Kastner Westman & Wilkins Shareholders James P. Wilkins, John W. McKenzie and Thomas E. Green were named among the 2022 Ohio Super Lawyers, an attorney rating service designation based on peer recognition and professional achievement, in the category of Employment & Labor.
Super Lawyers analyzes lawyers from more than 70 practice areas through independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third-party research, and each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis. Only 5 percent of practicing attorneys earn Super Lawyer status, and 2.5 percent of those eligible are selected to Rising Stars.
Wilkins is an Ohio State Bar Association-certified specialist in labor and employment law, and has been honored with the Super Lawyer award each year since 2015. Wilkins represents and counsels employers on union relations matters, including collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration proceedings, and advises clients on compliance with the full range of labor and employment laws.
McKenzie, a three-time Super Lawyer recipient, assists employers with employment disputes, contracts, harassment investigations, terminations/severance/RIFs and non-compete matters. He also advises on leave management under the ADA and FMLA, including reasonable accommodation and interactive process obligations. McKenzie also assists management with labor contract negotiations and related matters.
Green is an Ohio State Bar Association-certified specialist in labor and employment law. He has vast experience in representation of large, multi-state employers, and the challenges that accompany running a business with employees spread over many jurisdictions. For the private and public sector unionized employers with which Green works, he provides guidance in labor relations, grievance administration, arbitration, and collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
Associates Julie A. Trout, Michael P. Karst, and Amanda S. Smith were named Rising Stars, a designation for early-career attorneys.
Trout has been named as a Rising Star since 2017. She represents employers in state and federal courts, and before the EEOC and state fair employment practice agencies when discrimination claims arise. She graduated from the University of Akron School of Law in 2011.
Karst has been a Rising Star since 2017. Karst graduated from the University of Akron School of Law in 2013. He focuses on employer claims regarding termination, wage compensation and labor disputes, and also works with clients on day-to-day workplace matters.
Smith is an Ohio State Bar Association-certified specialist in labor and employment law, and a first-time Rising Star. She counsels employers on labor relations, wage/hour compliance, performance and leave management, discipline and workplace policies. Smith graduated from the University of Akron School of Law in 2014.
Kastner Westman & Wilkins’ clients range from Fortune 500 companies to smaller regional businesses, and both local institutional employers and public sector entities.
The firm provides employers with counsel and representation in affirmative action compliance, alternative dispute resolution, diversity and inclusion, employee benefits, employment litigation, EEOC charges, human resources consulting, labor arbitrations and negotiations, occupational safety and health, trade secret and non-compete litigation, wage and hour issues, workers’ compensation, and workforce management.