Brent D. Rector is a Member of the firm and has been practicing law since 1975. His practice is focused on representing employers in labor and employment law matters.
Labor and Employment Law
Mr. Rector has a broad practice in labor and employment law. He has advised employers on labor matters involving both union and non-union workforces, including collective bargaining agreements, labor arbitrations, organizing drives, and labor regulations. As an example, Mr. Rector was retained to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement to restructure labor costs for the existing unionized workforce in a leveraged buyout of a manufacturing company. In another rather high profile matter, he defended a university against a union's attempt to consolidate separate faculty units after the merger of two higher education institutions, keeping the two faculty units separate post-merger.
Mr. Rector has counseled company owners and managers on how to handle a wide variety of employment issues, including difficult harassment, discrimination, disability, military leave, disability leave/FMLA, and reduction-in-force matters. He has frequently represented employers in federal and state court litigation and before the EEOC, the DOL, and other federal and state agencies. In addition, Mr. Rector has been retained by a number of the firm's clients to consult on structuring employment programs and policies, which has included training, reward, disciplinary, transition, and alternative dispute resolution activities. His goal is to provide innovative policies and programs to meet the employer's business objectives within legal requirements. He frequently provides in-house training to managers and HR staff.
Occupational Safety and Health Matters
In addition to his work in labor and employment law, Mr. Rector has a specialized occupational safety and health practice. He has frequently represented employers faced with difficult OSHA or MIOSHA citations. His work has spanned varied industries, including manufacturing, construction, transportation, health care, oil and gas, and warehouse/distribution businesses. He has been involved in many significant cases, including one of the largest proposed MIOSHA penalty cases after a double fatality at a manufacturing plant. Mr. Rector also counsels companies on maintaining regulatory compliance and how to appropriately handle an enforcement inspection. Further, he has performed extensive training on regulatory compliance and liability issues relating to workplace safety and health for individuals in managerial or supervisory roles, including human resource and plant managers, and shift supervisors.
Professional Affiliations, Activities and Honors
Mr. Rector is involved in several professional associations, including the American Bar Association, the Grand Rapids Bar Association and the State Bar of Michigan, where he serves on the Labor and Employment Law Section Council. He is also an officer of the Grand Rapids Bar Association's Labor and Employment Law Section. He is a former board member of the Industrial Relations Research Association.
Mr. Rector is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for labor and employment law. He was named a Michigan "Super Lawyer" in 2006.
Articles and Presentations
Mr. Rector is a frequent speaker on employment, employment discrimination, labor relations, and regulatory matters for employer and business organizations, including the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, the Society for Human Resources Management, and the Institute for Continuing Legal Education. Recent activities include: - Employment Litigation in Michigan, third edition, co-author of chapter entitled "Case Evaluation, Mediation and Arbitration," published by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, spring 2006.
- Occupational Safety and Health, Guide for Michigan Employers, book author, published by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 2006 (4th edition).
- Institute of Continuing Legal Education, currently serving as an ICLE Advisory Board Member, to review and advise on ICLE courses, publications, and electronic services.
Mr. Rector has served as an adjunct professor of labor and employment law for Ferris State University. In addition, he regularly conducts in-house training programs for supervisors, plant managers, and other corporate personnel responsible for a company's labor and employment function.
Education
Mr. Rector received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School in 1975. He received his undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College in 1971. He is admitted to practice in all Michigan state, federal, and appellate courts.
Bar Admissions
Michigan, 1975
Education
University of Michigan Law School (1975, J.D.)
magna cum laude
Kalamazoo College (1971, B.A.)
Published Works - Occupational Safety and Health, Guide for Michigan Employers, book author, published by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 2006 (4th edition)
- Employment Litigation in Michigan, second edition, co-author of chapter entitled "Case Evaluation, Mediation and Arbitration," published by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, summer 2003
Professional Associations and Memberships
American Bar Association
State Bar of Michigan
Grand Rapids Bar Association
State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Section, Council Member
Miller Johnson's Employment and Labor Relations Section, Vice Chair
Miller Johnson's Technology and E-Commerce Practice Group, Chair
Industrial Relations Research Association; Board of Directors, Executive Board (past)
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