When Terri Stewart talks Labor Law, we listen — and so should you . . .
We opened today’s show with Stewart, and discovered that numerous local, state and federal laws create a complicated legal landscape for employers in the state of Georgia and elsewhere.
Terri Stewart is an attorney in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips LLP. Â She represents management in all areas of labor and employment law in state and federal courts as well as before state and federal agencies.
Her practice focuses on the defense of employment related lawsuits in trial and appellate courts, encompassing a variety of issues, including claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and related state claims such as trade secret infringement, restrictive covenants, breach of contract and tort actions.
Terri also frequently advises employers on reductions in force, drafts employment agreements, personnel policies, separation agreements and releases, and conducts onsite training on topics such as employment law compliance and avoidance of harassment claims.  Terri was listed in the 2011 edition of Georgia Super Lawyers – Rising Stars. For the honor, lawyers throughout the state are asked to nominate the best attorneys under 40. After nomination, researchers evaluate candidates based on peer-recognition, client-relationships and professional-achievement – only selecting the top 2.5%.
Terri was also chosen to be a member of the L.E.A.D. Atlanta Class of 2012.  L.E.A.D is an initiative of Leadership Atlanta designed to equip young professionals with key leadership skills and knowledge early in their professional and community service careers.
In 2011, Terri received the “40 under 40” Award by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The award honors the top 40 business people in Atlanta under the age of 40. Terri was recently featured on Fox 5 Atlanta News regarding the legal impact of social media on employment law and on CBS Morning News for What Not to Wear in the Workplace.
In the next two segments of today’s program we featured two Atlanta’s Best Connectors nominees, Michael Blake and Faye Vantreese:
Michael Blake is Director of Valuation Services at Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, LLP. Michael’s background includes transactional roles in investment banking and venture capital. He has fifteen years of valuation experience including transaction support, intellectual property appraisals, fair value accounting, litigation, and valuations for securities-related engagements. He also has five years of experience in managing and performing assignments on stock option and warrant valuation, hedging instrument valuation, purchase price allocation and goodwill and long-lived asset impairment testing.
Michael’s valuation experience includes information technology, medical devices, healthcare drug development, restaurants, computer hardware, electronic entertainment, telecommunications, broadcasting, alternative energy, publishing, business services, e-commerce and Internet-driven services, aerospace, paper & timber, beverage, media, manufacturing, and private equity.
Michael received his Bachelor’s Degree, Cum Laude, in Economics and French from Franklin & Marshall College and his Masters of Business Administration Degree from Georgetown University. Michael is the co-founder and president of StartupLounge.com, an online podcast and forum resource for entrepreneurs and private company investors. He was a Nominee Finalist for the 2009 Turknett Foundation Leadership Character Award and a Nominee Finalist for the 2009 TechAmerica Spirit of Endeavor Award. Michael was named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s 2009 Up and Comers List for the top 40 executives under the age of 40. Michael’s professional and academic affiliations include:
- Chartered Financial Analyst Institute
- Phi Beta Kappa
- Atlanta CFA Society
- Georgia Tech/Emory TI:GER Advisory Board
- American Finance Association
- Institute of Business Appraisers
- American Society of Appraisers
- Ukrainian-American Chamber of Commerce
Click here to read Michael’s personal blog, UNBLAKEABLE.
Seven years ago Faye Vantreese moved to Atlanta and knew about 5 people.
“I moved into the Financial services industry which is all about connecting with people, getting your message out there and helping families and businesses reach their financial goals. I figured out pretty quickly I needed to start connecting with a lot of people pretty quickly if I was going to survive in a very competitive market. I started by asking who were the most connected people locally in my area, reached out to them and asked what their were doing. It was the smartest thing I could have done. ”
Check Out Faye’s Public LinkedIn Profile Here
Learn more about her firm, The Peachtree Financial Group Here