WELLS LAW - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Associate
• Attorney
• Member of the WORKSHOP LEARNING TEAM
• Education & Employment Attorney

Brian Cremeans is an experienced litigator, representing clients in a broad spectrum of civil and criminal matters. His practice areas include employment, construction, education, OVI and domestic relations. Mr. Cremeans previously worked in the general counsel's office of a genetics and toxicology lab and for a private brand in retail management. He uses this real-world experience to provide the legal advice and business acumen that employers need to keep up with the changing legal environment. Mr. Cremeans handles a variety of employment-related matters including matters involving Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as many other federal and state employment discrimination laws. He also handles matters relating to wrongful discharge, breach of contract and workplace investigations. In addition, Mr. Cremeans has experience with education law matters including Title IX, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Clery Act and school bullying issues. Mr. Cremeans is licensed to practice in Ohio and before federal courts.

Job Titles:

• Director of Happiness

Cammy Louise Wells is the Director of Happiness for Wells Law, where she is responsible for our in-house Employee Assistance Program and Wellness Initiative. She is known for her sweet demeanor, love of people, and constant tail-wagging. But don't let that fluffy, smiling puffball fool you! If you've met Cammy, you are familiar with her "Cammy-tude" - a testament to her Poodle heritage (she is a miniature Australian labradoodle). While not always a model of acceptable workplace behaviors, we overlook her blank stares, huffing, and insubordination since she is so darn cute. Cammy frequently visits Wells Law clients and greets visitors when she's not sleeping under a desk. She earned her Canine Good Citizen certification and completed therapy dog training. In her free time, she enjoys peanut butter filled Kongs, listening to country music (especially Nashville Crush), playing at the park, and spending time with her buddy, Chopper.

Job Titles:

• Chief

Chopper ("Chop D") Darling is the Chief of Security for Wells Law. Chop greets most with a huge smile but never forgets his duty to protect and defend. A rescue pup with yourguessisasgoodasmine heritage, Chop D's bark sounds much bigger than his 15-pounds. Chop has a tendency to mutter and grumble under his breath (if only he could talk!) when he disagrees with a management decision, but he forgives quickly as soon as his belly is rubbed. Occasionally, Chop D visits clients; however, he is really a homebody and takes great pride in monitoring the office when everyone is gone. In his free time, Chop D enjoys riding with his head out the window to feel the wind blowing through his fur, wrestling, and eating anything he can steal from Cammy.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel

Christen M. Shore has been practicing intellectual property law for over 20 years. She has represented both multi-national corporations, The Ohio State University, small businesses, and individuals in all aspects of intellectual property law. She is passionate about helping small businesses and individuals protect their trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks to prevent others from unfairly competing. Christen can also represent you before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and before the U.S. District Courts in Ohio, if necessary, to ensure your rights are protected. Christen previously served as an adjunct professor at Capital University Law School, teaching other attorneys how to practice intellectual property law. Christen's work includes: Protection of trade secrets and business assets Trademark and copyright applications License agreements Work for hire provisions Assignment of intellectual property Ownership of intellectual property Protection of client lists and business processes Technology transfer agreements Prosecution of trademark and copyright applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the U.S. Copyright Office, and with state governmental agencies Education J.D., George Mason University B.A., Rice University

Job Titles:

• Member of the WORKSHOP LEARNING TEAM
• Chief Legal, Diversity & Equity Officer / National Junior College Athletic Association
• Education & Employment Attorney

Jeff White practices in the areas of labor and employment law, education law and Title IX, and commercial law. In addition to practicing law, he has an extensive background in business operations within medical, retail, government and higher education environments. Mr. White uses his well-rounded experience to provide employers with tools to avoid legal landmines and advice that is realistic and practical for their businesses or institutions. Mr. White is an experienced union negotiator, workplace investigator, and human resource professional. Currently, he serves as the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Vice President for Legal, Diversity, IT, & Resources and as General Counsel for the United States International University Sports Federation (USIUSF). As the head of legal for both organizations, he works with staff and board members to review contracts, assist regions with legal needs, create and revise internal processes, manage association policies and procedures, analyze and evaluate the impact of legislation on the NJCAA (and its members) and USIUSF, monitor Title IX and SafeSport compliance, and generally oversees all risk management and legal matters. He has also served in a variety of leadership roles, including currently as the Executive Director of the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE). Formerly he served as the Vice President of Student Experience and Human Resources, Director of Athletics and Title IX Coordinator at Hocking College and Director of Human Resources for the Supreme Court of Ohio. He is a certified Title IX Coordinator by the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) and has conducted numerous investigations, coordinated faculty and staff training, facilitated bystander training and developed policies and procedures. He is also an experienced grant writer. In addition to teaching at the college level, Mr. White is a frequent presenter on a variety of legal and human resources topics. He is licensed to practice law in Ohio. Education J.D., Capital University Law School M.B.A., Ohio Dominican University B.A., History, The Ohio State University Bar Admissions & Certifications

