SCHWARTZ HANNUM PC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Board Member & Ethics Officer
Amanda is an attorney at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice groups. She works on a broad range of matters for businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions including employment agreements, handbooks, labor and employment issues, and other matters.
While in law school, Amanda participated in the 2019 and 2020 NEBLSA Trial Team Competition and the 2020 AAJ Trial Team Competition, and was a 2019 NEBLSA Trial Team Competition Semi-Finalist and Summer 2019 Writing & Legal Competition Finalist. Prior to joining the Firm as an attorney, Amanda was a legal administrative assistant at Schwartz Hannum PC.
Anthony L. DeProspo, Jr. is Counsel at Schwartz Hannum PC and focuses on representing employers and educational institutions in litigation matters. Tony manages employment, education, and other business litigation cases from inception to resolution. He has successfully tried, appealed, mediated, and arbitrated cases before the Massachusetts state and federal courts, the First Circuit Court of Appeals, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, Land Court, Probate Court, and in dispute resolution venues.
Bert is Senior Counsel at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment Practice group. He has a robust employment law background delivering actionable, experience-based and -tested, practical advice and guidance to clients, coupled with extensive litigation and investigations experience. Bert uses his considerable background as in-house and outside counsel to help C-Suite and other senior executives at for-profit and non-profit organizations navigate complicated and sensitive workplace law matters, with an acute sensitivity for legal problem solving, risk avoidance and mitigation, and crisis and reputational risk management.
Bert's in-house and private practice experience includes the portfolio-based and single matter-defense of single- and multi-party employment-related litigation in federal and state courts, before federal and state fair employment practice agencies, including the EEOC, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and more than a dozen other state and federal agencies, as well as before AAA and FINRA arbitral panels, related conciliations, settlement and resolution negotiations, and mediations.
Bert has substantial practical in-house experience in designing and implementing enterprise-wide or business unit-specific on-boarding, senior executive contract negotiation, design, drafting, and execution, and background screening programs in coordination with sourcing and internal staffing teams, and corporate security organizations for existing business structures, as well as in the context of M&A acquisitions and integrations. Bert's experience extends to senior executive performance management issues, the design and implementation of employee retention and goal achievement strategies during spin-offs, divestitures, or wind downs, off-boarding, RIFs, separation agreements, proactive protection, support of cyber-forensic review, and recapture of intellectual property, related strategies, negotiations and execution.
Bert works with clients on both neutral third-party impartial and client-directed investigations of alleged misconduct including claims of discrimination, bullying, harassment, hostile work environment, retaliation, threats of violence, and unprofessional workplace conduct issues, as well as policy violations. In addition, Bert has assisted clients in designing, building out, and training teams to put in place internal investigation functions.
Bert assists clients in diversity representation, complex civil rights reviews and employment law audits, as well as dispute resolution, workplace culture assessments examining allegations of race-, gender-, and age-based discrimination and harassment law. He works closely with clients with regard to confidential litigation assessments, internal legal vulnerability assessments, and assists clients in developing "best practice", benchmarking, and diversity enhancement action plans.
Prior to joining Schwartz Hannum PC, Bert was Of Counsel in the Boston office of Jackson Lewis P.C, a Principal at Bressler Amery & Ross, P.C. in New York City, and served as a Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for 20 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and its predecessor institutions. He was also a senior associate at Mintz Levin in Boston and an associate at LeBoeuf Lamb in New York, New York.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Member of the Boston Bar Association
Brian D. Carlson is a Partner at Schwartz Hannum PC.
Brian's practice involves representing clients in the full gamut of labor and employment matters, including discrimination, harassment and contract claims, union election campaigns, collective bargaining issues, unfair labor practice charges, labor arbitrations, and ERISA claims. Brian also assists employers with executive compensation issues, employment-related agreements, corporate downsizings, employment issues arising from corporate mergers and acquisitions, and compliance with federal and state employment statutes.
Brian also handles numerous matters for independent schools and other educational institutions, including education-related litigation, student and parent handbooks, enrollment agreements, disciplinary issues, and student policies. In addition, Brian assists schools and other non-profit organizations with matters such as employment agreements, compensation benchmarking, and governance issues.
Brian is a member of the Boston Bar Association and the American Bar Association. He regularly addresses employer and bar organizations on labor and employment law topics and has authored numerous articles published in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, New England In-House, and other publications.
Before joining the Firm, Brian practiced with major law firms in Boston and New York, counseling businesses in connection with workplace issues and representing employers in litigation, arbitration and agency proceedings.
Cara is an attorney at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice groups. She focuses on representing employers and educational institutions in litigation matters including complex civil litigation.
Cara assists with a broad range of matters including conducting internal investigations, drafting pleadings and responses, developing comprehensive case and document review strategies, overseeing the review and production phases of discovery, and other trial, arbitration and mediation work.
Prior to joining the Firm, Cara was an associate at Libby Hoopes Brooks & Mulvey in Boston, MA where she also worked as a paralegal for eight years. She is a member of the Phi Delta Phi International Legal Honor Society, and received an Excellence in the Law award, given by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2017, for her paralegal work.
Carolyn is an attorney at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice groups. She counsels clients on a wide variety of legal matters.
Carolyn develops policies and procedures to ensure clients' compliance with federal, state and local employment laws. She represents businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions in litigation matters. Carolyn has extensive experience investigating complaints and grievances. She also assists clients with improving disciplinary policies and procedures, responding to claims of discrimination and harassment, employee termination and severance agreements, and relations with labor unions.
Prior to joining the Firm, Carolyn served as Labor Counsel for the Human Resources Division of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Carolyn has also served as Lead Counsel at the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General and as an Assistant Borough Chief for the New York City Law Department.
