Seth Filthaut is an attorney in the firm’s Employment and Labor practice group. He has significant experience in the private and public sectors, from local school districts to large national corporations.

His practice focuses on traditional labor law, collective bargaining, grievance arbitrations, and counseling employers on all matters concerning employment and labor law compliance and defense.

Public Sector
Most recently, Seth was the Director of Human Resources at Birmingham Public Schools.  In this role, Seth’s responsibilities included district-wide HR operations, labor strategy, collective bargaining, investigations, and compliance with federal and state employment laws. His role included negotiations with multiple unionized employee groups, administering discipline, managing grievances, advising on contract interpretation, and supporting district operations through policy development, workforce planning, and cost-saving initiatives.

Private Sector
Before entering public education leadership, Seth held HR and labor relations roles at multiple Fortune 500 companies. In these positions, he managed labor relations for large, unionized workforces represented by the UAW and USW, handled complex grievance and arbitration matters, conducted workplace investigations, administered discipline up to and including discharge, and led workforce actions such as large-scale layoffs and recalls.

His experience spans interpretation and enforcement of national and local collective bargaining agreements, unemployment compensation proceedings, benefits administration, and compliance with employment laws including the NLRA, FMLA, ADA, and state civil rights statutes.

Employment and Labor Law
Seth began his career as a labor and employment attorney, advising and representing public school districts and other public entities on collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, unfair labor practice proceedings, representation matters, and contract administration. He also supported the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) through the Michigan Bureau of Employment Relations, gaining substantial insight into PERA and public-sector labor law. A certified civil mediator, Seth is known for his practical, balanced approach, combining legal expertise with operational insight to deliver effective, business-focused labor and human resources solutions.

Professional Affiliations, Activities and Honors
Seth is an active member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Michigan State Bar.

Education
Seth earned his Juris Doctor, Cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law in 2014.  While in law school, Seth was a legal extern for the National Labor Relations Board, Region 7 in Detroit.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Grand Valley State University in 2011. He is admitted to practice in the State of Michigan.