Biography

A member of Davis│Kuelthau’s labor and employment team and industry focus groups, Tony has extensive experience in assisting businesses, public sector entities and their executives wade through the various legal issues they face daily.  After starting his career as a trial attorney, Tony developed his practice through an in-house counsel role with a multinational trucking, transportation and logistics services company, focusing on contract and risk management issues.  This transactional and litigation experience, combined with his extensive labor and employment knowledge and manufacturing upbringing, provides Tony a unique business and legal in his service as outside general counsel.  Tony harnesses his corporate counsel background and his outside counsel practice to provide tailored guidance in the following areas:

Labor and Employment

Tony assists employers, both big and small, in tackling the various HR-related issues that arise in today’s employment world.  This includes advising on issues such as hiring/firing, noncompetition agreements and other restrictive covenants, drafting and enforcing employment contracts, employee handbook review and revision, and sensitive personnel matters and investigations.  He also works with owners, executives and human resources managers to ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, the Worker’s Compensation Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the various components of the Civil Rights Act, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) laws and regulations, and many others.

As part of Tony’s Labor and Employment practice, he also helps clients in the following specific areas:

Employment Litigation

While many employment-related issues can be proactively avoided, employment-related litigation can still arise.  When it does, Tony works with his clients to pinpoint the underlying issues, develop a sound and cost-effective strategy, and follow that strategy toward the desired result, whether through litigation to ultimate decision or through settlement.  He has assisted clients in litigating matters of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, enforcement or breach of employment agreements, wage and hour complaints, and many others.  He also has represented several clients in defending against class action claims brought pursuant to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and its Wisconsin equivalent, a complex process that requires thorough analysis and strategic decisions at various stages.

Labor Issues

Continuing Davis│Kuelthau’s long history of representing employers with organized work forces, Tony assists in negotiating and re-negotiating collective bargaining agreements and handling the many issues that can arise in the organized labor context, including union organizing efforts, grievance proceedings, arbitrations, pension fund/withdrawal disputes, and other matters.

Immigration

When clients wish to expand their workforce by adding foreign nationals, Tony assists in working through the long and complicated process of obtaining either temporary or permanent employment authorization, including PERM Applications and underlying prevailing wage determinations, H-1B applications, H-2B visas for seasonal workers, foreign student workers, Schedule A occupations, outstanding researchers, and other issues.

School & Higher Education

Tony assists public school districts, postsecondary educations, and private schools in all legal areas surrounding modern-day education.  In addition to regular employment-related matters, he regularly works with clients on student issues, employee and student disciplinary concerns, pupil records and confidentiality, board policy and governance, teacher and administrator contracts, Title IX considerations, and parent complaints. He also focuses on pupil services and accommodation matters, assisting K-12 districts and private elementary/secondary schools navigate the complex statutory and regulatory framework inherent in providing special education services to eligible students.

Municipal Law/Municipal Labor Counsel

Tony advises many towns, villages, cities and counties on a variety of issues specific to municipalities, including zoning appeals and enforcement matters, public records and open meetings compliance, ordinance drafting and citation enforcement, and other issues.  In this role, he serves as special municipal prosecutor, appearing on clients’ behalf before municipal and circuit courts and other tribunals.  In addition, he advises our clients as to their relationships with public sector unions, including in the police, fire protection and public safety areas, as to labor contract negotiations, general labor-management relations, grievance arbitrations and unfair labor practices.

Leadership

Professional Activities

Member, State Bar of Wisconsin

Member, Labor and Employment Section, State Bar of Wisconsin

United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

United States District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin

Menominee Tribal Court

Member, Brown County Bar Association

Member, Hon. Robert J. Parins Inn of Court – Inn Administrator, President (2009-2011)

Member, Wisconsin Public Employer Labor Relations Association (WPELRA)

Member, Wisconsin School Attorneys Association (WSAA)

Community Involvement

Board of Directors, Cerebral Palsy, Inc.

Board of Directors/Vice President, Ashwaubenon Fun in the Sun Camp

Board Member, Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.

President, Board of Directors, Ashwaubenon Special Children’s Program

Former President, Group Purchasing, Inc., Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce

Member, Green Bay Area Society for Human Resource Management

Board Member, Partners in Education – Greater Green Bay Area Chamber

Former Steering Committee Member, CURRENT Young Professionals Organization

Volunteer, Miracle League of Green Bay