Michael P. Maslanka

June 07, 2002 | Law.com

"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell is rapidly becoming required reading for corporate America. Its "big idea"? You can do everything right, score off the charts, and it all means zip unless you find the one thing that tips you across the goal line. Employment issues -- investigations, policy writing, trial strategy -- all have pivot points that are sometimes obscured, but never completely hidden.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Theresa M. Gegen

8 minute read

October 31, 2012 | Law.com

Law school never teaches you how to deal with anger, whether your own or the client's, says Michael Maslanka. He offers five insights to help you do just that, including how to derail an amygdala hijacking; when to apologize; and when to stand up for yourself.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

July 16, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

Reading "Macbeth" is a staple in high school English. The 11th grade lesson, writes Michael P. Maslanka: Unbridled ambition destroys a person. His adult lessons: Resist temptation, ferret out truth and understand that the present moment is the most important moment. First produced in 1605, Macbeth's lessons still resonate in 2012, Maslanka says.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

June 19, 2006 | National Law Journal

It's summer and time to look at beach reading for general counsel. What needs to be wedged into the beach bag, between the sunscreen and the multicolored towels?

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

July 27, 2012 | Law.com

First produced in 1605, Macbeth still resonates in 2012, says Constangy Brooks partner Michael Maslanka. His 11th grade lesson from the Shakespearean staple: Unbridled ambition destroys a person. Maslanka's adult lessons, courtesy of Macbeth: Resist temptation, ferret out truth and understand that the present moment is the most important moment.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

August 06, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

The U.S. Supreme Court kicks off its new term in October, which includes two employment cases of interest: one under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the other under Title VII. Michael P. Maslanka takes a look at the two cases, starting with the FLSA case — from the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — which he says presents an interesting issue of federal procedure involving the FLSA version of class actions.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

December 03, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

Lawyers are people who need to see trouble coming — whether it's is a sticky suit, a bad witness, a shady client or a back-stabbing colleague. Michael P. Maslankaoffers 10 warning signs to help you do just that.

By Michael P. Maslanka

8 minute read

April 30, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

As managing partner of his office, Michael P. Maslanka says he sees lots of résumés. And many reflect this fundamental fallacy: A good résumé is one that communicates information. That is wrong. A good résumé is one that persuades, not informs. Persuasion is what we do as lawyers, whatever our field. The résumé is a new attorney's first shot at showing a prospective employer whether he has the DNA of persuasion.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

June 01, 2012 | New Jersey Law Journal

Lessons on how our romantic lives inform our legal lives and vice versa.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

August 15, 2002 | Law.com

The tremor-causing Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 dealing with corporate governance and accounting reform signed into law on July 30 by President George W. Bush may be a corporate counsel's nightmare. It's a vague law, coupled with the power and discretion of the federal government ... and that's not all, folks.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton D. Brillhart

9 minute read