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Shawe Rosenthal, LLP

Address: Shawe Rosenthal, LLP 20 S. Charles Street 11th Floor Baltimore, Maryland 21201

Phone: (410) 752-1040 Fax: (410) 752-8861 Web site: shawe.com Firm Size: 16 Lawyers

Primary Contact: Bruce S. Harrison bsh@shawe.com

Firm Description

Shawe Rosenthal, LLP has provided legal representation to management in all facets of labor and employment since 1947. Shawe Rosenthal strives to be an active partner with its clients in labor and employment matters, whether litigating a discrimination or wrongful discharge action in state or federal court, obtaining an injunction to stop illegal picketing by a union at a construction site, assisting an employer in dealing with its union or in its union avoidance efforts, negotiating collective bargaining, non-compete, severance or other employment agreements, providing management and employee training, or giving advice and counsel to human resource personnel and other company officials.

Shawe Rosenthal's demonstrated effectiveness as an advocate for management is borne out by our substantial nationwide client base. These clients- large and small concerns that span the full spectrum of industries - include restaurant and hospitality clients such as McDonald's Corporation, Chi-Chi's, Cheesecake Factory, and B.F. Saul Corporation; high tech companies like Aether Systems, Inc. and Automation Consultants Inc.; retail and service industry clients such as Wal-Mart, May Department Stores, and Rite Aid Drugs; hospital and healthcare institutions such as Medstar Health Systems and Genesis Health Ventures; multi-state construction companies such as Whiting Turner, Inc.; utilities such as Constellation Energy Corporation, Orion Power Holdings, Inc. and PG&E Generating Co.; and manufacturing clients such as Black & Decker, Bethlehem Steel Corporation, and Danaher Corporation.

In recognition of our position as a leader among labor and employment practitioners, Shawe Rosenthal, LLP was selected by the Matthew Bender Company, a major legal publisher, to write the Employment Law Deskbook - a practical guide to complying with labor and employment laws written especially for managers and human resources personnel.

 

Attorney Biographies

Arthur M. Brewer
Arthur M. Brewer is a 1972 graduate of the Catholic University Law School and a 1966 graduate of Providence College. He was the Production Editor of the Catholic University Law Review. Art is the chief spokesman for the Delmarva Poultry Association in its collective bargaining negotiations with the Teamsters Union and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. He has also authored numerous labor and employment law articles, including "Title VII: How to Break the Law Without Really Trying," and "The Non-neutral Employer and Section 10(k) of National Labor Relations Act."
 

Melissa C. Hammock
Melissa C. Hammock graduated cum laude from The George Washington University. Melissa represents employers in a broad range of employment matters, including employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, wage/hour regulation, and sexual harassment, both in court and before federal and state agencies. In addition to her litigation practice, Melissa routinely counsels management on compliance issues, litigation avoidance strategies, and various human resources issues.

Bruce S. Harrison

Bruce S. Harrison is a 1971 graduate of the George Washington University Law School, where he later obtained his Masters in Labor Law. He was among the first attorneys employed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after it was given the power to enforce Title VII. Since joining Shawe Rosenthal in 1976, Bruce has devoted his practice to the defense of management in employment matters, including defending numerous common law tort and contract actions, as well as administrative charges and state and federal lawsuits alleging discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, age, disability, and other protected characteristics. Bruce presently is co-chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Subcommittee of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association. He is editor of "The Employment Law Deskbook," published by Matthew Bender.

Eric Hemmendinger
Eric Hemmendinger graduated in 1977 from the University of Virginia School of Law. He graduated with honors in 1974 from Pomona College. Eric represents management in both traditional labor law and employment law litigation, including ERISA and OSHA. Eric defends employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, defamation, wage-hour ERISA and other types of litigation, in federal and state courts. In the traditional labor law area, Eric litigates representation and unfair labor practice cases before the NLRB, and represents management in collective bargaining and arbitration. Eric also handles OSHA inspections and contested cases before state and federal enforcement agencies.
 

Kraig B. Long


Darryl G. McCallum


J. Michael McGuire
J. Michael McGuire is a 1978 honors graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law. Mike represents employers nationally in all facets of labor law, before the National Labor Relations Board in representation and unfair labor practice cases, negotiating collective bargaining agreements, arbitrating on behalf of management, and counseling clients on OSHA inspection and compliance issues. Mike has also represents employers in state and federal court in employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and sexual harassment lawsuits. Active in both local and national bar associations, Mike is the Chair of the Executive Council of the Labor Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association and is a regular speaker at association meetings.
 

