Ford & Harrison LLP, a national labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Julie Hagen Showers as a partner in the firm's Minneapolis office. Previously, Showers was Senior Vice President – Inflight Services for Northwest Airlines, Inc. She also served as Vice President – Labor Relations for Northwest Airlines for more than seven years. Her addition follows closely on the heels of several other high-profile hires at the Minneapolis office, including Alec J. Beck, formerly of Seaton Beck & Peters and David R. Driscoll, who served as senior labor counsel for Northwest Airlines.
Showers has 17 years experience in all areas of human resources and labor relations, including executive level experience leading a large operating division within Northwest Airlines and advising the company's management team on labor strategy, policy and traditional human resources issues. She served as an officer on corporate leadership teams including the financial review committee, the executive safety and security committee, the product review committee, the pension investment committee and the emergency response team. Showers started her legal career at Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi.
"I am thrilled to be joining Ford & Harrison and I look forward to the opportunity to practice in the field that has engaged much of my professional life as an airline lawyer and executive," said Showers. "Every single person I've met from the firm has made a positive impression on me and spoke highly of the client-focused culture that has been established. I feel very lucky to be joining this team."
Showers will focus her practice on labor relations, which will include counseling employers in connection with negotiating collective bargaining agreements and handling arbitrations. She will also be advising unionized and union-free clients on the impact of mergers, acquisitions and restructurings and helps clients conduct due diligence on labor and employment issues. In addition, Showers will be a member of the firm's Airline Group.
"We are excited to welcome Julie as we continue to grow our office with established, successful attorneys," said office administrative partner of Ford & Harrison's Minneapolis office. "Julie's expertise as both a lawyer and a business and operations executive will provide our clients with a new perspective and enable us to continue providing the service and value that our clients have come to expect."
For the past 19 months Showers has strengthened her community involvement and non-profit leadership in Minneapolis. She currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for both Hamline University and the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She has served as a guest instructor at both the Carson School of Management at the University of Minnesota as well as St. Thomas University Law School. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Hopkins Fastpitch Association and Hopkins Football Booster Club. She has served on a secondary study review committee and junior high rigor committee for Hopkins School District #270. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, and is a past member of SHRM's Employee and Labor Relations Committee. Showers received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1988, and graduated from Stanford University in 1985.