Mr Michael A. Zody | Attorney

Mike Zody is a member of the Litigation, Employment Law and Environmental departments.

Environmental Practice:
Mike is the chair of the firm's Environmental Litigation Practice Group and chair of the firm's Climate Change Practice Group. Mike's climate change practice involves advising clients on strategies to prepare for the emerging greenhouse gas compliance markets. Mike's practice also includes organizing and representing the Utah Business Climate Change Coalition. Mike's environmental practice focuses on litigation including defending civil and criminal enforcement actions, citizens' suits, environmental disputes arising from the sale of land, administrative agency litigation, CERCLA cost recovery cases and other aspects of environmental litigation. His recent cases include representing a landowner in a RCRA citizen's suit to force a neighboring municipal landfill to comply with the appropriate regulations, representing a major energy company in a complex litigation matter involving the sale of contaminated property, defense of a complex Clean Air Act criminal enforcement action and litigating a permit challenge before the Utah Radiation Control Board.

Employment Practice:
Mike consults with managers and human resource professionals on a multitude of employment law issues. Frequently this is designed to avoid litigation or minimize potential exposure in a subsequent action. Mike also defends employers in lawsuits before administrative agencies and state and federal courts. Mike's areas of practice include ADA, ADEA, Title VII, employment contracts (including non-compete clauses) and OSHA. Mike has also developed a specialty in whistleblower and retaliation cases, including environmental and Sarbanes Oxley whistleblower cases. His employment litigation practice includes numerous individual cases litigated, as well as involvement in multi-plaintiff matters.

Mike has been heavily involved in the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Utah State Bar, serving in every position and ultimately holding the title of chair of the Section for 1999 - 2000.

Mike is listed in Best Lawyers in America and Chambers USA.

Community Involvement:

• Member, Board of Directors, United Way of Salt Lake
• Chair, Young Leaders of United Way of Salt Lake
• Extensive Pro Bono work, past Salt Lake County Bar Association Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year
• 2007 Child Advocate of the Year, awarded by Voices for Utah Children
• 2008 Outstanding Domestic Violence Service Partner, awarded by Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake

Presentations and Publications:

Publications:

• Author: "Responding to Environmental Whistleblowers", 51 Rocky Mt. Min. L. Inst., 6-1  (2005).
• Co-author: "Resolution Conferences Conducted by the Utah Anti-Discrimination Division: The Elements of a Successful Administrative Mediation Program," University of Utah Journal of Contemporary Law, Vol. 21, No. 1, 1995.

Presentations:

• "Climate Change Law:  Learn the State of Play in this Rapidly Developing Area of Environmental and Energy Law," Utah State Bar Summer Convention, July 17, 2009
• "GHG Regulation in the United States: Where are we, where are we going?" Coal Combustion Products Conference, July 25, 2008.
• "Update on Climate Change Law in Utah: Energy Resource & Carbon Emission Initiative of 2008," Parsons Behle & Latimer Breakfast Briefing, March 26, 2008.
• "Responding to Environmental Whistleblowers," the 51st Annual Institute of the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, July 21, 2005.
• "Whistleblowing and Retaliation Claims," Parsons Behle & Latimer 15th & 16th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 2003, 2004.
• "Termination Update," HR Compliance, Are You Up To Date? Seminar, Lorman Education Services, January 23, 2004.
• "Contractual Obligations To Employees," "Recognizing And Managing Retaliation Risks, Including Whistleblowing," and "Dealing with a Charge of Discrimination," Utah State And Federal Personnel Laws, Lorman Education Services, May 7 & 8, 2003.
• "Recognizing and Managing Retaliation Risk," Including Whistleblowing, Lorman Education Services, May 2002.
• "Handling Charges of Discrimination at the Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division," Lorman Education Services, May 2002.
• "OSHA Update: New Recordkeeping Requirements and Other Developments," Parsons Behle & Latimer 14th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 2002.
• "Responding to a Charge of Discrimination: What You Need to Know About the Administrative Process in order to Effectively Defend Against Discrimination Claims at the Agency Level," Parsons Behle & Latimer 6th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 1994; 12th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 2000; 13th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 2001.
• "Managing the Whistleblowing Employee," Parsons Behle & Latimer Breakfast Briefing, February 2000.
• "Environmental Compliance Litigation Review and Update: Private Cost Recovery Actions," sponsored by Govt. Institutes, SLC, March 1516, 1999.
• "Hiring: Identifying and Minimizing the Risk," Parsons Behle & Latimer 9th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 1997.
• "Balancing Employer's Management and Production Needs with Injured Employee's Rights," Council on Education in Management Seminar, April 1996.
• "Employment Law Overview for Managers," University of Phoenix, 1995.
• "Legal Aspects of Workplace Violence," Parsons Behle & Latimer 7th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 1995.
• "Utah Employment Law Update: Much Has Happened Since Berube," Parsons Behle & Latimer 5th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 1993.