Anne-Marie V. Welch

Anne-Marie Vercruysse Welch is a Member in Clark Hill’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. As an employment and labor law specialist, Anne-Marie defends employers in state and federal lawsuits and administrative proceedings against wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, retaliation and related statutory and tort claims. She also prosecutes and defends claims pertaining to confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.

To prevent lawsuits and promote positive workplaces, Anne-Marie routinely counsels management regarding labor and employment best practices, including: recruiting; employment and independent contractor agreements; wage and hour matters; recordkeeping; handbooks; union negotiations; leave administration; employee counseling, discipline, terminations and grievances; and, reductions in force. Anne-Marie also serves as a corporate trainer and investigator for many private and public sector employers. Anne-Marie is an ATIXA certified Title IX investigator.

Anne-Marie has gained significant expertise servicing the healthcare, education, nonprofit, manufacturing, and construction industries.

She also has significant experience in assisting Michigan public school employees in appeals of determinations made by the Office of Retirement Services and decisions made by the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System Board of Review.

She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Michigan State University College of Law, where she received a full academic scholarship and earned numerous awards for academic merit, including the Jurisprudence Achievement Award for Employment Discrimination Law and Research, Writing, and Analysis. Anne-Marie served as an Associate Editor of the Michigan State Law Review and an intern to the Honorable Avern L. Cohn of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Anne-Marie is a member of The American Employment Law Council (AELC). The AELC is the nation's premier organization of high-level labor and employment attorneys. Membership is by invitation only and is limited to senior level labor and employment attorneys practicing on the management side at a significant level of responsibility.

Anne-Marie is currently serving as a Board Member for the American Society of Employers and as a Council Member for the State Bar of Michigan Labor and Employment Law Section. She is also active in the ABA Equal Employment Opportunity Law Section, and was recently published in the ABA Journal of Labor & Employment Law, "Legal Traps Associated with Affinity Groups," Volume 33, Number 3, Fall 2018.

Honors and Awards

• Best Lawyers in America
• Fellows of the American Bar Foundation
• Super Laywers - Labor & Employment Defense (2009-Present)
• DBusiness Top Lawyer, Labor & Employment (2014, 2016)
• DBusiness and Hour Magazine, Top Women Attorneys in Michigan (2014-Present)
• Michigan Lawyers Weekly Up & Coming Lawyer 2013
• “AV Preeminent” rated (the highest rating available) by Martindale-Hubbell Law Firm Directory
• Fellow to the ABA - Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) Section (2008-2010)