Job Titles:
- Further Guidance on New Employee Paid Leave Rights
Job Titles:
- Counsel
- Member of the Firm 's Education Practice Group
Gary D. Finley is Counsel at Schwartz Hannum PC. Prior to joining the Firm, Gary was a litigation associate at Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston.
Gary has experience assisting clients with commercial and employment litigation matters in state and federal court, including complex commercial transactions, employment disputes, government investigations, insurance and reinsurance disputes, intellectual property, and bankruptcy.
As a member of the Firm's Education Practice Group, Gary has assisted clients in negotiating vendor contracts and Head of School agreements and in drafting other employment- and enrollment-related documents. He has worked with schools on counseling matters concerning management training, student discipline, and employment issues and has assisted in conducting internal investigations.
While in law school, Gary was an Honors Fellow in Cornell's Lawyering program, served as a peer tutor, and worked as a research assistant. In 2011, he published the article Langdell and the Leviathan: Improving the First Year Law School Curriculum by Incorporating Moby Dick in the Cornell Law Review.
Before law school, Gary taught English at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Dover, NH for 13 years. He also served as the school's Admissions Director.
Jacqueline ("Jackie") Fogg is Counsel at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice groups. She counsels a variety of clients, including corporate businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions on all aspects of the employer-employee relationship. Jackie has extensive experience representing and counseling multi-state clients with respect to state-specific issues.
John Duberstein is an attorney at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice groups. He provides clients with counsel and representation on a wide variety of matters.
Before joining Schwartz Hannum PC, John was an Assistant Federal Public Defender. He represented hundreds of criminal cases at the trial court level, briefed dozens of appeals, and argued before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals several times.
Prior to that, John practiced at a large regional law firm in Greensboro, North Carolina advising education clients on a broad range of matters, doing civil litigation (including jury trials), as well as health care and employment work. He also clerked for a federal judge in the Middle District of North Carolina.
In law school, John served as editor-in-chief for the North Carolina Journal of International Law & Commercial Regulation. He speaks French and Spanish.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Firm 's Education Practice Group
- Senior Paralegal and a Member
Katie M. Symmes is a Senior Paralegal and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice Groups. She supports firm attorneys with a focus on legal and general research, document review and management, and drafting agreements and handbooks.
Katie has experience in all phases of employment and complex litigation matters in state and federal court, in alternative dispute resolution processes, and before various administrative agencies.
Katie supports attorneys as they counsel employers regarding federal and state labor and employment laws. She also assists with employee criminal background checks, wage and hour issues, pay equity analysis, and sexual and other harassment claims and investigations.
As a member of the Firm's Education Practice Group, Katie regularly performs research and analysis for benchmarking compensation, selecting vendors, and understanding law and policy changes. She supports in counseling clients regarding student discipline, employment issues, and assists with investigations.
Prior to joining the firm, Katie worked as a litigation paralegal for Goodwin Procter and the Law Offices of Michael C. McLaughlin in Boston, MA.
Phillipa "Pippa" Gage Lilienthal is Counsel at Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Labor and Employment and Education Practice groups.
Job Titles:
- Managing Partner
- Managing Partner of Schwartz Hannum PC and a Member
Sarah H. Fay is Managing Partner of Schwartz Hannum PC and a member of the Firm's Education Practice group. She focuses on the unique legal needs of early child care programs, independent primary and secondary schools, and colleges and universities. Sarah advises these clients on all aspects of school operations, including student and parent issues, employment matters, governance issues, and crisis management.
Sarah routinely advises the Firm's education clients on the legal framework for admissions processes and enrollment contracts; accommodating students with disabilities; responding to and investigating student interpersonal misconduct; disciplinary matters; student health and safety; risk management strategies for off-campus trips; student records and confidentiality issues; and policies and practices for promoting an inclusive community. For educational institutions that receive federal funding, Sarah assists with Title IX compliance. Sarah also represents schools against breach of contract, consumer protection claims, and disability discrimination claims.
In addition, Sarah counsels clients on the full spectrum of employee matters, including conducting reference and background checks; faculty contracts and offer letters; implementing performance improvement plans; managing leaves; and voluntary early retirement plans, reductions in force, and terminations. Sarah works closely with clients to develop strategies that comply with applicable laws and reflect best practices while maintaining the unique culture of each school.
As part of her practice, Sarah educates students on the evolving definition of consent, anti-bullying and anti-hazing training, acceptable use of technology and social media risks, and other key issues students may confront. In addition, she provides training for faculty, staff, and school administrators on topics ranging from professional boundaries, child abuse and neglect reporting, conducting investigations into student and employee misconduct, accommodating students with disabilities, and other topics unique to the school setting. Sarah is also a frequent presenter at national and local independent school conferences on education law issues.
Job Titles:
- Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
Will is AV® Preeminent™ Rated by Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. Will holds a 5.0 out of 5.0 rating. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
In 2015 BTI Consulting recognized Will as a "BTI Client Service All-Star," one of 29 labor and employment lawyers in the U.S. to receive such recognition. In 2016, he was recognized as a "BTI Client Service All-Star MVP."
Will has also been selected as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer® as a top Labor and Employment attorney in Massachusetts every year since 2004. These listings have been published in Boston Magazine, in New England Super Lawyers, and in Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition.
Will is a frequent speaker and author on labor, employment and education law, including presentations at the American Employment Law Council, bar association and MCLE programs, Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce, Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and National Business Officers Association (NBOA), and he has been a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School.
William Hannum is regarded as not only "technically excellent" but also "responsive, easy to work with and an excellent listener." Chambers USA
Will is a Partner at Schwartz Hannum PC.