Bio

Laura M. Dinon has been a member of Plunkett Cooney since 1979. After graduating from the Detroit College of Law in 1988, she began practicing in the Detroit office, concentrating in the area of professional liability.

Since transferring to Petoskey in July of 1990, she has concentrated on representing public and private employers in all aspects of employment law including labor relations. She also handles no fault motor vehicle cases, health care issues and municipal law. She has a broad client base of small to medium size businesses, including health care practices, as well as municipalities and large insurance companies. She handles cases in federal and state courts, Arbitrations and Administrative Agency hearings.

Representative Client Work

  • Labor negotiations and arbitrations
  • General labor and employment counsel for numerous businesses advising and assisting them in managing their employees, including hiring, firing, discipline, leave, compliance and all other employment related issues up to and including litigation. Assists these clients with drafting of contracts and policies, and then the implementation, training, and interpretation of those policies and contracts
  • Represents and advises business and health care clients on wide range of issues, including contracts, corporate document updates/filings, handbooks, bylaws, operating agreements, as well as contract negotiations
  • Represents employers in employment litigation in state and federal court, as well as defending auto negligence cases 

Publications and Lectures

  • Frequent presenter at Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce Seminars on numerous employment topics including HIPAA, Sexual Harassment, Fair Labor Standards Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Youth Labor Laws, Record Retention, Bullard-Plawecki Employee Right to Know Act, FMLA, ADA, Affordable Care Act
  • Frequent presenter for the Northern Michigan Society for Human Resource Management (NMSHRM) and Northern Physician's Organization (NPO) - Practice Administrators on numerous employment and health care topics 
  • Frequent contributor to Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce Monthly Publication on Employment topics including Michigan Minimum Wage Laws, HIPAA, Fair Credit Reporting Act, Youth Labor Laws, Michigan Social Security Privacy Act
  • Presenter on Basic Labor Issues, the Superiorland Society of Human Resource Managers, October 2006
  • Presenter for Michigan Works Seminars on employment issues 

Professional Memberships

  • Emmet-Charlevoix Bar Association
  • State Bar of Michigan (Labor & Employment and Negligence sections)
  • American Bar Association (Labor & Employment Section)
  • Society for Human Resource Management
  • Northern Michigan Society for Human Resource Management (Secretary and Past President, Board of Directors)

Community Involvement

  • Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce, (President, 2002)
  • The Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan (Board of Directors)
  • PHS Ski Boosters Board (Secretary)

Credentials

Education

  • Detroit College of Law, J.D., 1988
  • Michigan State University, B.A., 1983

Admissions

  • Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1991

Insights

Speaking Engagements

Blog Posts