Job Titles:

• Member of the WORKSHOP LEARNING TEAM
• Brand Strategist
• Founder, Karen Bailey Communications
• Marketing & Public Relations Professional / Founder, Karen Bailey Communications and Alignd on Purpose

Karen Bailey is a brand strategist, speaker and blogger. In 2016, Ms. Bailey founded Karen Bailey Communications to help companies better define and tell their stories. By encouraging her clients to define their brand purpose, she helps small- and mid-sized companies streamline their marketing efforts, inspire their employees and gain leadership in their market. She believes you must know your story, before you tell your story. Previously, Ms. Bailey led the Communications and Marketing department at WP Glimcher, a retail real estate company based in Columbus, Ohio, and has more than 10 years of experience working in PR and marketing agencies. Her clients have ranged from start-ups to recognizable household brands like Elmer's, ScottsMiracle-Gro, Pert Plus, Dave & Busters, Philips Electronics and The Home Depot. Ms. Bailey blogs about the value of authentic brand purpose at Purpose Greater Than Profit (www.greaterthanprofit.com) and enjoys speaking and guest lecturing about social enterprise and purpose-led business. Karen Bailey is not licensed to practice law in any state and does not provide legal services.

Job Titles:

• of Counsel

Larry Pliskin is a healthcare and business lawyer with over 25 years' experience helping businesses manage complex compliance, governance, and regulatory issues. His background as a health lawyer and compliance officer enables him to provide strategic oversight and direction to businesses and clients as they successfully navigate the highly regulated health care industry. He helps entrepreneurs, start-ups, established corporations, business owners, non-profits, and trade associations reach their goals - and thrive. Larry has worked in a variety of settings including large law firms, small law firms, solo practitioner, in-house counsel, health systems, and an academic medical center. Previously a health care associate at Bricker and Eckler law firm, Larry moved in-house with legal and compliance roles at Express-Med, American Health Holding, Good Night Medical, and MediGold, a Medicare Advantage health plan He is proud of several personal achievements, including: championing a best-in-class Compliance and Ethics Program for 3 national health care enterprises, driving the legal and regulatory side of merger and acquisition activity for a local private equity firm, chairing the Health Law Committee of the Columbus Bar Association for 3 years, and serving on the board of trustees for numerous charitable, educational, religious, elder care, and veteran-related organizations. When not working, Larry devotes time to his family (including his dog) and to numerous boards and committees in the health care, education, entrepreneurial, and legal service areas. Larry's work includes: HIPAA policies, procedures, and forms Healthcare compliance Business formation Contracts and agreements Buy/Sell Agreements Corporate documents Mergers & acquisitions Protection of trade secrets and business assets Independent contractors Applications for tax-exemption/501(c)(3) status Education J.D., Boston University School of Law B.A., University of Pennsylvania

Job Titles:

