Scott M. Zurakowski

Scott is a director with the law firm of Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., L.P.A. and practices out of both the Canton and Alliance offices.  Scott is currently a member of the firm’s Management Committee and is former chair of the firm's Marketing Committee and Associate Attorney Development Committees. Scott has previous legal experience with a law firm in Alliance and has served as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the City of Alliance.

Professional Experience:

• Employment / Labor Defense practice includes a wide range of litigation, including, contract disputes, class action and complex litigation
• Counsels and advises producers, drillers and transporters involved in the oil and gas industry, including litigation before both state and federal courts in Ohio
• Represents clients in defense of class actions in state and federal courts, trade secret and unfair competition, numerous cases involving non-competition agreements, and defending employers in discrimination cases
• Provides counsel and advice to employers and management regarding layoffs, discipline, terminations, sexual harassment and Family Medical Leave
• Represents employers on equal employment opportunity claims before the EEOC and OCRC, and advises employers regarding Union campaigns and NLRB elections
• Trial experience with numerous cases to verdict
• Frequent presenter to community groups and has published numerous articles regarding current trends in both federal and state employment law

Notable Cases:

• Hupp v. Beck Energy
• Wellington Resource Group v. Beck Energy

Education:

• Alliance High School, Alliance, Ohio
• University of Mount Union, B.A. Degree, 1994
  • President and Vice President: Student Senate
  • Member: National Honorary Society and Blue Key

• Ohio Northern University Petit College of Law, J.D., 1997; Order of Barristers, former Presiding Justice for the Moot Court Board of Advocates and Champion of the 1996 National Administrative Law Moot Court Competition

Notable Presentations and Publications:

• "Social Media & The Workplace"
• "Discrimination & Unlawful Sexual Harassment"
• "Workplace Retaliation…A Growing Problem For Employers"
• "Effective Strategies for Protecting Confidential Information: Non-competes; Non-solicitation; Confidentiality Agreements"
• "Armed Forces Discrimination & USERRA"
• "Veterans Employment & Reemployment Rights"
• "Conducting Workplace Investigations"
• "Immigrant Workforce:  Stepped Up Enforcement”
• "Preventing Retaliation Claims"
• "Brand New Workday: A Review of New Legislation in the Obama Era"
• "The Employee Free Choice Act - Times are About to Change"
• "Employment Law for Supervisors"
• "Internal & External E-Mail Communications In The Workplace"
• "All In A Day’s Work: From Want Ad to Pink Slip"
• "HIPAA Privacy & Security Training"
• "Sexual Harassment Training"
• "How to Stay Union Free"
• “Smokeless Cigarettes – Are they legal under Ohio’s Smoke-Free Workplace Act?”
• “Win For Employers – Ohio Supreme Court Limits Public Policy Wrongful Discharge Claims”
• “Beware of Your Employees Who Twitter”
• “First Expansion of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) since 1993, signed by President Bush”
• "Can a Terminated Lease Be Cured?" - Presenter at the Enegy & Mineral Law Foundation's (EMLF) 36th Annual Institute (2015)

Courts and Bar Associations:

• Ohio, 1998
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio, 1999
• Member: Stark County Bar Association
• Member: American Bar Association

Professional and Community Affiliations:

• Stark County Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• Ohio Oil and Gas Association, Member
• Energy & Mineral Law Foundation, Member and serves on the Programming Committee
• Better Business Bureau of Canton & Greater West Virginia, Former Legal Counsel and Former Member of the Board of Directors (2014)
• Leadership of Stark County, Graduate of the 17^th Class
• Plain Township Zoning Commission, past Chairman, past Member
• Alliance Chamber of Commerce, former member of the Board of Trustees, served as Legislative Committee Chairman, 2000-2008
• United Way of Greater Stark County, former Chairman, Board of Trustees
• The University of Mount Union Alumni Council, Former Chairman:  2006-2007
• The University of Mount Union, Former Member of the Board of Trustees

Honors & Awards:

• Listed in Best Lawyers in America®
• Named the Best Lawyers Akron Employment Law – Individuals “Lawyer of the Year,” 2014
• Listed in Ohio Super Lawyers®
• AV® Preeminent Rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
•  “20 Young Professionals Under the Age of 40” Award recipient presented by Ystark!, a project of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce