Associate
As a lawyer, HR professional, and business person, with years of experience in each discipline, Michal Longfelder provides a uniquely thorough understanding of the implications of workplace challenges and potential conflicts.
With the multiple perspectives gained, she’s able to meet the demands of a workplace neutral, avoiding partisan advice or biased assessments. Acting as a workplace neutral means more than simply remaining impartial—it requires a comprehensive grasp of workplace dynamics in order to understand the ways in which one decision might affect the staffing infrastructure of an entire organization.
For more than twelve years, Michal’s conducted and overseen workplace investigations. She’s mediated a broad range of internal and external disputes and negotiated settlement agreements for an array of organizations. As an executive coach, she’s helped managers to better understand the implications – both legal and organizational – of their actions and develop effective communications.
Her wealth of knowledge of HR policies and practices is of tremendous value as an expert witness to both plaintiff and defense for issues such as whether the employer has taken reasonable steps to address and prevent discrimination and harassment, has met its obligation regarding disability accommodations, or if an investigation has met the standard of care.
In all Michal’s work, attorneys, executives and HR professionals respect her ability to analyze problems across disciplines, to collaborate openly and frankly, to interface with all levels of employees, and to generate imaginative solutions.
In addition to being a mediator for the EEOC, she’s an adjunct faculty at the Golden Gate University School of Law where she teaches the practical, day-to-day implications of employment discrimination in the workplace. At the University of San Francisco, Michal’s also taught negotiation and conflict resolution skills, human resources, and business law at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
She holds the designation of AWI-CH, (the Association of Workplace Investigators Certificate Holder) which has been certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – Certificate Accreditation Program.
Having lived abroad for almost a decade is a defining part of who Michal is. A world-view empowers her to better understand the different points of view and experiences that often lead to, and are key to resolving, workplace conflicts.
What Michal’s Clients Say
"With her distinctive background, Michal brings incredible value to both employers and outside counsel. Her workplace investigations are excellent because she both understands the legal issues which need to be addressed and how to minimize the disruption to the workforce that investigations often cause. I have relied on Michal’s ability to help me, as outside counsel, understand and navigate the intricacies of corporate culture so that I can do the best job in representing the company."
— Sharon B. Bauman, Partner, Manatt, Phelps and Phillips
"In my nine years of working with Michal, I found her to be an invaluable partner. She never shied away from taking on the most trying workplace problems and consistently provided innovative and creative solutions. Michal brings tremendous value to any company seeking expert advice on sound HR practices. A key talent is her ability to "thread the needle" between competing forces of legal risk, business priorities and company image."
— Cathleen Murphy, former VP of HR Operations, Blue Shield of California
"Michal was my trusted adviser for any serious employee issue and she always provided truly insightful employment law and employee relations advice. She is thoughtful, pragmatic and has an incredible ability to really partner with business people."
— Eskander Matta, President & General Manager, Tasharina Corp.
"I worked directly with Michal for several years, and relied on her extensive subject matter expertise to resolve complicated individual and organizational challenges. Her ability to think outside of the box, and partner with both HR and business leaders was exceptional, and resulted in careful, respectful resolutions that supported significant business objectives."
— Tom Giles, Founder and Managing Director, Thomas Giles Consultancy LLC/Ltd