Robert A. Alvarez began his career fighting for the rights of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers in Michigan through his work with the Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project, Inc. Mr. Alvarez currently concentrates his practice in class and collective action, labor and employment, criminal defense, civil rights, consumer, civil RICO, family, and social security disability litigation. He serves on the Board of Directors for Justice for Our Neighbors Project and Latin Americans United for Progress. Mr. Alvarez is a founder of the Avanti Law Group, PLLC, a bilingual law firm, with offices in Wyoming, Holland, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Andrew P. Bell concentrates his practice in consumer fraud, mass tort, products liability, qui tam and fair labor standard act (FLSA) cases as individual, class, or collective actions. Mr. Bell also handles including personal injury, asbestos personal injury and property damage, medical negligence, premises liability, trademark, and civil rights matters. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, AAJ, Federal Bar Council, American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, Association of the Bar for the City of New York, and Nassau County Bar Association. Mr. Bell is a partner with the law firm of Locks Law Firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Richard J. Burch concentrates his practice in labor and employment litigation. Mr. Bruch is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the State Bar of Texas, Houston Young Lawyers Association, and the National Employment Lawyers Association, and has served as an adjunct professor of Trial Advocacy at the University of Houston Law Center. Mr. Burch is a member of the Houston based law firm of Bruckner & Burch LLC.
Amanda A. Farahany, course advisor, concentrates her practice in employment, overtime, and sexual harassment litigation, and provides consultation and support to management employees. Ms. Farahany has been recognized as Rising Star Super Lawyer in 2009 and 2005 by Georgia Super Lawyers and Law & Politics. She is a fellow of AAJ’s National College of Advocacy (NCA) and the Lawyer’s Foundation of Georgia. Ms. Farahany serves as the cochair of AAJ’s Wage and Hour Litigation Group and has previously served the president of the Atlanta Council for Younger Lawyers and the National Employment Lawyers Association, cochair of AAJ’s Inadequate Security Litigation Group, and vice chair of AAJ’s Employment Rights Section. She has also taught law students trial tactics as the coach of the Trial Advocacy Program at John Marshall Law School. Ms. Farahany is a partner in the law firm of Barrett & Farahany, LLP located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Michele R. Fisher represents employees, with a focus on multi-plaintiff class and collective actions involving wage and hour issues. She also represents employees in a variety of employment matters including employment discrimination and retaliation, sexual harassment, and contract disputes. She has been named a Rising Star by Minnesota Law & Politics, Minneapolis/St. Paul Magazine and Minnesota Business Journal, and featured in “Who’s Who in Employment Lawyers” by Minnesota Law & Politics. Ms. Fisher is a partner at Nichols Kaster, PLLP which has offices in Minneapolis and San Francisco, and is also the head of the firm’s Business Development Group.
Eric H. Gibbs concentrates his practice in consumer and employment class action cases. He previously worked as a law clerk for the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Gibbs is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell and listed as Northern California Super Lawyer in 2010 by Law & Politics Magazine. He is the cochair and editor of the quarterly newsletter for AAJ’s Class Action Litigation Group, and is a member of the Board of Governors at-large of the Consumer Attorneys of California. Girard Gibbs, LLP is located in San Francisco, California.
C. Lance Gould concentrates his practice in consumer fraud litigation and FLSA collective actions. Mr. Gould has authored publications on consumer fraud litigation and has spoken on this topic at the state and national levels. He serves on the Junior Board of the Alabama Civil Justice Foundation. Mr. Gould is a shareholder in the law firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis and Miles, P.C. in Montgomery, Alabama.
Aaron Kaufmann concentrates his practice in the areas of class action, employee rights, employment discrimination, wage and hour, and wrongful termination cases. He is a frequent author and lecturer in the areas of wage and hour law and employment class actions. Mr. Kaufmann is the co-editor-in-chief of the American Bar Association’s treatise on The Fair Labor Standards Act and a partner in the firm of Hinton, Alfert & Sumner in Walnut Creek, California.
Katherine A. Stone concentrates her practice in wage and hour, medical negligence, products liability, and personal injury litigation. Ms. Stone is currently active in Vanderbilt University’s recruitment program and is involved in the Ohio chapters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She is a member of the Ohio State Bar, Federal Bar, and Ohio Employment Lawyers Associations, the Ohio Association for Justice (OAJ), and AAJ. Ms. Stone is an associate in the law firm of Barkan Neff Handelman Meizlish located in Columbus, Ohio.
Jason J. Thompson, course advisor, concentrates his practice class action and multidistrict litigation (MDL) cases involving consumer rights, RICO, employee rights, qui tam, antitrust, and environmental tort. He represents institutional clients, such as municipalities, healthcare plans and unions, as well as individuals. Mr. Thompson is a member of AAJ’s Section on Toxic, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Torts (STEP), and cochair of AAJ’s Wage & Hour Litigation Group. He serves on the Executive Committee of Michigan Association of Justice, is a member of National Board of Trial Advocacy and Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and is listed as a Super Lawyer. Mr. Thompson is a shareholder in the Southfield, Michigan law firm of Sommers Schwartz PC and serves as the chair of the firm’s Complex Litigation Department.
Jeremi K. Young concentrates his practice in personal injury, medical negligence, wage and hour, trucking, products liability, oil field injury, business, commercial, real estate, and construction litigation. The Young Law Firm, PC is located in Amarillo, Texas.
