Overview
Stuart Buttrick is one of the most prominent management-side labor attorneys in the United States. Stuart is also the team leader of the Faegre Drinker labor management relations (LMR) team. He represents employers nationwide in labor relations matters, including in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), in arbitrations, in litigation and in contract negotiations.
Labor Relations
Stuart has defended and prosecuted numerous unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB and has represented employers in over a hundred arbitrations, unfair labor practice trials and contract negotiations. He has represented employers before the NLRB in 25 states. Stuart’s success in labor arbitrations has involved issues such as terminations and discipline (including of union leadership), subcontracting, workplace violence, customer and patient abuse, and a variety of contract interpretation matters.
Stuart has successfully represented hundreds of clients around the country in the manufacturing, energy, health care and retail sectors in obtaining concessionary labor agreements with their unions, defeating strike activity and union organizing drives, decertifying unions, and handling union jurisdictional disputes.
Stuart has particular proficiency in construction labor law and represents union and non-union construction companies around the United States.
Employment Disputes
Stuart also represents employers in employment litigation and administrative charges. He has defended employers in hundreds of state and federal court cases and administrative charges in 23 states and has handled appellate work before multiple federal Circuit Courts of Appeal. Stuart also offers his clients practical solutions to challenging personnel and policy issues.Related Legal Services
Related Industries
Credentials
Bar Admissions
Indiana
Court Admissions
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Education
Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
J.D. magna cum laude, Indiana International & Comparative Law Review (associate editor) (2000)
DePauw University
B.A. (1997)
Insights & Events
Latest
Insights
News
Other Perspectives
- A Bumpy Road or Smooth Sailing: Labor & Employment Law Update for Construction Employers
Associated General Contractors of America, Atlanta, Georgia, October 2023 - Cha Cha Cha Changes! The Biden NLRB Makes Its Mark
Indiana Chamber of Commerce 29th Employment Law Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 2023 - Two Down – Two (or Six) to Go: Labor & Employment Law Update After Two Years of the Biden Administration
Associated General Contractors of America, Phoenix, Arizona, October 2022 - One Down – Three (or Seven) to Go: Labor Law After Year One of the Biden Administration
Indiana Chamber of Commerce 28th Annual Employment Law Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 2022 - INRoadCon 2022
Indiana Constructors, Naples, Florida, February 2022 - Labor Law Under the Biden Administration — Fasten Your Seatbelts, It’s Going To Be A Bumpy Ride!
Indiana Chamber of Commerce 27th Annual Employment Law Seminar, April 2021 - 2021 Labor & Employment Year in Review: The Unprecedented Times Continue
Associated General Contractors of America, October 2021 - 2020 Labor & Employment Year in Review: What A Mess!!
Associated General Contractors, October 2020 - Almost Over or Just Getting Started? Labor Law in Year Three of the Trump Administration
Indiana Chamber of Commerce 26th Annual Employment Law Seminar, June 2020 - 2019 Labor & Employment Year in Review: Hot Topics Heading Into the 2020 Election Season
Associated General Contractors, Chicago, Illinois, October 2019 - For Better or for Worse – Labor & Employment in Year Two of the Trump Administration
Indiana Chamber of Commerce 25th Annual Employment Law Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 2019 - The NLRB Under the Trump Administration
Moderator, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, San Francisco, November 2018 - Labor & Employment Law Panel: Year Two of the Trump Administration on the Eve of Midterm Elections
Associated General Contractors, Fort Worth, Texas, October 2018 - Agony or Ecstasy? Labor & Employment Law in Year One of the Trump Administration
Indiana Chamber of Commerce 24th Annual Employment Law Seminar, Indianapolis, Indiana, March 2018 - Introduction to Labor Negotiations
Associated General Contractors of Indiana, Evansville, January 2018 - On the Top of Camelback Mountain...Or Headed to the Desert Floor? Labor and Employment Law in Year One of the Trump Administration
Associated General Contractors, Phoenix, October 2017 - Smooth Sailing at Last? NLRB Update and the Board in the Trump Era
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, March 2017 - 2016 Labor & Employment Year in Review
