David J. Houston

Handled employment aspects of mergers from $1.5 million to $2.3 billion.

Won elections or obtained election petition withdrawals in the automotive (Tier I and Tier II), forging, telephone, retail, manufacturing, and health care industries, and charter schools.

Represented the Capital Area United Way in a high profile case covered by the media including The New York Times.

Tried bench and jury cases defending wrongful termination, race discrimination, disability discrimination, and sex discrimination claims.

• Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, 1999-2005
• Member, Michigan Manufacturers Association Committee on Government Affairs
• Founding Member and Past Chairperson, Ingham County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section
• Michigan Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law and Litigation Sections
• American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law and Litigation Sections

• Board of Directors, Capital Area United Way 2007-present
• Member, Nominating Committee of the Capital Area United Way, 1999-present
• Capital Area United Way Strategic Planning Committee, Member

• Michigan Chamber of Commerce, contributing author, "A Michigan Employer's Guide to Drafting Your Employee Handbook"
• Michigan Chamber of Commerce, contributing author, "Michigan Wage and Hour: A Practical Guide for Small Businesses"
• Michigan Chamber of Commerce, contributing author, "The Michigan Personnel File Survival Kit"
• Presenter to various organizations, including Michigan Chamber of Commerce, on topics such as "Hiring and Firing," "Employer's Guide to Maintaining Union-Free Status," "Recordkeeping: What Employers Can, Should, and Must Keep," and "Just Cause Employment and Peer Review"
• "Have You Updated Your Twitter/Facebook Status Today? The Pitfalls and Benefits of Social Networking for Employers," April 2010, Dickinson Wright Sunrise Seminar
• "The Recent FMLA Amendments and Regulations: Navigating the Bermuda Triangle of Remedial Employment Law," November 2009, Sterling Education Services, Inc.
• "Filling the Vacuum with Positive Information: A Proactive Approach to Union-Proofing," November 2009, Sterling Education Services, Inc.
• "The Family Feud: Exploring the Ins/Outs of the FMLA," 2009 and 2005, Accident Fund (presented with Accident Fund)
• "Proactive Avoidance of Liability for Cell Phone Use," August 2009, AGC of Michigan
• "Michigan Employer Ignites Smoking Ban Controversy," February 2005, Michigan Chamber of Commerce