Looking at these dramatic changes in the role of human resource officers, Jeff McGuiness and Dan Yager decided that their practice needed to be restructured to better serve these new demands. Robert Williams had retired a few years earlier, and they decided to make a fresh start and create an entirely new organization whose focus was consistent with Kenneth McGuiness' original concept of targeting services at the senior HR executive level.
The formation of McGuiness & Yager LLP was officially announced on August 1, 2007. The new firm is maintaining the traditional focus on employment, labor relations, compensation, benefits and coalition management matters. At the same time, its focus has been expanded to support the strong demand for executive compensation, governance, and HR strategy services. The prior firm's affirmative action and EEO practice now operates under the banner of Norris, Tysse, Lampley & Lakis.
The pool of talent initially comprising McGuiness & Yager includes Timothy J. Bartl, a former House Republican staff employment counsel with a heavy concentration in benefit and executive compensation matters. Serving as a special advisor to the firm is one of the nation's preeminent executive compensation experts,
Dr. Charles G. Tharp, previously the senior HR executive at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Saks, a professor of human resource management at Rutgers University, and currently President of the National Academy of Human Resources. Serving as senior benefits consultant is
Stephen L. Wetzell, a nationally recognized health care expert who for seven years directed one of the nation's leading health care coalitions, the Business Health Care Action Group located in the Twin Cities.
Litigation matters are handled by Ellen R. Lokker, an experienced trial attorney who has more than 20 years of experience handling defense work for employers. Backing up the benefits, labor and litigation teams is Michael D. Peterson, previously with Baker & McKenzie, who is an experienced practitioner in the fields of employment, labor, and employee benefits law.
The past two decades have also witnessed the globalization of large American corporations and with it a global HR focus by senior vice presidents. To address this broadened agenda, McGuiness & Yager has created an affiliation of HR attorneys and consultants skilled in dealing with employment matters in Canada, the European Union and Asia.
Further announcements regarding firm staffing will be forthcoming in the fall of 2007 as additional individuals sharing our vision of a contemporary, and unique, HR practice at the senior corporate executive and director levels officially join the firm.
A complete listing of these individuals and the biographies of all the firm's talent can be found on our People page.