Heating and Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana, Indianapolis, January 2017 - 2016 Labor & Employment Year in Review
Indiana Constructors, Inc., Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, February 2017 - The Winds of Labor & Employment Law Changes Keep Blowing: A Labor & Employment Update for Construction Industry Employers
Associated General Contractors, Chicago, October 2016 - Will They Ever Leave Us Alone? Update on the Latest Orneriness From the NLRB
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, March 2016 - A Labor & Employment Law Update for Construction Employers
Indiana Construction Association, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 2016 - We’re Not Going to Defer It: Babcock & Wilcox New Standards for Deferral to Arbitration
ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, Development of the Law Under the NLRA, Naples, Florida, February 2016 - The NLRB’s Babcock & Wilcox Decision and the Frustration of National Labor Policy
Co-author, ABA Section of Labor & Employment Law, Development of the Law Under the NLRA, Naples, Florida, February 2016 - The Developing Labor Law
Associate Editor, 2015 and 2016 Supplements - A Conversation With the NLRB General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel
Co-moderator, Ninth Annual ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, Philadelphia, November 2015 - Negotiating a Complex Transaction — Legal Pitfalls Before the Deal Is Signed
Association of Corporate Counsel, Indianapolis, June 2015 - Head for the Top of the Arch! A Labor & Employment Update for Construction Industry Employers
Associated General Contractors, St. Louis, October 2015 - Yikes! The New Labor and Employment Law Requirements That Every Control System Integrator Should Know
CSIA (Control System Integrators Association) Conference, Washington, D.C., April 2015 - How Employer Uproar Helped Amend Controversial Indiana RFRA Law
Podcast, XPertHR, April 2015 - Meet the National Labor Relations Board General Counsel
Moderator, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, Philadelphia, November 2015 - Head for the Hills! The NLRB Is on the Loose!
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, March 2015 - Top Labor Developments From 2014 That Contractors Should Know
Indiana Construction Association, Indianapolis, November 2014 - Social Media in the Workplace
Faegre Baker Daniels, Indianapolis, September 2014 - What a Year! A Labor & Employment Law Update for Construction Employers
Associated General Contractors, Phoenix, October 2014 - Central Planning and Culture in Francis Spufford's Red Plenty
Symposium Participant, Liberty Fund, San Diego, August 2014 - Profanity Protection: It's Now a "Concerted Activity"
Co-author with Sarah Benjes, Law360, June 20, 2014 - Ethics Under the Labor Management Relations Disclosure Act
52nd Annual Course on Labor Law and Labor Arbitration, Dallas, May 2014 - NLRB Notice-Posting Rule Dies, Labor Challenges Remain
Law360, February 2014 - The Developing Labor Law
Chapter Editor, 6th edition; Contributing Editor, 4th and 5th Editions - Employee Handbooks: Up to Date Best Practices for the Indiana Employer
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, 2014 - The Developing Labor Law
Chapter Editor, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014 Supplements; Contributing Editor, 2006 and 2007 Supplements - Indiana Employment Law Handbook
Editor in Chief, 8th and 9th Editions; Chapter Editor, 5th, 6th and 7th Editions; Contributing Editor, 4th Edition; Indiana Chamber of Commerce - Indiana Employment Law Letter
Contributing Editor - What a Year! Labor and Employment Year in Review
Evansville Human Resources Association, Evansville, Indiana, November 2013 - Avoiding the Sand Trap: Complying with Wage & Hour Laws in the Club Environment
Ohio Valley Club Managers Association, Mid-Managers Conference, Indianapolis, October 2013 - Employment Law Seminar
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, 2013 - Department of Labor Update: Responding to Recent Initiatives
American Conference Institute, New York City, March 2013 - Employment Laws Affecting Your Business in 2013
Heating & Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana, January, 2013 - Background Checks and Pre-Employment Screening in the 21st Century
Associated General Contractors National Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, October 2012 - Employee Handbook Workshop
AEIS National Conference, Nashville, Tennessee, October 2012 - Disparate Impact Claims Based on Background and Credit Checks and Criminal History
American Conference Institute, New York City, July 2012 - State Employment Law Summaries for Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Colorado and Washington, D.C.
