition, employment policies, workplace rules and employee handbooks. Froman has tried cases on behalf of employers in both federal and state courts, before juries, as well as in arbitration and administrative law courts. He represents clients in both the private and public sector, and in industries that include construction, manufacturing, sales, services and health care. Froman earned his J.D. in 1994 from the University of Miami School of Law and a BAS in 1978 from the University of Florida.

A. Kevin Troutman works in the Houston and New Orleans offices. In addition to his experience as an employment attorney, Troutman has considerable practical experience, which he gained as a human resources executive in the healthcare industry. Before completing law school, he spent more than 17 years in healthcare management positions, including a period when he was the senior HR manager for 22 hospitals in five states. He remains active in the industry, as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, state and regional healthcare groups, the Society for Human Resources Management and the American Society of Healthcare Human Resources Administration, where he has spoken at the group's annual conference. He has also been a member of the governing board of a community hospital and is co-chairman of the firm's Healthcare Practice Group. Troutman earned his J.D., summa cum laude, in 2001 from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law and a B.S. magna cum laude in 1979 from , McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA.