Shelly L. Freeman

Shelly L. Freeman is the President of HROI, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lathrop & Gage LLP, one of the Nation’s premier law firms. HROI counsels and consults with employers on the full range of human resource issues, conducts independent investigations and provides dispute resolution services for harassment, discrimination and other serious employee complaints, and develops and conducts management and supervisory training on HR-related topics for companies throughout the country. HROI’s video training tapes, “The Workplace Training Series,” were named one of HR Executive Magazine’s “Top Training Picks.” The awarded-winning series has recently been converted to an interactive e-training platform. 

Prior to launching HROI, Ms. Freeman was the Director of Corporate and Field Human Resources for Payless Cashways, Inc. At Payless Cashways, she managed and directed a full range of human resource functions for the manufacturing, distribution and retail components of a 10,000+ employee workforce. Prior to accepting the Director position for Payless Cashways, Ms. Freeman practiced as a labor and employment lawyer for 11 years. Currently, as President of HROI LLC, Ms. Freeman combines a 20+ year legal background and practitioner experience to assist companies through HR challenges. Ms. Freeman is an active member of SHRM-KC (formerly Human Resource Management Association of Greater Kansas City), a SHRM affiliate & Superior HR Merit Chapter, and she is past President of the local SHRM Chapter.

Ms. Freeman is a frequent speaker and trainer for many organizations including the American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section; The Missouri Bar; the Heartland Labor and Employment Law Institute; the University of Kansas School of Law; the Missouri Chamber of Commerce; the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and many private companies. In October 2008, she participated as a guest panelist in the Edgar Snow Symposium Beijing, China.

Court Memberships

• Kansas
• Missouri
• U.S. Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Honors

• Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2012
• Named one of Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyers, 2006 - 2011
• Named one of the Kansas City Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business, 2006
• Named Contributor of the Year by the Human Resource Management Association, 2005
• Martindale-Hubbell® “AV” Rating

Events

Professional Affiliations

• SHRM-KC (formerly named HRMA-GKC) – President, 2004; Examiner – Paragon Award
• Member - Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• The Missouri Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Past Member
• Association of Women Lawyers - Past Vice Chair; Activities Committee
• Good Samaritan Project - Night of 100 Stars Silent Auction Committee - Past Chair