XpertHR, 2012 - Right To Work in Indiana
Indianapolis Bar Association, March 2012 - NLRB Takes Another Step Toward Allowing Several Mini-Unions in a Single Facility
Mondaq.com, March 2012 - Indiana State Law Surveys on Anti-Discrimination, Independent Contractor vs. Employee Status, Leave Laws, Leave Policy Language and Wage & Hour Laws
Contributing Author, Practicallaw.com - I Don't Know Where I'm Gonna' Go When the Exemption Goes: Public Disclosure or Privilege – Ethical Considerations in the DOL's Proposed Change in Its Interpretation of the LMRDA Advice Exemption
American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Development of the Law Under the NLRA, Key West, Florida, February 2012 - Inside Perspective on Right-to-Work and Other Hot Topics in Labor Law
Heating & Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana, 2012 - Meet the National Labor Relations Board General Counsel
Moderator, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Conference, Seattle, Washington, November 2011 - Avoiding Growing Pains: Successfully Operating in Multiple Jurisdictions
Associated General Contractors National Meeting, Kansas City, Missouri, October 2011 - Social Media in the Workplace and Courtroom: The Pitfalls and Its Effects on Retaliation and Discrimination Claims
American Conference Institute, New York City, July 2011 - Protecting Your Bread and Butter: What Every Employer Should Know About Restricting Competition by Former Employees and Protecting Confidential Business Information
17th Employment Law Seminar, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, 2011 - Labor Union Update
Heating & Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana, 2011 - Spotlight on Prevention: Disability Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Claims – Preparing Your Company & Your Clients to Implement Proper Policies That Will Be Defensible Against the Fastest Growing Claims
American Conference Institute, San Francisco, December 2010 - Knocking on Your Door: Unions Continue to Target Health Care Employers
Co-author with Matthew A. Bahl, eNewsBriefs, Indiana Association of Homes & Services of the Aging (IAHSA), November 2010 - Inside Edition: An Overview of the NLRA
American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law Annual CLE Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 2010 - Progressive Discipline Policy Check-Up
M. Lee Smith Publishers National Audio Conference, April 2010 - The Rise in Sexual Harassment Claims: Minimizing Conduct or Showing That It Had No Effect on the Discrimination
American Conference Institute, New York City, February 2010 - America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 Could Be Costly for Employers
Co-author with Krissy Katzenstein, Executive Memo, Indiana Manufacturing Association, August 2009 - Unions in Health Care, Key to Stopping Them Dead in Their Tracks
Progressive Business Audio Conferences, June 2009 - Anticipating the Employee Free Choice Act
IU/NLRB Seminar on Labor-Management Relations, May 2009 - Tough Choices in Hard Times: Workforce Reductions, Layoffs, the WARN Act, Releases and More
Indiana State Bar Association, May 2009 - Labor and Employment Law Update
Dubois County Human Resources Association, April 2009 - The Employee Free Choice Act — Labor's Highest Legislative Priority
Heating & Air Conditioning Alliance of Indiana, April 2009 - Truth and Consequences: Workplace Challenges Presented by a Poor Economy
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, March 2009 - Tips for Executing an Effective Reduction-in-Force
Co-author with John S. Rossero, 39 The Lawyers Brief No. 6, 2009 - Cut Back on Your Salt: Recent Developments Regarding Union Salts — Toering Electric Co. and Oil Capitol Sheet Metal, Inc.
24 Labor Lawyer 71, 2008 - President-Elect Obama's Labor and Employment Legislative Initiatives
Heating & Air Conditioning Contractors Association, December 2008 - An Ounce of Prevention ... How to Avoid Hiring Problem Employees
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, June 2008 - Potential Changes in Labor and Employment Law After 2008 Elections
HRhero.com, Indiana Employment Law Letter, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, June 27, 2008 - When Is a Quit Really a Quit?
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, April 2008 - Three Tough Disciplinary Issues: Drug and Alcohol Use, Insubordination, Workplace Searches
HRhero.com, Indiana Employment Law Letter, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, January 11, 2008 - Union Salts in the 21st Century
IU/NLRB Labor-Management Symposium, 2008 - Cut Back on Your Salt: Recent Developments Regarding Union Salts — Toering Electric Co. and Oil Capitol Sheet Metal, Inc.
