Michael P. Maslanka

September 23, 2013 | Texas Lawyer

Attorneys are counselors as well as lawyers. What makes for an effective counselor? Shakespeare tells us in "Hamlet" by portraying the interactions between Hamlet (a guy with a lot of troubles) and Horatio (his confidante).

By Michael P. Maslanka

5 minute read

May 27, 2013 | Texas Lawyer

The terrible storm that hit near Granbury, the monster tornado that struck Oklahoma City and inflicted devastating losses, and early school closings in Dallas due to an impending storm — all of these generate questions for lawyers on weather and the workplace. Here are some thoughts:

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

May 17, 2012 | The Legal Intelligencer

My first job was as a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Houston. I had hoped to clerk for a judge, but in this hope I was disappointed.

By Michael P. Maslanka

6 minute read

February 04, 2013 | Texas Lawyer

In one corner: Brutus, wearing trunks of bloody red. In the other, wearing gold: Mark Antony, friend of Julius Caesar. These two areabout to square off before a mob at Caesar's funeral. Whose oration wins and why? In "Julius Caesar" William Shakespeare offers lessons in persuasion for lawyers.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

July 23, 2002 | Law.com

Where are your company's most valuable assets stored? A computer database? A factory? A warehouse? Not quite. They are inside your employees, some of whom are valuable but flawed. As corporate counsel, your role in protecting those assets is to become a turnaround specialist for the employees. Here are some helpful resources to add to your summer reading.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Theresa M. Gegen

10 minute read

February 02, 2004 | Texas Lawyer

As the new year rolled around, bureaucracy and courts pumped out new laws, new regulations and new cases that affect corporations.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Raymond D. Martinez

11 minute read

July 30, 2009 | Corporate Counsel

It's summer -- time to unpack the briefcase and pack the beach bag; time to set down the 10(k) and pick up a book; time to deep-six old, tired ideas and replenish them with new, invigorated ones. With that in mind, we present the annual "Work Matters" summer reading list for corporate counsel. Attorney Michael P. Maslanka offers his suggestions, ranging from practical selections on management, motivation and persuasion to philosophical essays by Marcus Aurelius.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

January 10, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

Michael P. Maslanka, managing partner of the Dallas office of Ford & Harrison, provides a look at three employment cases the U.S. Supreme Court will be reviewing, and provides some forecasts on the likely outcome. In a retaliation case, Maslanka predicts the Court will find that employees may bring retaliation claims not only when they are fired, denied a promotion or demoted, but also when employer actions create an environment that is "reasonably likely to deter" discrimination complaints.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

January 02, 2006 | Texas Lawyer

The U.S. Supreme Court looks at wide-angle legal issues � which are also the general counsel's angle. And, Supreme Court issues are like objects in the rearview mirror: They are often larger than they appear. Some good examples are in the works.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

April 11, 2007 | Law.com

For general counsel, employment litigation is about money. The legal department pays it to the company's outside lawyers to defend or settle suits or to satisfy a judgment. The cycle grinds on: Money goes out but doesn't come in, and a company is no better off after a suit than before. But attorney Michael P. Maslanka says employment law is about more than a fistful of dollars. It can also be a source of enlightenment.

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read