Michael P. Maslanka

November 08, 2010 | The Legal Intelligencer

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. Here is 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

7 minute read

July 07, 2003 | Texas Lawyer

Summer must-reads for the in-house set.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Theresa M. Gegen

9 minute read

July 07, 2008 | Texas Lawyer

America's pastime is no longer baseball. No, now it's litigation — seemingly endless, seldom productive, usually exasperating. But for corporate counsel there is a yin to this yang, namely early and effective management of employment litigation.

By Michael P. Maslanka

8 minute read

June 19, 2006 | Law.com

Are you tired of reading through those contracts and compliance documents? Or are you planning a summer trip, and need something for the beach? In either case, now would be a good time to pick up one of the books on a reading list created especially for GCs, by attorney Michael P. Maslanka. Far from the run-of-the-mill summer thrillers, these books can entertain, while also helping you refresh your perspective and management skills. For example, who wouldn't benefit from learning "conversational aikido?"

By Michael P. Maslanka

7 minute read

August 04, 2008 | Texas Lawyer

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

October 06, 2004 | Law.com

What are the big controversies in employment law these days? One monster issue is: How do the courts figure out whether an employer intentionally discriminated? Because our legal system is fixated on the impossible -- determining the objective truth -- courts have developed tools of imprecise calibration to measure the heart, gauge the mind and plumb the soul, say attorneys Michael P. Maslanka and Burton Brillhart. To address this situation, in-house counsel must adopt a pro-active approach.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton Brillhart

11 minute read

February 02, 2007 | New Jersey Law Journal

Simply put, there's no return on investment on exhausted employees. It's the general counsel, the adviser and counselor to the company, who's often in the best position to put the work lives of the executives, managers and employees into a context that makes sense and that creates the biggest ROI.

By Michael P. Maslanka

8 minute read

January 03, 2005 | Texas Lawyer

If there is one acronym most general counsel think does not apply to them, it is NLRA, short for the National Labor Relations Act, which the National Labor Relations Board administers. But that just isn't so.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton D. Brillhart

8 minute read

April 07, 2003 | Texas Lawyer

Employment law is fluid, changing from season to season. Its unpredictability makes it challenging and fun: courts going against type, old law accommodating new facts, the privilege of talking legal strategy with the boss.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton D. Brillhart

9 minute read

January 06, 2003 | Texas Lawyer

The trend is unmistakable: The general counsel’s office is morphing into the general counsel/human resources office. Why? Increasing emphasis on employees as key assets; ever-increasing entanglement between the law and the workforce; and a human resources department stretched thin by increased responsibility but decreased personnel.

By Michael P. Maslanka and Burton D. Brillhart

7 minute read