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:
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
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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 17th 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
- Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9
- Federal Judge Blocks Rule Requiring Overtime For Salaried Employees Earning Under $47,476.00
- Summit County Common Pleas Court Denies Munroe Falls's Attempt to Stop Beck Energy Corporation's Well
- Munroe Falls Court Case Over Oil & Gas Well Authority Deemed Frivolous, a Waste of Taxpayers Money
- The Ohio Supreme Court Finds Oil and Gas Leases Are Not Void As Against Public Policy
- 7th District Reaffirms Hupp Decision Overturning Trial Court Decisions Attempting to Invalidate Oil and Gas Leases Still in Their Primary Terms
- KWGD Attorneys Scott M. Zurakowski & Gregory W. Watts to Speak at the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation's 36th Annual Institute
- The Ohio Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Appeal Impacting All Oil & Gas Producers Leasing and/or Drilling in the Utica Shale
- Seventh District Court of Appeals' Opinion Overturns Court Decision Impacting All Oil & Gas Producers Leasing and/or Drilling in the Utica Shale
- Wellington Resource Group V. Beck Energy
- Beware of Employees Who Tweet
- Are Smokeless Cigarettes Legal Under Ohio's Smoke-Free Workplace Act?
- Is the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) Dead?
- President Obama's Impact on Labor & Employment Law