As General Counsel, Michael Stephens is responsible for providing legal opinions and advice to the CEO and Board Members on a wide variety of legal matters related to all aspects of the Aviation Authority ranging from governance to the management and operation of Tampa International, Peter O. Knight, Plant City, and Tampa Executive Airports. He is also the Executive Vice President for Information Technology Services, Human Resources, Government and Community Relations, Risk Management, and Business Diversity.

Stephens has nearly 25 years of experience managing complex legal, compliance, human resources, labor, and employment issues. He is a veteran who served on active duty as a Captain and Trial Counsel in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, where he was also appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. Additionally, he served on active duty as an Air Traffic Controller in the U.S. Air Force.

He is a member of The Florida Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, and is a graduate of Leadership Florida. Nationally, Stephens serves on the Pace Center for Girls Board of Trustees and Airport Council International’s Legal Steering Committee. He is also a recognized expert in cybersecurity and data privacy and has testified twice before Congress on cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. Stephens graduated from Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law at American University as well as a Master of Arts in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program.

• Senior legal, HR and global compliance executive with two decades of experience in private equity-backed and public company environments; experienced counselor specializing in health tech, B2B SaaS, data privacy and security, employment, IP and compliance.
• Metrics-focused business partner experienced in design and implementation of internal controls that address legal and business risk; skilled at creating measurable efficiency through process improvement
• Proven success developing and leading quality teams of attorneys, paralegals, human resources and compliance specialists
• Trusted counselor to boards, investors, management and front line
• Dedicated non-profit director with 15+ years of strategic planning, recruiting and fundraising leadership

Strategic in-house counsel with experience in large corporations, private foundations, public charities and public sector. Skilled in business counseling, corporate and commercial transactions, governance, regulatory compliance and supply chain. Trusted adviser who excels at working with cross-functional teams and guiding organizations to success with integrity.

Jeannie Muzinic is a member of Fisher Phillips' Executive Leadership Team and leads the Marketing, Business Development, Media, Marketing Technology, and Client Experience functions. Leveraging the firm’s ability to quickly respond to rapidly evolving workplace issues, Jeannie’s role ensures clients have robust access to leading thought leadership resources, innovation offerings, and client experience opportunities through the firm’s website, event programming, digital campaigns and tailored client portals. Implementing a diversified marketing technology infrastructure allows the firm to disseminate curated content, emphasize its brand equity and substantive strengths, and provide a gateway for client feedback to ensure the firm consistently and proactively provides exceptional client service and addresses the needs of the modern employer. Jeannie also works closely with the firm’s Management Committee and firm leadership to implement strategic priorities across its practice groups, industry teams, and markets. The seamless integration across the Executive Leadership Team truly sets Fisher Phillips apart as it enables collaboration, innovation, and diversity of ideas.

Jeannie serves on several firm committees, including:

• Development Committee
• Diversity & Inclusion Committee
• Innovation Committee
• Covid-19 Steering Committee

Jeannie is also a member of:

• Legal Marketing Association 
• International Legal Technology Association
  • • Conference Committee, Member (2020, 2021)

Education 

• B.S. Marketing, University of  North Carolina, Wilmington

Professional education certificates

• Harvard Business School Executive Education, Leading Professional Services Firms

Rick Grimaldi is the author of FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the Workplace. Based on his thirty years of working with employers large and small, Rick’s influential work provides a blueprint for all employers to understand and navigate the incredible changes occurring in the workplace that impact everything from hiring to terminations, and all the issues that occur in between. By combining his labor relations skills, negotiating acumen, and employment counseling experience on behalf of his clients, Rick actively builds strong partnerships as both a legal counselor and trusted business advisor. Rick partners with his clients to help achieve their workplace goals by combining sound practical strategic advice with an understanding that business decisions are never made in a vacuum.

Rick has spent his career defending the interests of businesses around the world, achieving positive results for his clients in major discrimination litigation, union campaigns, collective bargaining and arbitrations, and at the same time working to help them be better employers, leading to more satisfied employees and ultimately increased employer success in the marketplace.

This practical approach to solving workplace challenges with his clients is a natural outgrowth of his experience leading an Employee Relations team as Director of Labor Relations for a large international technology company and his experience serving the citizens of Pennsylvania as Deputy General Counsel to Governor Tom Ridge and Chief Counsel of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

As a co-principal of Fisher Phillips’ government relations subsidiary, FP Advocacy, Rick is also on the front lines of advocating before state and local legislative bodies to develop laws and policies that allow employers to thrive while addressing workplace concerns.

Rick has been named to Best Lawyers in America and is internationally recognized as an outstanding trainer and presenter by both clients and trade associations. He works closely with senior executives and management teams to provide hands-on and practical leadership and respectful workplace training.

Rick spent 15 years as a talk radio host and continues to make guest appearances on nationally syndicated programs. He is also a sought-after speaker who travels the country helping companies and organizations understand the ever-changing work environment, employment issues and how to blend diverse employee populations for maximum effectiveness. This, combined with his years practicing law, makes him uniquely qualified to help companies that find themselves in crises.

From public relations to employee relations, Rick has a proven track record of assisting companies to successfully navigate and manage their human resource issues.