SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a leading labor and employment law firm, recently welcomed Kelley Mantz as a summer associate.

Mantz attends Western New England University School of Law and will enter her third year this fall. After graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 2019, she assisted employers of all sizes as a technical recruiter. While doing so, she worked closely with human-resources professionals to identify hiring goals and implement strategies for meeting those goals.

“We are delighted to have Kelley join us as a summer associate. We are confident that her background working with employers will make her a strong addition to our firm this summer,” attorney Amelia Holstrom said.

Since entering law school, Mantz has worked for a law firm in Connecticut and participated in the Small Business Clinic, where she assisted local small to mid-sized entrepreneurs in the Springfield area with legal matters, including employment matters.

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C., a labor and employment law firm serving employers in the Greater Springfield and Worcester areas, announced that one of its partners, Timothy Murphy, has been recognized by his peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America for 2023. He is listed in three fields: employment law: management, labor law: management, and litigation: labor and employment.

Focusing his practice on labor relations, union avoidance, collective bargaining and arbitration, employment litigation, and employment counseling, Murphy has been included in Best Lawyers in America every year since 2013, and was Lawyer of the Year in 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2022.

Murphy is very active within the local community, sitting on boards of directors for several area organizations, such as the Human Service Forum and Community Legal Aid. He also is a member of the World Affairs Council.

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser, P.C. announced it has been ranked as one of the area’s top law firms in three practice specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms for 2022.

In Springfield, Skoler Abbott was awarded a Metropolitan Tier 1 ranking in employment law – management, labor law – management, and litigation – labor and employment.

“This Tier 1 ranking is a testament to the experience and expertise that our attorneys have in these key practice areas,” said Timothy Murphy, an attorney and partner at the firm. “We are proud of this accolade and are committed to continuing to provide employment- and labor-law services of the highest value and quality to management and employers in this region.”

Law firms that are honored on the U.S. News Best Law Firms list are ranked based on a careful evaluation process that includes the collection of evaluations from lawyers and clients, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and other additional information that law firms provide as part of the formal submission process. These data are combined into an overall score for each firm, which is then compared to other law firms within the same metropolitan area. The first tier in each area includes law firms that score within a certain percentage of the highest-scoring firms.

SPRINGFIELD — Skoler, Abbott & Presser announced that attorney Erica Flores has been named a partner in the firm. Flores, who has been with the firm since 2013, focuses her practice on employment litigation in state and federal courts and agencies, representing employers in class-action lawsuits and discrimination, harassment, and retaliation actions.

“We are thrilled Erica is joining our firm as a partner. She has extensive experience defending employers against claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; wage-and-hour disputes; and much more,” said attorney John Gannon, a partner at Skoler Abbott. “She also regularly advises clients on day-to-day employment issues like employment policies and internal investigations because she is great at steering clients in the right direction. We are also very proud of her commitment to the community we serve, including her role as president of the board of directors for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.”

Flores is a regular contributor to the Massachusetts Employment Law Letter on a variety of topics. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is a member of the Massachusetts and Hampden County bar associations.

“I am really fortunate to have been able to spend the last seven years working with my colleagues at Skoler Abbott,” Flores said. “I have grown so much as an advocate and a counselor, and I am extremely proud of the work I have done for our clients. I am excited to take on new challenges as a partner of the firm and to continue to serve the needs of employers throughout Massachusetts.”