Practice Areas
Industries
Education
Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School
Lansing, Michigan
J.D., 1981
University of Dayton
Dayton, Ohio
M.B.A., 1977
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan
B.A., 1975
Bar Admissions
Michigan
Texas
Wisconsin
Court Admissions
All Michigan state courts
All Texas state courts
All Wisconsin state courts
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Labor and Employment Attorney
Since 1981, Rick has represented employers exclusively in solving labor and employment law problems in the workplace. He devotes most of his time to advising employers about how to avoid workplace crises, comply with state and federal labor and employment laws and regulations, and prevent litigation. He routinely works with clients in the application and enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.
Rick has first-chaired over 100 labor arbitrations on behalf of management, and for 30 years has successfully bargained both initial and successor labor contracts on behalf of employers against unions in both the private and public sectors. He has successfully represented clients in formal administrative proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC). He also represents school districts in labor and education law matters. Rick routinely speaks to industry groups and authors articles regarding labor and employment law.
Honors and Recognitions
Best Lawyers in America®, since 2013
Best Lawyers in America®, Lawyer of the Year, Employment Law – Management, 2019
Leading Lawyers: Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management
Martindale-Hubbell® Distinguished™ Peer Review Rated
Professional Affiliations
American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
Kalamazoo Area Labor/Management Committee, member
Kalamazoo County Bar Association
MASB Council of School Attorneys, past president, 2002
Michigan Negotiators Association
NASB Council of School Attorneys
State Bar of Michigan: Labor and Employment Section; Public Corporations Section; Labor Relations Section
State Bar of Texas: Labor and Employment Section; School Law Section
State Bar of Wisconsin, Labor and Employment Law Section
Community Involvement
Greater Kalamazoo Area Chapter of the American Red Cross: Board of Directors, past member; Personnel/Human Resources Committee, Chair; Board Secretary
Safety Council of West Michigan, past Board member
Presentations
“Managing Employee Attendance,” ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, February 2000
“The Family & Medical Leave Act,” Battle Creek Employers Association, February 2000
ADA & FMLA: “Impact on No-Fault Attendance Program,” University of Louisville Labor Law Symposium, May 2000