Thompson Hine Partner Testifies Before Congressional Committee

Business Wire, July 15, 2008

JC Miller Testifies at Hearing on Workplace Discrimination Against Transgender Americans

WASHINGTON -- Thompson Hine partner JC Miller testified on June 26, 2008, before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor at the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions hearing, "An Examination of Discrimination Against Transgender Americans in the Workplace."

Miller was invited to testify to provide insight into the potential unintended legal consequences any proposed legislation may have on businesses. She commended the Committee, saying that its work in addressing workplace discrimination is "laudable and critical." She encouraged the Committee to recognize that most employers promote diversity, and that discrimination in the workplace is both costly and counterproductive.

Miller stated that particularly complex or vague language in legislation can make implementation difficult for employers. She explained that complex or vague language can lead to different interpretations of the law and may result in an "impasse in the workplace so severe" that its outcome is litigation. To keep the disruption in the workplace to a minimum, Miller emphasized that statutory language should provide business managers with "clear guideposts which acknowledge the practicalities of the workplace."

To read Miller's testimony, go to http://edlabor.house.gov/testimony/2008-06-26-JCMiller.pdf.

Miller, a partner in Thompson Hine's Labor & Employment and Business Litigation practice groups, focuses her practice on high-end litigation and counseling on complex matters. She earned her J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1989 and her B.A. from Smith College in 1986. She is admitted to practice only in the state of Florida and the commonwealth of Virginia. Her practice is supervised by principals of the firm. To view Miller's full biography, go to http://www.ThompsonHine.com/lawyer/JCMiller/.

About Thompson Hine LLP: Established in 1911, Thompson Hine is a business law firm dedicated to providing superior client service. For the last several years, the firm has been named one of the Best Corporate Law Firms in America (in an annual survey of corporate directors conducted by Corporate Board Member magazine). With more than 400 lawyers, Thompson Hine serves premier businesses worldwide. The firm has offices in Atlanta, Brussels, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, New York and Washington, D.C. For more information, go to www.ThompsonHine.com.