Human Resources Manager

G AIL YA MCELROY, E SQ .

**** ******* ***** **** *******, GA 30106

******@*****.*** Phone 573-***-****

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

Plans and Executes Litigation Strategy Fact and Expert Witness Depositions

Motion Practice Case Investigations

Jury and Non-Jury Trial Experience Determination and Analysis of Legal Issues

Mediations Experienced Presenter in Lay and Courtroom

Audiences

Legal Research

Cooperative Legal Team Builder and Team

Settlement Negotiations

Member

Excellent Rapport with Clients and Court Staff

Dedicated Pro Bono Attorney for Non-Profit

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP (Atlanta, GA) April 2012 – April 2014

Attorney

Developed excellent rapport with clients and their insurers.

Conducted case investigations to determine key facts, legal issues, witnesses and immediate pleadings to be

drafted and filed.

Conducted legal research to determine legal standards for litigated matters.

Planned and executed litigation strategy.

Served as first chair in some litigated matters and second chair in others.

Successful in bringing in new matters to the firm.

Led settlement negotiations with adverse parties including formal mediations and informal settlement

negotiations.

Worked cooperatively with legal team of paralegal, legal assistant and lead attorneys.

Drafted and filed a full range of motions, pre-trial pleadings, and settlement agreements.

Presented oral arguments, gave evidence and participated in conferences before the court.

Tried bench trials in state courts.

Regularly reviewed and amended proposed contracts and service agreements to determine business

benefits, potential liability and compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.

Reviewed and approved billing for clients.

James C. West, III, P.C. (Decatur, GA) August 2008 – April 2012

Attorney

Planned and executed litigation strategy including discovery, legal research, motions and other pleadings.

Identified, investigated and deposed experts, parties, witnesses and record custodians.

Represented and advised clients in settlement conferences and mediations.

Conducted investigations of the facts surrounding legal matters, and drafted in-depth analysis of actual and

potential legal issues.

Regularly argued motions before the court.

Served as second chair for most assigned cases and first chair for remainder.

Organize the presentation of evidence at hearings and at trial.

Lead associate in medical malpractice, wills and estates, domestic relations and general civil litigation practice.

GAILYA MCELROY Page 2

Granted numerous summary judgments and other dispositive motions for medical malpractice and premises

liability claims.

Prevailed at trial for petition to set aside divorce settlement agreement and awarded attorneys' fees.

The Partners Group/Alston & Bird, LLP/Troutman Sanders (Atlanta, GA) May 2007 – August 2008

Contract Attorney

Assigned to discovery projects within the business, intellectual property and securities litigation groups.

Completed a first-level document review for a home builder and mortgage conglomerate accused of

deceptive lending practices. Resulting action was the review expanded into a first and second-level review of

internal accounting practices.

Completed a document review for an energy industry client which involved 1) shareholders' allegations of

breach of fiduciary duties; 2) allegations by the client against the parent company relating to the client’s spin-

off; and

3) allegations against the client’s accounting firm relating to the accountants’ guidance in preparing SEC

filings.

Additionally, worked within the area of patent infringement litigation for a computer software developer.

Schmitt, Manz, Swanson and Mulhern, P.C. (Kansas City, MO) June 2006 – May 2007

Attorney

Successfully recruited by the most experienced litigation practice in the region from court clerkship to join

fifteen-attorney insurance defense trial firm profiled in (April 2006) Forbes Magazine.

Charged with the responsibility for all aspects of insurance defense litigation (property and casualty) including

discovery practice, conducting depositions, drafting dispositive motions, drafting all pretrial motions, and

preparing cases for mediations and trial.

Argued motions and presented evidence before the court.

Conducted settlement conferences, identified expert witnesses, and served as second chair for assigned cases.

Primary clients were the largest property and casualty insurers in the United States.

Success depended upon leveraging my insurance industry career, management experience, and legal training.

Jackson County Circuit Court November 2005 – June 2006

The Honorable Justine Del Muro (Kansas City, MO)

Law Clerk/Staff Attorney

Evaluated all pending motions filed in civil cases and drafted all rulings for judge’s approval.

Effectively researched legal issues using state of the art techniques, technology and additional innovative

resources.

Scheduled parties for pretrial conferences and hearings.

Assisted judge in all civil, domestic and criminal trials, hearings and other procedural matters.

Assisted judge in drafting all judgments.

Syracuse University Law-in-London Externship (London, England) May 2004 – July 2004

Completed U.S. comparative coursework and externship for United Kingdom and European Union legal

systems in the Middle Temple Inn.

Missouri Supreme Court (Jefferson City, MO) August 2003 – December 2003

Clerk Extern

Evaluated transfer requests to Supreme Court, drafting legal memoranda, and recommending transfer

acceptance or denial by the Court.

GAILYA MCELROY Page 3

Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP (Kansas City, MO) January 2003, May–August 2003

Law Clerk

Clerked in General Torts and Products Liability Sections.

Assisted public policy attorney by conducting research on jury service reform for an article in the Missouri

Bar Journal.

Dell Computer Corporation June 1997 – August 2002

Sr. Human Resources Manager (Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil)

Human Resources Manager (Austin, TX)

Employee Relations Consultant (Austin, TX)

Worked in three human resources (“HR”) management positions directing U.S., Brazilian, and Argentinean

business and workforce strategies, managed labor relations and labor law compliance, managed HR staff,

resolved and prevented employee issues presenting legal risk, and led human resources functions to drive

operating expenses to goal.

Developed excellent rapport and strategic alliances with business partners.

Facilitated management training, implemented reduction-in-force initiatives, planned U.S and Indian service

centers.

Implemented talent management, management succession planning, compensation and key employee

retention programs.

Conducted employee relations investigations throughout company.

Assisted in-house legal counsel in defending state agency and EEOC complaints.

State Farm Insurance Companies June 1987 – June 1997

Human Resources Manager (Austin, TX )

Management Development Coordinator (Bloomington, IL )

Human Resources Representative, Training Manager (Columbia, MO, Kansas City, MO )

Property Claims Representative (St. Louis, MO )

Managed human resources staff in four locations in both specialist and generalist positions. Began career

as a claims representative and obtained Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation.

Received promotions throughout tenure.

EDUCATION

Juris Doctorate - University of Missouri – Columbia School of Law – Columbia, MO (2005)

Master of Arts, Human Services – St. Edwards University – Austin, TX – Summa Cum Laude (2000)

Bachelor of Science, Health Services Management – University of Missouri-Columbia, MO – Cum Laude (1987)

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Member of State Bar in Georgia and Missouri

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

General Counsel, Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia (November 2011 - present)

National Bar Association Convention Local Steering Committee (2014)

FEATURES

Atlanta Tribune, Featured Attorney – Attorney’s Corner, February 2012

MEMBERSHIPS

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Gate City Bar Association

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