Michael P. Maslanka

November 05, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

The toughest decision that lawyers, in-house or otherwise, help clients make is whether to impose the employment-law equivalent of capital punishment: termination of an employee.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

August 20, 2012 | Texas Lawyer

Athletes lose; so do lawyers. How should we handle losing? What does it teach us? Michael P. Maslanka says he has tried a lot of cases, and he has lost some. He tells what he learned.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

January 12, 2009 | Texas Lawyer

Three new employment law decisions are expected from the Texas Supreme Court this year, says Michael P. Maslanka, managing partner of Ford & Harrison's Dallas office, in his "Work Matters" column. Two deal with whether a statement is a promise and that statement's legal effects. The other deals with whether a covenant is enforceable.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

March 13, 2003 | Law.com

A general counsel's most important role is helping the client discover the Big Picture. You've got the time, temperament and training to do it, especially where it matters most: deciding whether to fire an employee. Here are five keys for empowering the client with a 360-degree perspective.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton D. Brillhart

11 minute read

January 14, 2003 | Law.com

The trend is unmistakable: The general counsel's office is morphing into the GC/human resources office. Why? Growing emphasis on employees as key assets; increasing entanglement between the law and the workforce; and an HR department stretched thin by increased responsibility but decreased personnel. GCs must look at HR issues strategically from a lofty perspective, and specifically, at a fight-in-the-trenches level.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton D. Brillhart

7 minute read

June 10, 2013 | Texas Lawyer

How lawyers think determines how we act. So, to be truly effective, the wise general counsel does not seek answers but rather seeks useful mindsets. Michael P. Maslanka offers seven to consider embracing.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

July 25, 2013 | Daily Report Online

I am grateful for my speaking gigs over the last 25 years. A friend who's a new lawyer asked what advice I would give aspiring speakers. Here are 10 things attorneys can do to excel in front of an audience.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

May 11, 2012 | Law.com

According to managing partner Michael P. Maslanka, a good resume doesn't just inform; it also persuades. Persuasion is what lawyers do, and the resume is an attorney's first shot at showing a prospective employer whether he has the DNA of persuasion. Maslanka offer five tips for constructing an effective resume.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

August 05, 2013 | Texas Lawyer

Here's Michael Maslanka's annual summer reading list -- from love to business to war. So, don a Hawaiian shirt, rub in some sun screen, and fire up the e-reader.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

June 16, 2008 | National Law Journal

We think we shape life. That's wrong. Life shapes us. All readers know how they first learned this. Here's my story, one that will help corporate counsel when it comes to deciding whether to impose the equivalent of capital punishment in employment: termination.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read