My story is different from any other attorney at Kollman & Saucier.

I graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1994, with honors. The thing to do back then (and may well still be thing to do today) was secure a clerkship with an appellate judge for the first year after law school. My law school professors and advisors kept telling me that "it looks good on your resume." I am not sure today if it really did matter, but at a time when the market was oversaturated with new lawyers, I figured it certainly could not hurt my chances of getting future employment. I was selected to clerk for (the now retired) John J. Bishop, Jr. on the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland.

As my year clerkship was ending, I began my mad search for a job. I had worked during one of my law school summers in a clerkship position with a big firm and knew that I was not meant to work in that environment. I focused on smaller Baltimore firms and was able to secure an associate position with Kollman & Saucier. In August 1995, I began my "lawyer" career with this firm. I worked here for nearly seven years as a labor and employment law associate. Fast forward to November 2001, at which time I moved to another well-regarded management labor and employment law firm, where I was made a partner in 2004. After eight years (literally to the day) with that firm, on November 16, 2009, I returned to Kollman & Saucier, this time as a shareholder, to continue my management-side labor and employment law practice. I am thankful my (new and now) partners welcomed me back into the mix, as if I never left.

For the past fifteen years, my practice has involved representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. I have spent that time representing clients before various state and federal agencies, as well as defending lawsuits in state and federal courts, on both the trial and appellate level. I regularly defend against claims of employment discrimination, unfair labor practices, various state law employment tort and breach of contract claims, and wage and hour claims. I also have significant experience defending against federal and state occupational safety and health regulations violations, from the de minimus up through willful (including fatalities).

I particularly enjoy providing advice and counsel to my clients on personnel matters. My job is to make sure a client gets great (legal and practical) advice and understands the consequences of its decisions so that employment decisions today do not result in lawsuits tomorrow. Regular advice and counsel also includes workplace training sessions. I appreciate the opportunities to conduct sessions for managers and non-management employees on matters such as diversity, harassment avoidance, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and other topics that merit workforce instruction.

I keep myself busy with writing and speaking engagements. I write a regular column, Legal Briefs, for the Restoration Industry Association’s monthly publication Cleaning and Restoration. I am a Contributing Editor to the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s publication: The Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as for the Maryland Institute for Continuing Professional Education for Lawyers (MICPEL) publication "Drafting Employment Documents." I spent many years as a revisions editor for various Matthew Bender publications including "An Employer’s Guide to the Occupational Safety and Health Act," "The Americans with Disabilities Act," "Employee Discipline and Discharge" and "The Employment Law Deskbook."

I lecture on a wide variety of employment topics. Lately, I have found myself speaking on the Family and Medical Leave Act; the Americans with Disabilities Act; managing the workforce with proper documentation; hiring and firing procedures; employment handbooks; and diversity and sensitivity. I enjoy keeping up to date on the latest legal trends and educating audiences on the employment issues "du jour."

For several years, I was an Adjunct Faculty Member at the University of Baltimore School of Law, and taught Employment Law and Legal Writing. While work demands ultimately won out over my teaching schedule, I continue to remain connected to UB and presently serve as a mentor for first-year law students.

Beyond the legal world, I am an active sports watcher (the sports being whatever seasonal sports my two children are playing). Personally, I am an avid recreational runner, having experienced the thrill of my first marathon in 2006 and my first 12-person/24-hour/200-mile relay in April 2009. My husband, David, owns a moisture management apparel company, EnduraFit, which happens to be the official performance apparel of the Philadelphia Marathon. My 2010 marathon will, of course, be Philly.

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