Fiona W. Ong
Fiona W. Ong received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1992, after graduating from Princeton University in 1989. While at Georgetown, Fiona served as Articles Editor for The Tax Lawyer, an ABA-sponsored journal. She was also selected as a Law Fellow and received the American Jurisprudence Award. Fiona defends employers against claims employment discrimination and wrongful discharge before administrative agencies and federal and state courts. She assists employers with drafting Affirmative Action Plans, employee handbooks and personnel policies. She regularly advises managers on a wide variety of personnel matters, and conducts training on a wide range of personnel issues. Fiona co-chairs the Maryland Chamber of Commerce's Employment Relations Task Force, and is a charter member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Maryland.
 

Patrick M. Pilachowski
Patrick M. Pilachowski graduated from Johns Hopkins University and received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Maryland. Pat has represented employers in employment contract litigation, EEO, Wage and Hour, NLRB and OSHA/MOSH matters. He has authored or co-authored numerous articles on labor relations including an article concerning Title VII class action suits in the William and Mary Law Review; an article concerning union decertification proceedings for the New York University Annual Conference on Labor; the Employment Law Deskbook; and Employer Rights and Obligations Under The Occupational Safety and Health Act, both published by Matthew Bender (1985 and updated annually).
 

William J. Rosenthal
William J. Rosenthal is a 1950 honors graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and a 1941 graduate of the Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Rosenthal is involved in both private and public sector bargaining and has appeared as an expert witness on labor law before the United States Congress and state legislatures. He appears regularly as a lecturer at law school conferences, including the New York University Annual Conference on Labor where Mr. Rosenthal has lectured on "Issues in Decertification Proceedings" and the Boston University Labor Law Institute where he has addressed the subject of "Dealing with Strike Misconduct." Mr. Rosenthal is a long time member of the American Bar Association Committee on NLRB Practice and Procedure.
 

Earle K. Shawe

Earle K. Shawe is a graduate of the University of Virginia Law School. As one of the original attorneys at the National Labor Relations Board his positions included Chief Law Officer for the Board's Fifth Region. While with the Labor Board, Mr. Shawe tried cases throughout the country, often involving issues of first impression. Upon leaving the Labor Board in 1947, Mr. Shawe founded the firm that has become Shawe Rosenthal, LLP. From the filing in 1947 of this country's first unfair labor practice charge against a union under the Taft-Hartley Act, to the present day, Mr. Shawe has been instrumental in the firm's development of a national practice representing management in all areas of labor relations. 
 

Stephen D. Shawe
Stephen D. Shawe is a 1965 graduate of the Harvard Law School and an honors graduate of Williams College. He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Maryland from 1967 until 1970, and then was selected to be the first General Counsel of the Maryland Commission on Human Relations. For 20 years, Stephen served as chief spokesman for the Bermuda Hotel Association in its collective bargaining negotiations affecting the island's 3500 hotel employees. In 1997, he presented oral argument before the United States Supreme Court on the issue of when an employer may poll its employees on their continued support for a union. Allentown Mack Sales and Service Co. v. NLRB. The Court agreed with Mr. Shawe's argument, by a vote of 5 to 4.
 

Gary L. Simpler
Gary L. Simpler is a 1985 honors graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law and an honors graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He joined the firm after serving as an investigator and hearing officer with the Fifth Region of the National Labor Relations Board from 1979 to 1985. Since joining the firm, he has represented employers nationally with respect to labor and employment law claims. He represents management in successfully responding to union organizational efforts, serves as chief negotiator for management in collective bargaining negotiations, and represents management in regard to plant closings and relocations. In addition, Gary has extensive experience defending employers with respect to discrimination, wrongful discharge, and various contract and tort actions.
 

Mark J. Swerdlin
Mark J. Swerdlin graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland in 1981 and received his law degree, with honors, from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984. While at Georgetown, he served as a member of The Tax Lawyer law review. Mark has extensive experience defending employers with respect to discrimination, wrongful discharge, and various contract and tort actions. He practices regularly before the NLRB. Mark also devotes considerable attention to drafting and enforcing confidentiality and non-compete agreements; counseling clients with respect to compliance with various employment-related statutes; and conducting training on various personnel issues, including sexual harassment.
 

Teresa D. Teare
Teresa D. Teare received her J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and completed her undergraduate degree at Villanova University. Teresa practices in the area of employment law, representing management in the areas of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, and family leave laws.
 

Elizabeth Torphy-Donzella
Elizabeth Torphy-Donzella is a 1992 honors graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and a 1985 honors graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Liz represents management in harassment, discrimination, and other employment-related litigation in state and federal court. She regularly counsels employers on FMLA and ADA compliance, and designs and conducts training sessions for managers and employees aimed at reducing the potential for employment-related claims. Liz is a contributing editor to the Employment Law Deskbook, published by Matthew Bender. She is the Management Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Subcommittee of the American Bar Association Litigation Section and co-chairs the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Employment Relations Task Force.