ABOUT BURR
Burr Shields is an employment attorney, mediator and arbitrator. Burr represents employers and employees in a wide range of issues, including litigation. He also mediates and arbitrates employment-related disputes.
Burr’s approach to practicing law (see “Scope of Legal Practice“) and to mediating employment disputes is greatly influenced by his self-assessment:
- “I love people and have a low tolerance for waste and inefficiency.”
PEER RECOGNITION
Burr has been practicing employment law in Arizona since 1987. He has earned Martindale-Hubbell’s AV-Preeminent rating, is a Super Lawyers selectee, and has been listed by The Best Lawyers in America® since 2009. In 2016, Best Lawyers named him “Lawyer of the Year” (Phoenix) for Labor and Employment Litigation and in 2024 “Lawyer of the Year” (Phoenix) for Labor Law – Management. Burr has also been rated by Chambers and Partners since 2015.
CHAMBERS AND PARTNERS REVIEWS
- Chambers and Partners: “Burr Shields is highly regarded for his representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in a range of employment disputes. He also provides clients with advice relating to the drafting of handbooks and employment agreements. A fellow practitioner enthuses: ‘Burr is on my list of top employment lawyers.’”
- “Burr Shields is praised by industry sources as a ‘very smart attorney.’ He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of employment disputes and mediation.”
- Attorney (not identified): “His prompt and clear communication, his excellent analysis and his setting of expectations are his strengths.”
- Client (not identified): “I was extremely pleased with his knowledge, approach, explanation and compassion. He actively listened and explained legal information in layman’s terms to me.”
- Client (not identified): “His knowledge is absolutely incredible – it’s mind-blowing how we can present a situation and he understands where it should go. I trust him 100%.”
MEDIATION OF EMPLOYMENT DISPUTES
- As an employment mediator trained at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Pepperdine School of Law and an American Arbitration Association panelist, Burr brings strong subject matter expertise to every employment dispute in which he is engaged.
- For almost 30 years, Burr has represented employers and employees, both as an advisor and as a litigator. This breadth of experience enables him to understand and analyze the plight of both sides in an employment dispute. It also enables him to be more objective in evaluating the parties’ positions.
ARBITRATION OF EMPLOYMENT DISPUTES
- Burr has arbitrated employment-related disputes for over a decade and became an American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel member in 2020.
PRACTICE AREAS
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Chambers and Partners, Labor & Employment – Arizona, Tier 1, 2015 – present
- “Lawyer of the Year,” Labor and Employment Litigation (Phoenix), The Best Lawyers in America®, 2016
- The Best Lawyers in America (Employment Law – Management, Employment Law – Individuals, Labor Law – Management, Labor and Employment Litigation), 2009-present
- Super Lawyers (Employment & Labor), 2019 – present
- AV Preeminent® Rating: Martindale-Hubbell®
SCOPE OF LEGAL PRACTICE
- Counseling employers, particularly in the healthcare area, in regard to all labor and employment matters.
- Drafting employment agreements, non-competition agreements and employer manuals and policies.
- Serving as mediator and arbitrator in employment disputes.
- Representing employers and employees in litigation, arbitration and mediation.
- Representing employers in matters pending before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Civil Rights Division of the Attorney General’s Office, the National Labor Relations Board and the United States Department of Labor.
- Representing healthcare professionals in licensing matters.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- State Bar of Arizona: Labor & Employment Section
- American Arbitration Association
- Arizona Employment Lawyers Association
- Maricopa County Bar Association
BAR AND COURT ADMISSIONS
- Arizona, 1987
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, 1987
- U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, 1987
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit, 1987
EDUCATION
- Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine School of Law, 2017
- J.D., University of Arizona College of Law, 1987
- B.S., Economics, with honors, Arizona State University, 1984
BIRTHPLACE
- Peru, Indiana