Services
Industries
Education
Wayne State University Law School, J.D., 1986
Michigan State University, James Madison College, B.A., 1983
Bar Admissions
- Michigan
Kurt Sherwood focuses on public and private sector labor and employment law issues.
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.
Representative Matters
Negotiated an initial collective bargaining agreement between a community college and its part-time faculty.
Negotiated successor collective bargaining agreements between a university and its faculty union.
Negotiated initial and successor collective bargaining agreements between a university and its teaching assistants union.
Negotiated initial and successor collective bargaining agreements between several universities and their AFSCME (dining, custodial, grounds, maintenance, etc.) employees.
City/County Collective Bargaining
Negotiated dozens of collective bargaining agreements between cities/counties and their police, fire, AFSCME, etc. employees.
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.
Honors
Best Lawyers in America, Labor and Employment, 2005-present; Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management, 2012-present; Kalamazoo Employment Law - Management Lawyer of the Year, 2013, 2017 & 2021
Michigan Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment 2006-2008; 2012-2014
Professional Activities
American Bar Association, Labor Section
State Bar of Michigan, Labor and Employment Law Section
Kalamazoo County Bar Association
Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Past Board/Committee Member
MPELRA, Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association
Kalamazoo Area Labor Management Association
The Family Institute, Past Board Member
Kalamazoo Rotary Club, Past Member
CARES Board, Past Board Member
Civic, Cultural & Social Activities
Binder Park Zoo Board
Arts Council Board
Leadership Kalamazoo
Speeches
Michigan Manufacturers Association MFG Operations Conference presentation, "Paid Medical Leave Act," March 7, 2019
Miller Canfield's Annual Employment Law Seminar, 1987-present
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
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