Lansing

313 South Washington Square

,

Lansing, MI 48933-2114

T: 517.371.8106

F: 517.371.8200

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Melissa J. Jackson

Melissa joined the firm in 1989 and is a shareholder in the Employment Labor & Benefits Practice Group. Melissa is highly experienced in providing employment law counsel on a wide range of matters including: alternative dispute resolution; diversity; unlawful discrimination, and harassment; wrongful discharge: Family Medical Leave Act; Fair Labor Standards Act; Michigan Wages and Fringe Benefits Act; drafting and interpreting policies and procedures, employment contracts and separation agreements; reductions in force; and unemployment compensation. Having served as a Human Resources Director for ten years prior to entering law school, Melissa has the advantage of understanding the employers' perspective first-hand. The majority of Melissa's practice is of a proactive nature as her success lies in keeping clients out of court and away from claims.   Melissa is named in Best Lawyers in America for Employment and Labor Law.

Melissa works diligently to anticipate issues the client may face and to keep them informed in changes in the law. Additionally, she is co-author on numerous employment law reference books published by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce for public and private employers and regularly speaks on these issues as well.

Representative Matters

• Assisted client in addressing human resource component in a complicated merger transaction between two financial institutions.
• Assisted health care clients with large scale reductions in work force.
• Involvement: Counseled institute of higher learning in termination of high ranking executive and avoided litigation.
• Assisted clients in prevailing in various union arbitrations involving termination of employment.
• Assisted financial institution client in decertification election.
• Successfully went "undercover" working at a restaurant in order to make unlawful harassment presentation more effective.
• Assisted public utility in lawsuit involving a high ranking official's employment contract. Litigated unique legal theory and prevailed at Court of Appeals.

News

• Foster Swift attorneys selected as Michigan Super Lawyers and Michigan Rising Stars, September 6, 2012
• 47 Foster Swift attorneys named as 2013 Best Lawyers, September 4, 2012
• Foster Swift's 2011 Best Lawyers, August 17, 2010

Speaking Engagements

• Hiring-to-Termination: Termination & Layoff Practices, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, November 13, 2012
• Hiring-to-Termination: Performance Tracking & Discipline Practices, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, October 3, 2012
• Hiring-to-Termination: Pre-Employment & Hiring Practices, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, September 6, 2012
• Social Networking and Human Resources Hot Topics, Michigan Municipal Treasurers Association Advanced Institute, May 2, 2012
• Seasonal or Unseasonal: That is the Question, Michigan Golf Business, November 30, 2011
• Developing Internal Policy for use of Social Media, Michigan Association of Township Supervisors, October 19, 2011

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Publications

• Does A Municipality Really Need A Handbook? Absolutely., Foster Swift Municipal Law News, September 2012
• Consider An Employee Handbook, Foster Swift Agricultural Law Update, June 2012
• Sharing Exemplifies the Holiday Spirit, Right? … Not this Time!, Foster Swift Employment, Labor & Benefits Quarterly, Winter 2011
• I-9 Compliance is a “Hot” Area - How to Avoid Getting Burned, Foster Swift Employment, Labor & Benefits Quarterly, Fall 2011
• Social Media Webinar Wrap-Up, Foster Swift Municipal Law News, September 2011
• This Shouldn't be News, but … Accessing Porn on Company Computers is Misconduct, Foster Swift Employment, Labor & Benefits E-News (Also published in the Fall 2011 Employment, Labor & Benefits Quarterly), September 8, 2011

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Memberships & Affiliations

Legal Affiliations:

• American Bar Association
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
• State Bar of Michigan
  • Labor and Employment Law Section
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution Section
• Ingham County Bar Association
  • Labor Law Section
• Women Lawyers Association of Michigan
• Michigan State University College of Law, Adjunct Professor in Employment Law

Industry & Professional Associations:

• Society for Human Resource Management
• Human Resources Association of Mid-Michigan
• Industrial Relations Research Association, Past President

Community Involvement:

• Child and Family Services, Board of Directors
• Okemos Radmoor Montessori School, Board of Directors