Ira Shepard has practiced labor and employment law, representing management, on a nationwide basis for more than 50 years. He has worked as a counselor, negotiator and litigator in a broad range of industries and now focuses on working with clients in the higher education and advertising industries.

As a labor law litigator, Ira has defended employers facing challenging labor and employment law issues, in bench and jury trials, appellate cases and administrative agency matters.

As a management negotiator, Ira was the advertising industry's lead negotiator and spokesperson over the multi-billion dollar collective bargaining negotiations with the Screen Actors Guild in 2000, guiding the industry through the longest strike in entertainment industry history and serving as its chief spokesman in related tv, radio and newspaper interviews.

Ira has severed as general counsel to the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources for more than 40 years. He has also served as general counsel to the Association of Community College Trustees for 30-plus years.

Ira has written five labor and employment law books, four of which were published by Bloomberg BNA, on topics including privacy, employee theft, and employment at will. He writes the monthly labor and employment blog, "HR and the Courts," which is published online by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.