American Bar Association, Section of Labor & Employment Law, Development of the Law Under the NLRA, Naples, Florida, February 2008 - Maintaining Non-Union Status
Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, December 2007 - Retaliation and Whistleblowing
Evansville-Area Human Resource Association, November 2007 - Complying with Wage & Hour Laws
Evansville-Area Human Resource Association, November 2007 - Investigating and Taking Corrective Action for Workplace Misconduct
Evansville-Area Human Resource Association, November 2007 - Discipline and Documentation – Just Do It Right
Indiana Chamber of Commerce, April 2007 - NLRA Case Update
IU/NLRB Labor-Management Symposium, 2007 - Non-NLRB Organizing — The Wave of the Future
IU/NLRB Labor Management Seminar, September 2006 - To Settle Mediate or Litigate – What Parties Need to Consider When Faced With Court or Other Avenues to Resolve Employment Disputes
IU/NLRB Labor Management Seminar, 2006 - Maintaining Non-Union Status
Clinton County Chamber of Commerce, December 2005 - Yes, You May Still Fire Employees
HRhero.com, Indiana Employment Law Letter, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, October 14, 2005 - EEOC Charges 101: What You Need to Know
HRhero.com, Indiana Employment Law Letter, M. Lee Smith Publishers LLC, May 20, 2005 - Supervisory Status Under the NLRA
IU/NLRB Labor-Management Symposium, 2004 - Rules, Rules and More Rules
IU/NLRB Labor Management Symposium, 2003 - HR Insight
Contributing Author - AccountingWeb.com
Contributing Legal Author - Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and Employee Polygraph Protection Act Update
American Bar Association — Contributing Editor, 2001 and 2002 - National Labor Relations Board, Region 25, Labor-Management Seminar
Contributing Author, 2001 and 2002
Firm Blog Contributions
- LaborSphere – a resource providing coverage and insights on breaking cases, recently enacted legislation and a broad range of labor issues
Leadership & Community
Professional Associations
- United States Chamber of Commerce — Labor Relations Committee, 2020-present
- Employment360.com — Advisory Board Member, Labor and Employment Law, 2010
- Indiana State Bar Association — Labor and Employment Law Council (President, 2019; Vice President, 2018; Secretary/Treasurer, 2017)
- American Bar Association — Developments Under the NLRA Committee, Employer Co-Chair, 2020; Mid-Winter Meeting Program Co-Chair, 2019-20; Employer Co-Chair of Social Media, 2017; Section of Labor and Employment Law (Federal Law Clerk Training Program, Employer Co-Chair, 2015-17; National Programs Subcommittee, Employer Chair, 2012-15; National Programs Subcommittee, Employer Vice Chair, 2010-12; and Leadership Development Program, Fall 2009 participant in inaugural class)
- lndiana University School of Law — National Labor Relations Board, Region 25, Labor-Management Seminar, Faculty Member, 2003-14
Civic Activities
- Bastiat Society of Indianapolis
- Park Tudor School — Board of Directors, 2014-17; Annual Fund (Co-Chair, 2015-16 and 2016-17; Lower School Chair, 2012 and 2013); Development Committee Member, 2013-17
- Indiana United Methodist Children's Home, Inc. — Board Member, 2012-present (Vice President)
- Indianapolis Zoological Society — Advisory Council, 2014-present (Human Resources Committee Member, 2015-present)
- Indianapolis Junior Tennis Development Fund — Board of Directors, 2016-present
- Phalen Leadership Academy — Volunteer
- 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee — Community Connections Committee Member
- Special Olympics of Indiana — Volunteer
- Indy Reads — Volunteer
- Keep Indianapolis Beautiful — Volunteer
- Heritage Place of Indianapolis, Inc. — Board Member and Executive Committee Member, 2008-11
- IU/NLRB Labor-Management Seminar — Advisory Board Member, 2004-14
- Indiana University Labor-Management Scholarship — Scholarship Committee Member, 2004-present
- Woodstock Club — President, Vice President, Board Member, Nominating Committee Chair, Long Range Planning Committee Chair, Tennis Committee Chair and Membership Committee Chair, 2005-present
- Woodstock Historical Foundation — Board of Directors, 2015-present
- Columbia Club
- The University Club of Indianapolis
- Libertarian National Campaign Committee — Board Member, 2013-14
- Claybridge Homeowners Association — Board Member, 2011-present (Vice President and President)
Honors
- Indiana Super Lawyers — Employment & Labor, 2017-24
- Chambers USA — Indiana, Labor & Employment, 2015-24
- Indiana Super Lawyers — Rising Star, Employment & Labor, 2010-15
- Chambers USA — Indiana, Labor & Employment, "Up and Coming" Lawyer, 2014
- American Employment Law Council — Member
- Indiana Chamber of Commerce — Volunteer of the Year Award, 2016
- Indiana Construction Association Leadership Development Program — Participant, 2009-14
- Indiana University McKinney School of Law — Order of the Barristers; John Marynell Merit Scholar; Out-of-State Student Merit Scholarship; Dean's List
- DePauw University — Charles and Mary Beard Senior Seminar Award (Awarded to the Outstanding Senior History Major), 1997; William Wallace Carson History Scholar, 1997; Mortar Board National Collegiate Honor Society; Dean's List; Intrafraternity Council Perfect GPA Award; Men's Tennis Team