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Ms. Makela is Of Counsel at Carrington Coleman. Ms. Makela's practice deals exclusively with issues relating to labor, employment, and employee benefits. She counsels clients in these areas and practices in both litigation and nonlitigation matters. Ms. Makela has represented parties in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, National Labor Relations Board, Texas Commission on Human Rights, Wage-Hour Division of the Department of Labor, and Texas Workforce Commission, as well as other agencies. She represents parties in state and federal court cases and arbitration proceedings, often involving employment discrimination and wrongful-discharge issues. A significant part of her litigation practice focuses on defense of class action claims asserted under ERISA on behalf of employee benefit plan participants. Ms. Makela's nonlitigation practice includes counseling of employer clients to help them find practical effective ways to address workplace problems and challenges. She assists clients with development and implementation of employee policies and procedures, including leave policies and anti-harassment and other workplace conduct policies, alternative dispute resolution programs, reporting and record-keeping, affirmative action programs, hiring procedures, employee evaluation and testing, payroll and other wage-hour practices, drug testing investigations and disciplinary procedures, plant closings, severance arrangements, and noncompetition/confidentiality agreements. Ms. Makela was admitted to practice in Florida, 1978; Texas, 1980; Maine, 2001. Prior to joining Carrington Coleman, she was a law clerk to the Honorable Paul H. Roney, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1978-1979. | 