John L. Gierak

John L. Gierak chairs Clark Hill’s Education and Municipal Practice Group and focuses his practice in the areas of labor and employment law, education law, and litigation. John represents public and private employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including contract negotiations, as well as acting as general counsel to public school districts.

John has been listed in “Best Lawyers in America” since 2005. He has been listed in “Michigan Super Lawyers” since 2007, and was named in “Michigan Super Lawyers”  as one of the “Top 100”  lawyers for four years.  He is a charter member and past president of the Michigan Council of School Attorneys.

With respect to labor and employment law, John routinely represents and advises clients in all areas of contract negotiations, grievances and arbitration, unfair labor practices, wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, fringe benefit and wage/hour issues, FMLA compliance, and day-to-day matters of personnel administration, such as layoffs and employee handbooks. During the course of his lengthy career, he has negotiated contracts on behalf of numerous employers, and has worked with a majority of the major unions, including the MEA, MFT, UAW, Teamsters, Steelworkers, and AFSCME.

In the area of education law, John counsels clients in matters of public school governance, constitutional law, tenure and election law, special education, vocational education, student discipline, Open Meetings Act, Freedom of Information Act, Title IX, civil rights, and general school law.

John is a frequent presenter on issues of labor/employment and education law. In the public sector, he has spoken on behalf of the National Council of School Attorneys, Michigan Council of School Attorneys, Michigan Association of School Boards, Metropolitan Detroit Bureau of School Studies, Michigan Negotiators Association, Michigan Association of School Personnel Administrators, Michigan Public Employment Labor Relations Association, Michigan Business Officials Association, the Michigan Association of Administrators of Special Education, and the Michigan Federated Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children.  In addition, he has also been a presenter for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education.

John is a contributing author to Michigan Wrongful Discharge and Employment Discrimination Law (ICLE, Second Edition, 1994 and revisions to 2012), and Employment Law in Michigan (ICLE, 1997 and revisions to 2016).

John’s commitment to education is reflected in his continuing active association with his university and high school, having acted as a Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) Regional Director, HAA Awards Committee Member, HAA At-Large Committee Member, President of the Harvard Club of Detroit (HCD), HCD Schools and Scholarships Chair, and President of the Detroit Catholic Central Alumni Association.