Attorneys

Michelle Pierce Stronczer (“Shelley”)
Founding Member

Shelley, a successful trial lawyer, counselor, and certified specialist
in employment law, founded Pierce Stronczer Law, LLC in July 2006 after a flourishing career in traditionally-structured large firms.
Shelley resigned her partnership in a large, prestigious national law firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio to offer clients seeking value and diversity in law firms an attractive alternative to traditional firms. Pierce Stronczer was established to fulfill that goal by helping employers discover balance and solutions to legal dilemmas that make sense fiscally, ethically, and compassionately.

Non-traditional paths are not new to Shelley. She embarked on her legal career after tenaciously pursuing her education over the span of 16 years while simultaneously balancing full-time employment and family. Despite these challenges, Shelley graduated summa cum laude and second in her law school class. She also earned awards for her top grades in law school courses including Contracts, Torts, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Legal Research, and Domestic Relations. Shelley’s entrepreneurial spirit, down-to-earth manner, practical experiences, and her tenacity make her particularly adept at helping employers navigate the murky waters of employment law.

Courts & Associations

Admitted:

• Ohio Supreme Court 1996
• United States District Court – Northern District of Ohio 1997
• United States District Court – Southern District of Ohio 2003
• United States District Court –Eastern District of Michigan 2004
• United States Court of Appeals – Sixth Circuit 1997
• United States Supreme Court – 2007

Member:

• Akron, American, Cleveland and Ohio State Bar Associations
• Defense Research Institute
• Labor & Employment Law Sections of Akron, American, Cleveland, and Ohio State Bar Associations (Treasurer of Cleveland Section)
• William K. Thomas Inn of Court, Barrister
• Women’s Philanthropic Union Board of Trustees

Education

• The University of Akron School of Law, Juris Doctor, summa cum laude 1996
• The University of Akron, Bachelor of Art, magna cum laude 1993

Business Attributes

Employment Law Specialist • Trial Lawyer • Counselor
Educator • Business Owner

• Certified Specialist in Employment and Labor Law, (Ohio State Bar Association)
• Skilled Trial Lawyer –represents employers in all phases of litigation in state and federal trial courts
• Experienced Appellate Advocate –defends and pursues appeals in federal and state appellate courts, including argument before the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Approachable and Responsive Counselor – extensively counsels employers in human resource management and litigation avoidance strategies;
• Represented public employers and private employers in diverse markets including:
• Health, insurance, litigation support, engineering, accounting, financial, technology, retail, manufacturing, automotive, transportation, and utility industries and public and private educational institutions and municipalities
• Frequent Speaker on topics such as Family Medical Leave Act, defamation and invasion of privacy in the workplace, employment-at-will issues, trade secrets, sexual harassment, conducting workplace investigations, discipline and documentation, and disability discrimination
• Published Author on topics such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Alien Tort Statute
• Former Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing