Thomas P. Godar

Tom is a strategic partner who is tuned-into his clients’ culture, understanding their risk tolerance and supporting each move from client-centric focus. Employment law is a very people oriented business and Tom identifies each issue and crafts a solution, with the people factor in mind. At times it requires digging deep through complicated and conflicting facts, interpreting contracts and the law, while sorting out emotions, but Tom always reduces these factors to find an answer to a problem.

Peter Pakalski, President of Granite Resources Corporation had this to say about Tom, “We are extremely pleased with all of Husch Blackwell’s work on this deal. Tom [Godar] and Paul [Karch] provided incredible expertise throughout the long negotiations. They had an amazing ability to understand all the moving parts, and quickly resolve issues. And their genuine interest and friendship gave us the confidence we needed to keep moving forward.”

Tom is ready to share the late night worries clients have of recruiting and retaining the best employees at all levels by offering his experience on recruitment, policy development, training and discipline. Tom views his position as a counselor, with his greatest joy to see a successful client achieve even more.

Specific examples of Tom’s work include:

• Providing human resources counsel to a variety of businesses, including large and small healthcare organizations:
• Restructuring the relationship between an orthopedic clinic and local hospital
• Investigating  allegations of employee and executive misconduct and counseling management on appropriate next steps
• Improving employer relationships with unions through the use of proactive communication, and when necessary, winning at the bargaining table or in arbitration
• Counseling  clients on the expansion of their business, including the purchase of a community care organization
• Advising nonunion employers on the purchase of unionized facilities, as well as ongoing collective bargaining obligations related to the purchase
• Obtaining summary judgment and subsequently defending Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) summary judgment at Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
• Representing owners in $12 million sale of 16 Wisconsin cemeteries and  granite monuments business to NYSE-traded company
• Securing reversal of a million-dollar verdict for an employee in a successful appeal to the California Court of Appeals
• Defending against class action wage and hour claims