Michael P. Maslanka

August 06, 2009 | Law.com

A few weeks ago, Jack Welch let loose with his view that women, to make it to the top of the corporate food chain, must let work consume their lives and forget work-life balance -- as in: Don't even think about it. Some likely think that's very Gordon Gekko of Welch, says attorney Michael P. Maslanka, but it raises an important question: How far have women come in the workplace, legally and culturally -- not in theory, but in reality?

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

June 06, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

Ah, summer! Let's hit the beaches, swim in the surf, pour on the tanning oil and trade our briefcases for beach bags. Summer also opens clogged calendars, allowing busy general counsel time to reflect, think and read. Here, then, is this summer's reading list to help corporate counsel work better, faster and smarter.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

February 07, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

Knowing that neither side has a lock on the truth, and that lawyers are not always on the side of the angels, empowers the general counsel with the flexibility to protect the client -- the company that the GC works for.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Theresa M. Gegen

9 minute read

May 09, 2011 | Texas Lawyer

On March 25, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations and interpretive guidance regarding the amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 became effective Jan. 1, 2009. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, the rules, they are a-changing, writes Michael P. Maslanka, and employers must change with them. Sinking like a stone is not an option.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

August 09, 2007 | National Law Journal

What is the U.S. Supreme Court dining on from the employment law menu this coming term? It's a four-course meal, and attorney Michael P. Maslanka tells us what the discerning diner needs to know. Among the tasty issues to be addressed: whether "me too" evidence is admissible in a discrimination case, and whether an employee can sue a retirement plan fiduciary for individual losses due to a fiduciary breach.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

March 07, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

A little overwhelmed by employment law rules? Then read this list of the most important things a corporate counsel needs to know about six different employment law areas, put together by Michael P. Maslanka. These practical tips should help guide any in-house attorney through the information maze.

By Michael P. Maslanka

4 minute read

November 01, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Sooner or later, corporate counsel go to trial. The court denies summary judgment, and the other side's settlement offer is not tethered to reality, or perhaps the company execs (the clients of corporate counsel) want to take a principled stand. Michael P. Maslanka offers a cheat sheet on what to do — and what not do to — to prepare for when that day comes, first in voir dire, and next in opening statements.

By Michael P. Maslanka

8 minute read

August 13, 2008 | The Legal Intelligencer

It's summertime, either a pleasant climax to the vacation season or a rev-up to post-Labor Day business. Whichever it is for general counsel, here are reading suggestions to cap off the summer or gird for the fall.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

July 18, 2005 | Law.com

A top executive bolts, leaving to start a competing company. Employees are jumping ship to join her venture, while current clients are flocking to give her their business. The CEO is apoplectic. All eyes look to the general counsel to stop the bleeding, police the renegade executive and restore order. What is to be done? It's injunctive relief that's called for, and columnist Michael P. Maslanka offers a quick primer on obtaining it.

By Michael P. Maslanka

9 minute read

December 13, 2010 | Texas Lawyer

Mark Twain wrote that it isn't what you know that hurts you, it's what you think is so that isn't. So, Michael P. Maslanka plays "Claim or No Claim." He covers arbitration agreements, noncompete agreements, the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act. As the leader of the legal department, the next time you are absolutely, 100 percent certain you are right and there is no way XYZ facts could be true, think again, he warns.

By Michael P. Maslanka

5 minute read