Kurt N. Sherwood

Principal

sherwood@millercanfield.com

Kalamazoo
T: +1.269.383.5853
O: +1.269.381.7030
F: +1.269.382.0244

Kurt N. Sherwood is an expert in public and private sector labor and employment law. He represents cities, townships, colleges and universities, manufacturers, health-care facilities and auto parts suppliers, among others, in such areas as traditional labor, contract administration and negotiation, NLRB, FLSA, EEO and FMLA.

“I am blunt, brutally honest and speak plain English to my clients. I do not allow ego to interfere with business, and numerous clients have actually expressed their surprise that I have such a small ego – for a lawyer.”
Kurt N. Sherwood

Experience

In an 18-day contract interpretation arbitration, Kurt successfully represented a client that was privatizing a portion of its operations. With Kurt’s assistance the client prevailed, thereby saving approximately $1 million per year. Subsequently, Kurt helped the same client successfully repair its relationship with the same union by utilizing mutual gains bargaining for the parties’ next round of collective bargaining negotiations.

“In both situations I helped my client realize its desired objective.”

Professional Activities

American Bar Association, Labor Section
State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section
Kalamazoo County Bar Association
National Association of College and University Attorneys
International Personnel Management Association
Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Committee Member
MPELRA, Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association
Kalamazoo Area Labor Management Association
Kalamazoo Area Human Resource Management Association
Michigan Community Colleges Human Resources Association
IRRA
The Family Institute, Past Board Member
Kalamazoo Rotary Club

Honors + Awards

Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment 2005-2011; Employment Law-Management and Labor Law-Management 2012-present; 2013 Kalamazoo Employment Law-Management Lawyer of the Year
Michigan Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment 2006-2009; 2012

Civic, Cultural + Social Activities

Leadership Kalamazoo
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Kalamazoo Rotary Club

Publications

"Are Michigan's Wrongful Discharge Laws Too Stringent?," Co-author, Business Outlook for West Michigan, Fall 1990, W. E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

Authored numerous articles for the California-based Personnel Law Update

Speeches

Miller Canfield's Annual Employment Law Seminar, 1987-2012

MPELRA, Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association, 2011-2012

Michigan Government Finance Officers Association, Spring Seminar, "Labor and Employment Law Update," 2006

Personnel Law Update, Council on Education in Management, 1993-2001

Legal Assistants' Association of Michigan, 1991

Grand Rapids National Business Institute Seminar on "Hazard Communication," 1991

Grand Rapids DNA Transportation Fraternity Seminar, 1990

Washtenaw Community College Seminar on "Labor and Employment Law," Ann Arbor, 1990

California Business Institute Seminar on "Current Employment Issues," Detroit, 1989

Mid-Michigan Human Resources Management Association

Kalamazoo Area Human Resource Management Association

Society for Human Resource Management

Michigan Community Colleges Human Resource Association

Served as guest speaker upon numerous occasions to Business Law classes at Nazareth College, and has participated in, as well as organized, a number of Management Round Tables

Speaker to numerous human resource groups and Michigan-CUPA

Law Education Institute's National CLE Conference on Labor and Employment Law, Vail, Colorado, 1999