Patty routinely defends allegations of wrongful discharge, wage and hour claims, discrimination, retaliation, sexual and other forms of harassment, whistleblower complaints, OSHA violations in multiple jurisdictions and with regard to both federal and state plans, worker’s compensation matters and other employment claims. In addition to defending claims in federal and state court, Patty has represented clients before administrative forums, including the Department of Labor, and matters before the EEOC, as well as federal and state OSHA matters, unemployment appeals and worker’s compensation claims.

Recognizing the significance of being proactive in employment matters in order to reduce legal risks, Patty spends a substantial amount of her practice in daily client counseling and effective policy development, as well as on client training involving a variety of legal compliance issues, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, harassment issues, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), various state statutes, wage and hour compliance issues, and effective hiring and supervisory skills.

Her practice regularly involves advising human resource professionals and management personnel who hold the responsibility of administering the FMLA and ADA compliance, as well as advising clients on OSHA compliance and training requirements and best practices. In addition, Patty works with clients on consulting agreements, independent contractor issues, handbooks, and in analyzing reductions-in-force and preparing severance packages.

Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Patty was a practicing registered nurse specializing in research and transplantation and critical care, as well as the nurse manager of a large medical unit. Due to her background as an RN, Patty participates in healthcare symposiums and advises clients and other HR personnel on updates to the ADA and FMLA, workplace medical issues, risk management, effective documentation, legal issues involving unemployment proceedings, transfer of patients between facilities, and other healthcare-related topics. Her background in healthcare allows her to efficiently help clients she serves due to her understanding of the medical issues inherent in ADA, FMLA and workers compensation claims.