James Parks

Jim is a partner in Taft’s Employment & Labor Relations and Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation practice groups. He has represented businesses in complex employment and litigation matters for over three decades.

Jim has an innate ability to quickly hone in on the germane issues in complex legal problems and his commitment to efficiently resolving problems has earned him a national reputation with companies needing strategic legal advice. His clients regard him as a trusted partner and counselor in their success. According to one client, “Jim is down to earth, smart, and practical. He has a remarkable talent to quickly grasp complex issues and forge quick and practical resolutions. That is refreshing to me as the president of a multi-national company.”

• A multimillion dollar resolution against a foreign entity for breach of warranties following over 18 months of trial in Federal Court
• The successful defeat of myriad union organizational drives in Alaska, Texas, Boston, Detroit, Georgia, and Tennessee
• The retrieval of a stolen, one-of-a-kind Louis C. Tiffany lamp completing a collection auctioned at Christie’s Auction House

Publications

• Author, “Not-So-Fringe Benefits – What Employers Need to Know About Michigan’s Evolving and Expanded Unemployment Benefits.” DBusiness (April 12, 2020)
• Author, “E-Discovery and the Business Lawyer,” Michigan Business Law Journal (2007)
• Author, How To Maneuver through Collective Bargaining and Avoiding Unfair Labor Practice (2013)
• Author, Monthly “Presidents Page” article in Laches (Lawyers Periodical)

Presentations

• Keynote Speaker on Employment Law at the 10,000 Small Business Initative in Detroit – Sponsored by Goldman Sachs and Governor Rick Snyder
• Emcee, League of Women Judicial Candidates Forums
• Lead Source, PBS Segment Regarding the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
• Keynote Speaker on Weight Discrimination Broadcasts, Articles, and Seminars
• Moderator, Labor and Employment Breakout Section of Crain’s General Counsel Summit
• Presenter, Employment Law in The Digital Age
• Frequent Lecturer on Civil Procedure, E-Discovery, Labor, Employment, and Litigation Matters
• Keynote Speaker and Guest, Various Television and Radio Programs