Mike Garrard is a partner in the Baton Rouge office of Kean Miller. He joined the firm in 1982 and practices in the labor and employment law group. Mike has more than 25 years of experience in litigation and labor and employment law and represents management clients in a wide variety of labor and employment law issues.

Mike has  an LL.M. Degree in Labor and Employment Law from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Labor Law at the LSU Law Center since 1998. Mike represents clients in connection with labor law matters such as unfair labor practice charges, union elections, collective bargaining and arbitration matters.

He also represents clients in connection with employment discrimination matters including EEOC charges and suits alleging violations of Title VII, the ADA, the ADEA, the FMLA and other federal and state provisions.

Mike assists clients in connection with a broad range of employment law issues including OSHA matters, the preparation of employee handbooks and policies and procedures, and the training of supervisors and other employees.

Education

Mike earned his J.D. from the LSU Law Center in 1981 and his LL.M. in Labor and Employment Law from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1992. He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Order of the Coif and the LSU Law Center Hall of Fame. He earned his B.S., cum laude, from Nicholls State University in 1978.

Admissions

• Admitted, Louisiana, 1982
• Admitted, U.S. District Court for the Middle, Western and Eastern Districts of Louisiana
  
• Admitted, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit

Memberships

• Baton Rouge, Louisiana State (Labor Law Section) and American (Labor and Employment Law Sections) Bar Associations
• ABA Committee for Liaison with EEOC and OFCCP
• Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management (GBR-SHRM)

Articles, Publications and Presentations

National Labor Relations Act - Section 7
Labor & Employment Notes, February 2004
Labor & Employment Notes, November 2004
Labor & Employment Notes, February 2005
Labor & Employment Notes, April 2004
Labor & Employment Notes, July 2004
Labor and Employment Notes, September 2005
Labor and Employment Notes, December 2005
Labor and Employment Notes, March 2006

Community Service

• Member, Board of Directors, Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
• Chairman, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Operation Upgrade of Baton Rouge
• Member, Baton Rouge Rotary Club
• Member, Board of Directors, Catholic-Presbyterian Apartments, Inc.
• Member, Board of Directors, Catholic Community Services
• Member, Board of Directors, St. Joseph Academy

Lecturer

• Recent Developments in Labor and Employment Law, Various Chemical Companies, 2008.
• Labor and Employment Law Trivia, Various Chemical Companies, Spring 2007, New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Labor and Employment Law Trivia, Various Chemical Companies, Fall 2007, San Antonio, Texas.
  
• A Few Comments About the FMLA and the ADA and Employees Who are Ill, Various Chemical Companies, 2006.
• Recent Developments in Labor and Employment Law, Louisiana Society for Human Resources, 2005.
• A Brief Discussion in Regard to Some Issues in Connection with the National Labor Relations Act, Various Chemical Companies, 2005.
• Legal Issues in Hiring, During Employment and in Connection with the Termination of Employment, Various Chemical Companies Annual Meeting, 2004.
• Recent Developments in Labor and Employment Law, Southeastern University, Hammond, Louisiana, 2004.
• Recent Developments in Employment Discrimination, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2004.
• Employment Discrimination, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2004
• Recent Developments in Labor and Employment Law, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 2003.
• Recent Developments in Labor and Employment Law, VCC Seminar, 2003.
• Hot Topics in Labor & Employment Law, Greater Baton Rouge Society for Human Resource Management, 2002.
• Hot Topics in Labor & Employment Law, West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, 2001.
• Avoiding and Defending Employment Discrimination Claims, Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, 1997.
• Struggling With the ADA, Worker's Compensation and the FMLA?, Louisiana State University Law Center, 1995.
• A Few Brief Comments Concerning Certain Selected Matters in Connection With the Americans With Disabilities Act, Louisiana Municipal Association, 1994.
• A Brief Discussion in Regard to Some of the Legal Issues and Practical Considerations in Connection With Employee Handbooks, Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, 1994.
• Some Considerations in Connection With Claims of Age Discrimination in EmploymentBaton Rouge Bar Association, 1994.
• A Brief Discussion in Regard to Some of the Provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1991, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 1992.
• Louisiana Labor and Employment Law, National Business Institute, 1990.
• Hiring and Firing, Baton Rouge Bar Association, 1990.
• Substance Abuse and Drug Testing in the Workplace, Baton Rouge Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, 1990.
• Basic Issues in Employment Law in Louisiana, National Business Institute, 1988.
• Labor and Employment Law for Louisiana, National Business Institute, 1987.

Authorships

• Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, Baton Rouge Bar Journal, 2004.
• "Do You Have Mistakes in Your Employee Policy Manual?," The Law Journal, 1994.

Reported Decisions

• City of Baker School Board v. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board, 754 So. 2d 291 (La. App. 1st Cir. 2000).
• Bonner v. Blanche, 499 So. 2d 1278 (La. App. 4th Cir. 1986).
• Joseph v. Zachary Manor Nursing Home, 729 F. Supp. 41 (M.D. La. 1990).