• Founder
• Managing Attorney
• Education & Employment Attorney

Mindi Wells is Founder and Managing Attorney of Wells Law. An attorney for nearly two decades, Mindi comes from a family of small business owners and spent much of her career on the business side of organizations, including serving as the Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Administrative Director for the Supreme Court of Ohio. She founded Wells Law to provide business advice, legal counsel, investigations, and training on workplace challenges facing businesses throughout Ohio. Mindi's clients appreciate her practical approach in simplifying legal complexities developed from years as a business professional herself. Her no-nonsense style and humorous stories come from over 20 years' experience in human resources, financial and organizational leadership, operations management and higher education. Mindi Wells is the Founder and Managing Attorney at Wells Law. An attorney for over two decades, Mindi has extensive financial and organizational leadership experience that gives her a unique perspective in working with her clients. She understands the need to carefully consider organizational culture and operational realities in providing legal advice to small businesses, entrepreneurs and colleges. Mindi's clients appreciate her practical approach in simplifying legal complexities developed from years as a business professional herself. Her no-nonsense style and humorous stories come from a career spanning over 25 years in leadership roles in human resources, financial administration and operations management in higher education and government. Mindi exclusively represents management in a diverse group of industries. She counsels employers on strategies to minimize workplace disputes and reduce discrimination, harassment, workers' compensation claims, and FMLA and ADA issues. She also assists employers on compliance with policies, state and federal employment, labor and benefits laws, and regulations including ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA, FLSA, ADA, Title VII, and workers' compensation. In addition, Mindi also has experience in labor relations, public records, and education law including Title IX investigations and training. A native of rural Allen County, Mindi is a first-generation college graduate and comes from a family of small business owners. She earned both her juris doctorate degree and her bachelor's degree in economics with distinction from Ohio Northern University, and completed the coursework for her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration at Bowling Green State University with a focus on ethics in leadership. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Ohio, State of Florida, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States. She is also a certified civil rights investigator by the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) and holds the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from the Human Resources Certification Institute. In addition, she is trained in Lean Six Sigma methodologies and the fundamentals of mediation through the Supreme Court of Ohio. Mindi completed a three-year program to earn her Certified Court Manager (CCM) credentials through the National Center for State Courts. Prior to forming her own business, Mindi was the Deputy Administrative Director/Chief Operating Officer for the Supreme Court of Ohio. While there, she was also tapped to serve as The Court's Interim Administrative Director and Interim Director of Human Resources. In addition, Mindi has nearly fifteen years' experience in college administration, serving as the Assistant Dean for Administration and Student Services with the College of Law at Ohio Northern University, and as the University's first Director of Human Resources. Mindi also served as Of Counsel to Worley Law in Westerville, Ohio and worked for insurance defense firms in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida. Mindi's other passion is teaching. In addition to teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, Mindi is also a frequent presenter and trainer on employment law, HR topics, Title IX, policy development, and risk management. When she's not working, Mindi enjoys roadtrips in her Jeep with her labradoodle co-pilot, volunteering in the community and exploring random festivals and restaurants.

Job Titles:

• Office Manager

Stacy Heldman is the Office Manager for Wells Law, where she provides service and support to our clients and professional staff and is the go-to person for any question. Stacy has more than a decade of executive support in legal and higher education institutions. She has worked extensively managing projects and client matters, marketing, bookkeeping and event planning, providing her with a notable ability to solve problems and get things done. Stacy earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo and master's degree in organizational management from Bluffton University where she participated in a Business/Cross-Cultural trip to Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing and Shanghai, China. When she isn't working, Stacy enjoys photography, genealogy, sewing, reading and hundreds of other arts and crafts.

Job Titles:

• Member of the WORKSHOP LEARNING TEAM
• CEO & Founder of WhenYouNeedHR
• CEO, When You Need HR
• Human Resources Professional / CEO, WhenYouNeedHR

Susan Somers is the CEO & Founder of WhenYouNeedHR in Columbus, Ohio. Her career began with AT&T, where she gained knowledge and experience through working in sales, sales training, sales management and human resources. In 2004, she accepted early retirement from AT&T and started her own business. Ms. Somers became a small business entrepreneur, consulting with small to medium sized businesses in human resource initiatives. She quickly adapted to this new world which was so vastly different than what she knew from corporate America, using her skills and experience to assist businesses with HR needs. Ms. Somers also partnered with employment attorneys, working in tandem with clients to investigate employee misconduct. Fast-forward to early 2011, Ms. Somers accepted a position on the Saks Fifth Avenue Executive Team as Talent Development Director, providing sales and HR insights to the luxury retail arena. While this opportunity was exciting, Ms. Somers found she was unable to ignore the constant yearning she felt to get back to being a business owner. Ultimately, she left Saks after almost five years, picking up where she left off with her HR consulting practice. Today, as CEO and Founder of WhenYouNeedHR, Ms. Somers brings both tactical and strategic HR initiatives to small business. She is passionate about providing recommendations and solutions to businesses who welcome and appreciate the uniqueness of her corporate experience combined with her entrepreneurial drive. Ms. Somers provides clients with best practices in the areas of executive coaching, managing employee relations and facilitating leadership courses designed to develop individual skills while increasing managerial effectiveness. Susan Somers is not licensed to practice law in any state and does not provide legal services.