Miller Johnson Welcomes Three New Associates
Miller Johnson is pleased to welcome three new Associates: Sandra Andre, Blake Padget and Michael Penny. Andre and Penny join the firm’s employment and labor section while Penny is in the business/corporate section
Ms. Andre will counsel a diverse group of employers and human resource practitioners on a full spectrum of employment-related legal issues. These range from affirmative action to FMLA and from wage and hour compliance to union management. She is also a part of the employment litigation team defending employers. Prior to law school, Ms. Andre practiced in the human resources field for more than 11 years in the central Michigan-area including leadership positions in healthcare, manufacturing and higher education. Ms. Andre holds a PHR (Professional of Human Resources) certification and was a Certified Professional from the Society for Human Resources Association (SHRM-CP).
Ms. Andre is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law where she earned her J.D. magna cum laude in 2018. She was a judicial intern to the Honorable Fred L. Borchard, chief Judge (retired) with the 10th Judicial Circuit Court in Saginaw County. She was a legal intern in the Office of Reinventing Performance in Michigan with the State of Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and a law student assistant with the State of Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget in the Office of Retirement Services (ORS) Benefit Plan Design. Ms. Andre received a Master of Labor Relations and Human Resources in 2003 and a B.S. in Psychology in 2002 both at Michigan State University.
Mr. Padget will practice from the Kalamazoo office. His beginning employment and labor practice will focus on counseling employers on topics matters including discipline and discharge, policies and procedures and immigration. Mr. Padget will also work with human resource practitioners on compliance issues such as wage and hour, family medical leave, and disability accommodation. He is also a part of the employment litigation team. Mr. Padget is a graduate of The University of Toledo College of Law where he earned his J.D. in 2018. Mr. Padget received a B.A. degree in History from Alma College in 2015.
Mr. Penny is an Associate in Miller Johnson’s Grand Rapids office. He will assist clients in the operation of their business. This includes commercial contracts and agreements, entity formation, licensing and tax issues as well as general business matters. He is also a member of the firm’s mergers and acquisitions (M&A) team. Mr. Penny is a graduate of Michigan State University College of Law where he earned his J.D. magna cum laude in 2018. He received a B.A. degree in Business Administration from Aquinas College in 2013.
Miller Johnson is a full-service firm providing legal counsel to businesses and individuals in areas such as business and corporate, employment and labor, litigation, employee benefits, and estate planning. In November 2018, U.S. News and World Report and Best Lawyers awarded Miller Johnson with tier 1 rankings for 27 practice areas in the Grand Rapids Metro area and nine practice areas in Kalamazoo. For more firm information, visit our LinkedIn page.