FELLOWS IN THE NEWS

  • Aaron Agenbroad, Erin Connell, Carol Gillam, Tracey Kennedy and Anthony Oncidi were named “Top Labor & Employment Lawyer” by The Daily Journal. The list recognizes California attorneys who specialize in labor and employment litigation and counseling.
  • Lisa Banks (WDC) and Jason Schwartz (WDC) co-authored Whistleblower Law: A Practitioner’s Guide, Release 17. This edition highlights significant developments in whistleblower legislation at the state level, including California’s S.B. 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act.
  • Eric Barnum (GA) has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Grady Health Foundation, the non-profit organization that raises money to support the Grady Health System in Atlanta, GA.
  • Rick Bergstrom (CA), Craig Cleland (GA) and Pankit Doshi (CA) were selected as BTI Client Service All Star for 2026. The BTI Client Service All-Stars list is the gold standard used by corporate counsel and law firms alike to identify the attorneys delivering the absolute best levels of client service.
  • David Borgen (CA), Lori Deem (IL), Laura Ho (CA) and James Kan (CA) were among 500 leading civil rights & plaintiff employment lawyers named to the 2026 edition of the Lawdragon list.
  • David Carr (IN), Kelly Bunting Dobbs (PA) and Gerald Maatman (IL) were included in the Legal 500 US 2026 Edition (recommended for Workplace and Employment Counseling).
  • Judge J. Michelle Childs was honored as one of four recipients of the 2026 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. She was honored during the award ceremony and reception on August 2, 2026 at the ABA Annual Conference. Judge J. Michelle Childs currently serves as a US Circuit Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She is a past president of the Federal Judges Association and has been named to the American Inns of Court Board of Trustees and the US Supreme Court Fellows Commission.
  • Marytza Reyes (CA) was recently named to the 2026 Legal Visionaries list by LA Times Studios in recognition of her outstanding legal skills, contributions to employment law, and a commitment to positively impacting her clients and the broader legal community.
  • Mike Schmidt (NY) has been named one of Crain’s New York Business’ Notable Leaders in “Accounting, Consulting & Law.”
  • Grace Speights (WDC) has been named to Forbes inaugural “Top Women Lawyers List.” This recognition celebrates lawyers who have earned elite reputations as trusted advisors, influential leaders, and accomplished advocates.
  • Lewis Smoak (SC), 3rd from the left, received the SCBIZ‘s Leaders in Law Award in the Lifetime Achievement category. He is joined by Fellows Gray Geddie, 2nd from the left, and Fred Suggs, 2nd from the right, in the photo.
  • Mishell Parreno Taylor (TX) has been named President-elect of the Hispanic National Bar Association, the national organization representing the interests of Hispanic attorneys, judges, law professors, law students, and other legal professionals across the United States. Mishell will be sworn in as President-Elect during the HNBA Annual Gala on September 11, 2026 and will serve as President of the HNBA commencing in September 2027.
  • Joe Torres (IL) was named to Negocios Now’s “Who’s Who Hispanic Business” as One of 50 Powerful Latino Lawyers. The Negocios Now Gala was held on July 23, 2026.
  • Congratulations to all Fellows who were installed as officers of the ABA Labor and Employment Law Section’s during the recent ABA Annual Conference in Chicago: Eric Iska — Section Chair, Julie Richard Spencer, Chair-Elect, Jennifer Sabourin, Vice Chair (Employer), Melissa Woods, Vice Chair (Union & Employee) and Mark Gaston Pearce, Secretary-Elect. Jason Marsilli is now Immediate Past Chair. And congratulations to all Fellows who accepted positions on the Section’s Council.
  • Michael Z. Green (Ft. Worth, TX) had his article, “Arbitration in Name Only: A Race Claims Mismatch,” published in Volume 27 of the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law Journal of Conflict Resolution. Professor Green is a member of the Texas A&M University School of Law’s tenured faculty, where he serves as Director of the Workplace Law Program and holds the current title of Dean’s Research Scholar for 2025-27. Click here to read the article.
  • Gail Holztman (Tampa, FL) was recognized in the 2026 Chambers and Partners USA Guide for Labor and Employment.
  • Daniel Johns (Philadelphia, PA) has been named to Law360’s Labor Editorial Advisory Board.  Editorial board members serve one-year terms to assist Law360 in improving its legal news coverage – providing thought leadership and insight on legal and business trends that shape current and future reporting. Dan has been a regular columnist for Law360 for five years, lending his insight on emerging labor issues and how these developments affect employers.
  • Barbara L. Johnson (Washington, DC) has been named to the 2026 Super Lawyers Washington, DC list. For almost twenty years she has been named to Super Lawyers, reflecting her continued commitment to excellence and her significant impact in the practice of law.
  • Cynthia Nance (Fayetteville, AR) will be inducted into the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame during a celebration scheduled for August 27th in Little Rock, AR. Cyndi will join seven other women being inducted into the 10th class, a distinction recognizing those whose have made significant contributions to the state and their respective fields and stand as positive examples for women everywhere. The organization honors women, in perpetuity, whose contributions have influenced the direction of Arkansas in their community or the state.She has alo been named the 2026 receipient recipient of the Robert J. Kutak Award, presented by the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. The prestigious award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to strengthening the partnership among the legal academy, the bench and the bar. It was established in memory of Kutak, a respected Omaha lawyer, who was committed to legal reform and was a strong advocate for legal education. Congratulations Dean Nance!
  • Michael Schmidt (New York, NY) was recently profiled by his alma mater in Hofstra University’s LawNews. The article delves into Mike’s podcast, Employment Law Now, where he discusses trends and developments in employment law. Started in 2017, Mike counts the podcast as one of his biggest professional successes.  Mike is vice chair of the Labor & Employment Department in Cozen O’Connor’s New York office. Click here to read the complete profile.
  • Congratulations to the following Fellows who were recently installed officers of the National Academy of Arbitrators.
    Walt De Treux (Philadelphia, PA)  – President Jeanne Charles (Pembroke Pines, FL)  – President–Elect Mark Asbell (Sherwood Park, AB) and Rosemary Pye (Chevy Chase, MD) – Governors
    The announcement was made May 23 following the NAA’s 79th Annual Meeting & Member Education Conference in Chicago.
  • RyAnn Hooper (New York, NY) has joined Littler Mendelson’s New York office. Previously, she served as Head of Employment Law for New York Life Insurance Company. RyAnn brings two decades of experience advising on labor relations, employment law and workforce strategy across the public and private sectors, including ten years at the NLRB.
  • Ruben Garcia (Honolulu, HI) has been named the inaugural Lenoard Hoshijo Endowed Chair in Labor Law at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa – William S. Richardson School of Law.  He starts his new position, which will mark a significant milestone for the law school’s efforts to build a strong and enduring labor law program, on July 1st. Previously, Ruben was the Ralph Denton Professor of Law and Director of the Workplace Law Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law.

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