Frank Kollman
“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.”
- Margaret Thatcher
- Margaret Thatcher
There are primarily two kinds of people who read website biographies. First, there are the people who are either clients or thinking about becoming clients. Therefore, the purpose of a biography should be to impress. Second, there are the people – mostly potential adversaries – who hope to learn something about you they can use. Therefore, the purpose of a biography should be to intimidate. Of course, with Lady Thatcher’s quote in mind, I composed the following.
I am a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University (1974) and the Syracuse University College of Law (cum laude, 1977), where I was an editor of the law review and the Survey of New York Law. I have practiced law in Maryland since 1977 and established the Firm in 1988. I was raised in South Jersey, five miles from Atlantic City, which in those days had no casinos. I could see Convention Hall from my backyard across the tidal marshlands.
Upon graduation, I spent my first five years practicing labor and employment law with two of the largest law firms in Maryland. In 1982, I joined a firm that had concentrated in labor and employment law for over forty years, where I became a partner in 1984. While at that firm, I created and edited an employment law newsletter, Employment Issues. In addition, I produced an educational film for hospital management concerning unions.
By 1988, I knew that I had to work in a firm that reflected my character, and the only way to do that was to start my own place. This firm, the people in it, and the work we do is my biography. Anything else is a footnote.
I have practiced management labor law for over 40 years. To me, telling a client what is legal can be markedly different from telling him what the best business decision is. The best business decision is the better choice.
There are other lawyers with impressive credentials, but there are few with the devotion I have for my client’s cause. I lecture, I publish, and I have done public service.
I am a monthly columnist on labor and legal issues for the National Clothesline, the newspaper for the dry cleaning industry. I represent a wide variety of businesses, construction companies, health care institutions, and trade associations, both union and nonunion. If you are thinking of becoming a client, give me a call and I will fill you in on more details.
Recent Posts
Protecting Your Business From the Unexpected
Posted On: 06/07/2022
While you have heard this expression a thousand times, it is worth repeating: “It is better to have a good customer than a good contract.” If a project has gone as well as can be expected, the terms of the contract become almost meaningless. In fact, if you had to go to the contract to […]
Erotic Films Challenged Under the ADA
Posted On: 03/03/2020
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employment discrimination, but it also requires public accommodations, such as wheelchair ramps and Braille lettering. Places of public accommodation must be accessible to persons with disabilities. Over the years, the courts have had to deal with whether websites are “places” of public accommodation. Several federal appeals courts have taken […]
Department of Labor Clarifies “Regular Rate”
Posted On: 12/19/2019
Most employers are familiar with the terms “minimum wage” and “hourly rate,” but many are not familiar with the term “regular rate.” Because overtime compensation must be paid at one and a half times an employee’s “regular rate,” not “hourly rate,” you should. Let’s start with an example of the difference. Assume an employee’s hourly […]