Michele L. (Warnock) Brott

Specialization

• Business Litigation
• Employment Law and Labor Relations
• Insurance Defense
• Litigation and Appeals
• Workers' Compensation

About Michele's Practice

Michele L. (Warnock) Brott is a forward-thinking, practical employment lawyer. Her first goal is to help her clients avoid litigation and provide practices for business protection. When that’s not an option, she’s ready to defend them before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and through trial.

Employment and Labor

Michele is an experienced subject matter expert in employment law and partners with employers, owners, risk managers, and human resources professionals to advise about comprehensive and complex employment matters ranging from onboarding, performance management, employee relations, compensation, leaves, accommodations, internal investigations, and best practices. Michele provides legal guidance related to the full spectrum of employment legal issues:

• Employee policies and best practices
• Employee agreements
• Civil Rights Claims (Iowa Civil Rights Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
• Discrimination
• Drug testing
• Harassment and retaliation claims
• Termination
• Whistleblowers
• Non-competes
• Wage & hour claims
• FMLA
• ADA
• Unemployment claims
• COVID-19
• Trade secrets

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

Michele partners with insurance companies when their insureds are accused of wrongful termination, retaliation, or other discrimination claims.

COVID-19 Litigation

Michele was at the forefront of helping clients devise ways to safely return to their physical workspaces with the Return to Work package and the Employer Guide to Vaccinations. She is now representing employers in some of the first COVID-19-related litigation including wrongful termination and unsafe work environments.

Business Litigation

Michele has litigated contract disputes in state and federal courts. Companies turn to Michele to draft contracts including non-compete clauses, non-solicit clauses, and protections for trade secrets. They rely on her experience in defending those clauses in court and obtaining judgments for breached contracts.

Education

• Drake University
• Drake University Law School

Major Publications & Speaking Engagements

• Editor, Iowa Employment Law Letter
• Contributing Editor, Upper Midwest Employment Law Letter
• Quoted, "Layoff, Furlough Notices Not to Be Forgotten During COVID-19 Crisis," HR Daily Advisor, March 24, 2020
• Quoted, "Supreme Court to Bring Clarity to Gay, Transgender Protections in Workplace," HR Daily Advisor, April 24, 2019
• Author, "Firing an employee who complained: Opposition isn't always protected," Iowa Employment Law Letter, February 2018, and HR Daily Advisor, March 15, 2018
• Author, "Is there harm in asking? Questioning employees about their plans to retire," Iowa Employment Law Letter, December 2017, and Diversity Insight, January 14, 2018
• Author, "Iowa court decision blurs definition of disability in workers' comp cases," Iowa Employment Law Letter, July 2016, and HR Daily Advisor, August 18, 2017
• Author, "Trump v. Sessions: Constructive discharge? 'We'll see what happens'," Iowa Employment Law Letter, August 2017, and HR Hero Line, July 26, 2017
• Author, "ISU's off-the-court battle with former basketball player heads to court," Iowa Employment Law Letter, June 2016, and HR.BLR.com, July 15, 2016
• Author, "Pregnant employees must be placed on 'equal footing' with injured workers," Iowa Employment Law Letter, March 2016, and HR.BLR.com, April 8, 2016
• Author, "What HR must do when customers harass employees," Iowa Employment Law Letter, June 2016, and HR Hero Line, March 4, 2016
• Author, "Disabilities: Employees don't come with warning labels," Iowa Employment Law Letter, May 2015, and HR.BLR.com, June 12, 2015
• What Crawled Out from Under the Rock? Backgrounds Check and Due Diligence, December 2014
• It’s All Fun & Games Until Someone Files a Work Comp Claim: Increasing Morale & Exposure in the Workplace, Davis Brown Law Firm Employment Seminar, April 2014
• Compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act & Iowa Law, American Payroll Association, local chapter, July 2014
• Employment Law & Workforce Issues – Fair Labor Standards Act, May 2014
• Effective Use of Evidence, Trial Preparation from Start to Finish Seminar for Institute for Paralegal Education, November 2012
• Breed Specific Legislation as a Disservice to Service Animals, Animal Law Committee Newsletter, TIPS Committee News, Winter/Spring 2012
• Where Are We on Medicare Set Asides?, Annual Fall Seminar for the American Academy of ADR Attorneys, September 2012
• E-Discovery Concerns, Best Practices for Health Care Facilities Considering Electronic Health Records, October 2011
• Contested Trustee Litigation:  Advising Financial Institutions on the Concerns and Best Practices Related to Trust Management and Fiduciary Litigation, December 2011 

Admitted to Practice

• Iowa, 2009