Attorney Profiles

Ms. Metzel's practice is concentrated in the areas of litigation, employment and labor law, real estate zoning and development, land use, licensing and alcoholic beverage law. Ms. Metzel represents corporate and individual clients in state and federal courts and before local and state administrative bodies and agencies. Ms. Metzel has extensive experience negotiating resolutions in complex business, family and transactional disputes.

Ms. Metzel joined Dann Pecar Newman & Kleiman in 1999 after working as litigation counsel for the firm of Johnson Smith LLP and after working as a Felony Prosecutor in Marion County, Indiana.

Ms. Metzel is a frequent public speaker and participant in numerous seminars concerning employment and labor law issues. Ms. Metzel also provides customized, in-house training on a variety of employment law subjects.

Year Joined Organization

• 1999

Areas of Practice

• Litigation
• Employment
• Real Estate Zoning &
• Land Use
• Administrative Law

Bar Admissions

• U.S. District Court Northern District of Indiana
• U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana
• U.S. Court of Appeals 7th Circuit

Education

• Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, 1996
  J.D.
  
  
• Franklin College, 1991
  B.A.
  Major: Political Science
  Major: Philosophy
  
  
• Acadia University, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1989
  Major: International Relations
  Major: Politics
  
  
• Drew University, 1990
  
  

Published Works

• Minimizing Liability for Unlawful Workplace Harassment, July, 2006
• Key Concepts in FMLA Compliance, April, 2006
• Understanding Employee Privacy Rights: Limits on Monitoring and Searches, 2006
• Tech-Knowledge for Employers, March, 2006
• Steering Clear of Common Costly Mistakes to Properly Handle Employee Complaints and Investigations, 2006
• Understanding Workplace Harassment, August, 2005
• Advanced FMLA, Intermittent Leave & Benefits Issues, July, 2005
• MS in the Workplace, Educational Program for the Indiana Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2005
• FMLA Update, Protecting Managers, Supervisors & HR Professionals from Individual Liability, May, 2005
• Human Resource Audits in Indiana, May, 2005
• Workshop, Avoiding FMLA Headaches, May, 2005
• Basics of Employment Law, March, 2005
• Safeguarding Your Organization From Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Liability, August, 2004
• Workplace Harassment and Internal Investigations: How to Prevent and Respond to Harassment, July, 2004
• Human Resource Audits in Indiana, May, 2004
• Indiana FMLA Update, May, 2004
• Indiana Personnel Law Update, 2004
• Properly Handling Employee Complaints & Investigations, 2004
• Effectively Managing Return-to-Work Issues: Understanding Your Rights and Responsibilities, 2004
• Indiana Personnel Law Update, Properly Handling Employee Complaints and Investigations, December, 2003
• Indiana FMLA Update, December, 2003
• Indiana, Best Practice in FMLA Administration, September, 2003
• A Guide for Employers in Indiana : How to Prevent Problems with Employees & Handle Problems that Arise, July, 2003
• Understanding & Preventing Sexual Harassment and Hostile Environment Harassment for Educators, April, 2003
• Effective Human Resource Management in Indiana: The Law and Psychology of the Workplace, March, 2003
• FMLA Update, March, 2003
• State and Federal Leave Law Update, 2003
• Complying With the Uniform Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA), 2003
• Human Resource Audits in Indiana, 2003
• Employment Law Problems Seminar, September, 2002
• Keeping Retaliation Claims at Bay, September, 2002
• Protecting Yourself from Individual Liability in an Employee Lawsuit, August, 2002
• Managing the Overlap of ADA, FMLA and State Worker's Comp Laws, August, 2002
• Personnel Law Update, Handling Disgruntled, Stressed-Out and Other Potentially Violent Employees: Preventing Employee Sabotage and Workplace Violence, 2002
• Keeping Fraud and Malingering to a Minimum
• How to Minimize Your Personal Liability When Implementing Terminations
• FMLA Update, Protecting Supervisors and Managers from Individual Liability for Violations of the FMLA, 2002
• Wage and Hour/Payroll Compliance Update in Indiana, 2002
• Managing Employee Discipline, Discharge and Documentation in Indiana : Employee Discipline and Discharge of Potentially Violent Employees: Minimizing the Risk to your Workforce, 2001
• Managing Employee Discipline, Discharge and Documentation in Indiana : Employee Discipline and Discharge of Potentially Violent Employees: Minimizing the Risk to your Workforce, 2002
• Stopping Confidentiality Leaks and Privacy Breakdowns by Implementing Essential Safeguarding Policies
• Personnel Law Update, Handling Workplace Violence: A Collaborative Approach to Protecting Your Organization from Liability and Your Employees from Harm, 2001
• Untangling the FMLA, ADA and Worker's Comp Overlap (How to Design and Implement Policies that will Help you Deal with the Day-to-Day Management of Disability and Leave Issues
• Keeping Leave Fraud and Malingering to a Minimum, 2001
• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, May, 2005
• Complying with USERRA, What Every Employer Should Know About Employees in Military Service, May, 2003
• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, 2002
• The Impact of Improvements: Crucial Road Work on US 31
• Understanding and Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, September, 2002
• Understanding and Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, July, 2004

Classes/Seminars Taught

• Speaker, Employment and Labor Law Issues

Honors and Awards

• Indiana Super Lawyers, 2004
• National Finalist American Advocacy Competition
• Recipient, Richard L. Zweig Cooperating Attorney Award from the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, 1997

Professional Associations and Memberships

• ISBA, Women in the Law Division - Chair, 2006 - 2007
  
  
• Indiana State Bar Association
  
  
• Indiana State Bar Association, Land Use & Zoning Section
  
  
• Indiana State Bar Association, Employment & Labor Section
  
  
• Indiana State Bar Association, Litigation Section
  
  
• Indiana State Bar Association, Corporate Counsel Section
  
  
• Indianapolis Bar Association
  
  
• American Bar Association
  
  
• Employment & Labor Relations Committee
  
  
• Women Advocate Committee
  
  
• Network of Commercial Real Estate Women
  
  
• D.A.R.E. Indiana - Board of Directors, 2000 - Present
  
  

Past Employment Positions

• Johnson Smith LLP, Counsel