“I have a responsibility to my clients to be both a source and a resource for information, expertise and guidance. ”

Joseph A. Starr is someone to whom clients know they can turn with the issues they face as employers and business owners. He has earned a solid reputation with his extensive experience in the area of labor and employment law. His litigation experience includes the defense of race, religious, national origin, age, sex and disability discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims. On behalf of his clients, he has defended cases of wrongful discharge, invasion of privacy, employment-related defamation, Whistleblowers Protection Act and Family and Medical Leave Act claims.

As a principal with Lipson, Neilson, Cole, Seltzer & Garin, P.C., Mr. Starr specializes in the defense of Professional Liability (Employment Practices, Attorneys, Architects & Engineers, Accountants, Directors & Officers, Insurance Agents / Brokers and Real Estate Brokers) claims, commercial litigation and insurance coverage disputes.

Joseph Starr regularly counsels businesses with regard to workplace violence, unemployment claims, OSHA investigations, EEOC/Michigan Department of Civil Rights charges and Department of Labor wage and hour disputes. He also works with employers to develop customized employee handbooks, employment agreements, covenants-not-to-compete, sexual harassment policies and electronic privacy policies.

Mr. Starr is an “A-V” directory rated lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell and is listed in Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys. In 2007 and 2009, the publication Law & Politics selected Mr. Starr as a Michigan Super Lawyer. Mr. Starr was listed in the 2008 and 2009 Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition for Employment & Labor Law.  DBusiness, a bi-monthly Detroit area business publication, included Mr. Starr in their 2009 list of top lawyers in the State of Michigan.

He received his law degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served as a Notes & Comments Editor for the Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and graduated cum laude.

An active member of the legal community, he is a member of the State Bar of Michigan (Council member, Labor and Employment Law Section), the Oakland County Bar Association, Defense Research Institute (Employment Law Steering Committee member), the Council on Litigation Management (Chairperson for the State of Michigan) and the Professional Liability Underwriting Society.

In September 2007, Mr. Starr was elected to serve a two year term (renewed for two years in 2009) as a Council Member for the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. He also serves as an Employment Panel Mediator for the Oakland and Wayne County Mediation Tribunals.

Speaking Engagements:

• “Employment Practices Liability Insurance - The Top 10 Myths Debunked!”, 35th Annual Labor & Employment Law Institute, The Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education (April 2010)

• “How Carriers, Insureds, and Defense Counsel Can Best Work Together to Reduce EPL Risks and Minimize Costs,” American Conference Institute’s 15th Annual Conference on Employment Practices Liability Insurance, in New York, NY (January 2010)

• “Employment Terminations,” National Audio Conference Series Presented by ePlace Solutions, Inc. (October 2009)

• Co-Chair of the 4th Annual National EPLI ExecuSummit in Uncasville, CT, including presentations entitled: “Ethical Dilemmas between Defendant Counsel, Claims Counsel and the Insured” and “Handling Tough Insureds” (September 2009)

• “Layoffs, RIF’s and Terminations,” National Audio Conference Series Presented by YourHRDepartment.com (October 2008)

• “Mediation Best Practices,” State Bar of Michigan - Labor and Employment Law Section’s Annual Meeting in Dearborn, MI (September 2008)

• “Beyond the Position Statement: Limiting Exposure When an EEOC or State Agency Investigation Goes Sideways,” 3rd Annual National EPLI ExecuSummit in New York, NY (September 2008)

• In-house E-Discovery Presentations: Monitor Liability Managers, Inc. (June 2007); CNA (January 2008); U.S. Risk Insurance Company (February 2008); Great American Insurance Company (February 2008); AIG (June 2008); Professional Indemnity Agency (June 2008); and Travelers (October 2008).

• “How to Terminate Employees with Confidence,” National Audio Conference Series Presented by YourHRDepartment.com (September 2007)

• “The Impact of the Electronic Revolution on EPLI”, Professional Liability Underwriting Society - Employment Practices Liability Symposium in Los Angeles, CA (May 2007)

• “Employment Practices Liability Insurance: What Every Employment Lawyer Should Know,” State Bar of Michigan - Labor and Employment Law Section’s Annual Meeting (September 2006)

• “Avoiding Potential Conflicts of Interest between Insureds and Defense Counsel,” Professional Liability Underwriting Society - Employment Practices Liability Symposium in New York, NY (April 2006)

• “Employment Practices Liability: Issues, Trends & Loss Control,” Presentation for Philadelphia Insurance Company (September 2004)

• “How to Make the Right Hiring Decisions in Michigan,” Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MACPA) - Small Practitioners Group (January 2004)

• “Avoiding New and Treacherous Legal Risks in Hiring Employees: Implementing Careful Background Checks and Other Practices to Ensure a Secure and Profitable Workplace,” Council on Education in Management - Michigan Personnel Law Update (November 2003)

• “The Electronic Workplace: Successful Management of Employee Internet Abuse and Privacy Issues in the Public Sector,” Council on Education in Management - Public Sector Employment Law Update Seminar (September 2002)

Articles:

• “Employees Beware: The CFAA Provides Employers with a Cause of Action Against Employees Who Destroy Company Digital Data,” State Bar of Michigan’s Labor and Employment Lawnotes (December 2006) (co-author, Jason M. Shinn)

• “Retaliatory Co-Worker Harassment in Michigan,” Oakland County Bar Association’s monthly magazine, Laches (August 2001)