FELLOWS IN THE NEWS

  • 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.
  • Several 9th Circuit South College Fellows, Michael Ludwig, Marina Fraigun, Ramit Mizrahi, Marytza Reyes, Dolores Leal, Deborah Saxe and Phyllis Cheng, gathered on Sunday March 8th to enjoy a beautiful afternoon tea at The Huntington Rose Garden Tea Room in San Marino, CA. The Huntington, founded in 1919 by Henry E. and Arabella Huntington, supports research and promotes public engagement through its expansive library, art, and botanical collections. The Rose Garden Tea Room opened in 1928, having previously served as Huntington’s billiard room and bowling alley.
  • Susan Bisom-Rapp (San Diego, CA) was quoted by Bloomberg Law’s Daily Labor Report in an article about challenges facing the Trump Administration’s OSHA as it attempts to revise a proposed Biden-era heat rule which proposed temperature triggers and worker conditions. Click here to read article.
  • Judge J. Michelle Childs (US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit) has been chosen a 2026 recipient of the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award by the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession. The ceremony will take place during the ABA Annual Conference in Chicago this August. Judge Childs is a past president of the Federal Judges Association and is a member of the US Supreme Court Fellows Commission and the Board of Trustees for the American Inns of Court. She was inducted an Honorary Fellow at the Annual Induction Dinner in 2024.
  • Kelly Dermody (San Francisco, CA) was appointed to serve on the Board of Trustees for California State University, the country’s largest public university system with 23 campuses and approximately 500,000 students. Gov. Gavin Newsome announced her appointment, along with several others, on March 23.  The position will require Senate confirmation. Kelly earned her Juris Doctor degree from UC Berkeley.
  • Stephen Fox (Dallas, TX) has been recognized by D Magazine as a “Best Lawyer in Dallas.” The magazine annually honors exceptional lawyers who are peer-nominated on the basis that they offer unparalleled counsel in one of 39 categories.
  • Amy Moor Gaylord (Chicago, IL) co-chair of Akerman’s Traditional Labor Law Practice, was named to Crain’s Chicago Business’ 2026 list of “Notable Women in Law.” The recognition honors women lawyers for their professional achievements and contributions to their communities.
  • Homer C. La Rue (Columbia, MD) will be recognized as a 2026 Practitioner LERA Fellow by the Labor and Employment Relations Association (LERA) at their 78th Annual Meeting which will take place in Minneapolis next month. Homer shared on his LinkedIn page that ‘(t)his acknowledgment reflects the collective work and guidance of many colleagues who share a commitment to thoughtful, fair, and effective labor‑management relationships. I am thankful to be part of such a dedicated and accomplished professional community.”
  • Frank Mamat (Bloomfield Hills, MI) was recently appointed president of the Private Directors Association (PDA) Detroit – Toledo-Windsor Chapter (Detroit Chapter). In his role as president, he will guide the PDA Detroit Chapter in its mission to foster high-performing and diverse boards and advance good governance.
  • Mark Pearce (Washington, DC) will also be recognized at LERA’s 78th Annual Meeting when he receives a 2026 LERA Lifetime Achievement Award. This is the highest honor conferred by LERA recognizing a lifetime of contributions and achievements in the field. Mark will be one of three honorees this year and will be presented with this award at the President’s Luncheon on May 30th in Minneapolis.
  • J. Heydt Philbeck (Raleigh, NC) received certification by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board-Certified Specialist in Employment Law. Being among the first, North Carolina State Bar began certification for employment law specialist in 2025. Philbeck was also recently listed by Super Lawyers as among North Carolina’s “Top 100” lawyers based on peer evaluations.
  • Cynthia Sass (Tampa, FL) recently announced that the Sass Law Firm, an employee rights law firm, has officially changed its name to Sass, Everhart & Silva, PA. The new name reflects the growth of the firm’s team and practice, with Yvette D. Everhart and Adria Lynn Silva joining Cynthia N. Sass as named partners. The firm remains committed to representing employees and individuals in employment law, Title IX, and education law, and white-collar criminal defense matters.
  • Gwynne Wilcox (New York, NY) authored an article recently featured in The Regulatory Review titled “Standing Up for the Independence of the NLRB.” She discusses the challenges to the agency’s independence following her removal from the board in January 2025 and recounts her unexpected dismissal by President Trump, her subsequent lawsuit challenging the removal and the Supreme Court’s decision to stay a lower court’s injunction to restore her to service. Emphasizing the importance of the NLRB’s independence, Gwynne argues that undermining this independence could compromise the agency’s ability to impartially enforce labor laws and protect workers’ rights.Read the full article by clicking here.

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