Donald P. Lawless is a member of Barnes & Thornburg's Labor and Employment Law Department in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has 25 years of experience working on behalf of employers to meet their labor and employment law objectives.
The focus of his practice is in the pharmaceutical, food processing, and service industries. Mr. Lawless's labor law practice includes contract negotiation, grievance arbitration, and defense of unfair labor practice charges. He advises employers on developing and implementing union avoidance strategies and responses to organizing activity. He works with clients on the broad range of civil rights compliance and defense matters with subspecialties in OFCCP compliance and audits, Occupational Safety and Health, and facility and program access under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A significant portion of Mr. Lawless's practice is also devoted to representing college and university clients in labor and employment matters and student affairs, athletic program compliance, internal investigations, and facility and program accessibility issues.
Mr. Lawless is a frequent speaker to a variety of organizations such as the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, and the National Association of College and University Attorneys on such subjects as medical marijuana, strategic union avoidance, NLRB- and OSHA-related developments, and EEO matters.
Mr. Lawless has been listed in Best Lawyers in America® since 2008. He is a member of the American Employment Law Council; the National Association of College and University Attorneys and its Legal Education Committee; the Occupational Safety and Health sub-committee of the American Bar Association; and the Michigan Chamber's Health and Human Resources Committee.
Mr. Lawless was on the board and served as board chair of The Rapid, a Grand Rapids area transportation partnership, which increased its ridership from 5.5 million annually to 10.8 million annually during his tenure from 2003 to 2011. Mr. Lawless also worked with community leaders to establish West Michigan Works, an employer association in Holland-Zeeland, Michigan, focused on employment growth and opportunity. Mr. Lawless also served as second ward commissioner for the City of East Grand Rapids from 1997-2005; he currently is chair of its Planning Commission.
Events
4/18/2012, Attorney Presentation - Michigan Safety Conference - Ethics Panel
3/22/2012, Attorney Presentation - National Association of College and University Attorneys - Religious Discrimination
11/8/2011, Attorney Presentation - Michigan Chamber - Strategic Union Avoidance
10/10/2011, Attorney Presentation - Michigan Chamber - NLRB Update
4/15/2011, Attorney Presentation - State Bar of Michigan - Annual Labor & Employment Law Update
3/9/2011, Attorney Presentation - Michigan Chamber - Medical Marijuana
2/23/2011, Attorney Presentation - Michigan Employers Training Council - Medical Marijuana