As Phillips Murrah celebrates 40 years of service, we’re highlighting the people whose work has helped shape the firm along the way. In this 40 for 40 profile, we spotlight Michele Spillman and the perspective she brings to her role and to the firm’s culture.
Michele started her legal career in employment law, but her career wasn’t a completely linear path. After taking time off to stay home full-time with her young children, she returned to the legal world at a boutique law firm specializing in litigation. While that experience certainly sharpened her courtroom skills, it also made her eager to return to the work she loved. Phillips Murrah was the clear choice – it allowed her the opportunity to return to employment law and work at a firm that had a large number of women as partners and leadership roles.
For Michele, the job’s real payoff isn’t in the statutes. It is in the conversations. Listening closely to her clients’ concerns and helping them untangle thorny HR issues in order for their businesses to thrive, makes her work incredibly meaningful. That work paid off in dramatic fashion the day she won her first trial. It was a single plaintiff federal discrimination and harassment case that ended in a complete defense verdict for her client, and it is a career milestone that still stands out.
Outside the office, it’s family and faith that keep Michele steady and grounded.
Follow our year-long anniversary celebration by visiting our 40th Anniversary page and connecting with us on social media using the links below. We look forward to sharing what’s next.
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