Bridget B. Romero

"So much of what I do is about helping clients be better employers, and their companies better places to work," said Bridget Romero. "Our clients want their workplaces to be good, healthy, thriving places where people can come and be their authentic selves and be great workers to further their goals and the goals of the business. I focus on helping clients achieve that." Clients have raved that Bridget "is very responsive and provides excellent counsel, not only from a legal perspective but from a practical perspective as it relates to business needs. She is experienced, intuitive and an excellent communicator."

Bridget Romero, a trusted adviser to large and midsize companies, is a partner in Lathrop GPM's Employment and Labor group. Clients rely on her to guide them through some of the trickiest and most sensitive labor matters – such as employment and separation agreements, wage and hour/FLSA classifications, sick leave and drug testing policies. She's helped employers ensure they have dynamic workplaces against the backdrop of the most challenging employment environment in decades. Business owners, HR professionals and in-house lawyers trust her on a wide range of issues, including performance management and HR best practices and cutting-edge issues such as LGBTQ+ issues, ban-the-box legislation and AI issues. Clients she counsels range from large, international companies to mid-sized companies and non-profits.

Some of the key areas Bridget provides guidance on are:

• Drafting and updating employee handbooks
• Employment and separation agreements
• EEOC investigations
• HR best practices
• Immigration issues
• LGBTQ+ issues
• NLRB issues
• Performance management
• Regulatory issues
• Training services
• Wage & hour/FLSA classifications
• Workplace investigations

"I think of myself as a good, trusted advisor and partner to clients," Bridget said. "I give practical guidance and advice that clients can actually use and that they want, rather than a 45-page legal memo with a bunch of case citations. I'm a problem solver. Even if the problem or issue presented to me isn't directly in my wheelhouse. I'm good at getting teams together at Lathrop GPM and identifying the right solution for clients."

Bridget views herself as a strategic partner to clients. She is experienced with handling threats and challenges to clients' businesses, balancing the need to handle matters in a cost-friendly, efficient manner while always keeping clients' risk tolerance a central focus in any strategy. Clients have saved time and money due to unique checklists and processes Bridget has developed for handling employment issues. When prevention is not enough and legal issues arise, she seeks swift, pre-trial resolutions to minimize the disruption to business operations and fees that clients often face in such situations.

When litigation does arise, clients have confidence that Bridget will aggressively and effectively advocate their positions. For example, Bridget received complete defense verdicts on two occasions in employment discrimination and retaliation claims brought by former employers against one of the country's largest employers. In both instances, the jury deliberated for less than an hour.

Bridget has handled countless administrative charges of employment discrimination before the EEOC, state and local agencies, and unfair labor practices charges before the NLRB. In one case, she convinced the EEOC that a matter the agency had "flagged" for possible litigation was meritless, and litigation by the EEOC was unwarranted after a protracted investigation conducted by the agency.

In addition to her work with clients, Bridget has served as the firm's Personnel Counsel since 2014. In this role, she is responsible for developing preventive policies and procedures, as well as managing the firm's employment issues as they arise. This experience has deepened Bridget's understanding and compassion for the real-world issues facing clients, making her an extremely valuable ally in developing their employment-related strategies. Bridget is also active in the community and was recently appointed by Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas to chair the Commission for New Americans.

WHEN ASKED …

Why did you become a lawyer?

I loved everything legal growing up. I liked analyzing things and coming up with an argument. I come from a long line of hard working, soft-hearted, bleeding-heart type folks. I was leaning towards social justice law or criminal defense work. After college I went to South America for two years and did social work. I worked with working children and their families. Then when I returned to the U.S., I did refugee resettlement work and worked with Bosnians, Vietnamese and Somalis on refugee issues and the adjustment of their status to obtain lawful permanent residence ("green cards"). I decided I wanted to go to law school to serve immigrants and make workplaces better for all. So much of what we do is because we have good clients who always strive to be better employers.

What do you do outside of work?

I enjoy going to my daughter's soccer games and watching her play. My husband is from South America, so we like to follow professional and World Cup soccer. The first ever professional women's soccer stadium in the world opened in 2024 here in Kansas City and we are proud season ticket holders supporting the Kansas City Current.

• Co-presenter, "Employment Law Update," Lathrop GPM 2023 Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 24, 2023
• Co-presenter, "Recruiting and Hiring Trends," Lathrop GPM 2023 Employment & Labor Law Seminar, October 5, 2023 (Kansas City); October 24, 2023
• Presenter, "Minimize Hiring Challenges by Staying in the Know," Annual Heartland Labor and Employment Institute, May 24, 2023
• Co-presenter, "Marijuana in the Workplace: Does the Missouri Constitutional Amendment Block Employers from Tackling this Issue?" Lathrop GPM 2023 State of Litigation: Draft Edition, April 12, 2023
• Co-presenter, "COVID-19 and the Workplace: The Latest Updates," 34th Annual Heartland Labor and Employment Law Institute, May 25, 2022
• Co-presenter, "Employment Law Update," Lathrop GPM 2022 Employment & Labor Law Seminar, April 12, 2022 (Kansas City); May 4, 2022 (Minneapolis)
• Co-presenter, "COVID Aftermath & Remote Work Issues," Lathrop GPM 2022 Employment & Labor Law Seminar, April 12, 2022 (Kansas City); May 4, 2022 (Minneapolis)
• Co-presenter, "HR Bootcamp: COVID and Beyond," 33rd Annual Heartland Labor and Employment Law Institute, May 26, 2021
• Co-presenter, "Prescription for HR Success," Employment Law Institute 32nd Annual Conference, September 30, 2020
• Speaker, "Investigating Sexual Harassment Claims in a Volatile Time," Johnson County Bar Association, City of Lenexa City Hall, November 8, 2018
• Speaker, "Navigating the Waters in the Wake of #MeToo," Infinitas Fall Business Forum, October 16, 2018
• Panel Moderator, "Agency Best Practices," 28^th Annual Heartland Labor & Employment Law Conference, May 26, 2016
• Program Chairperson and Moderator, "HR Strategies: A Lifeline for Uncertain Times," Heartland Labor & Employment Institute 26th Annual Conference, Overland Park, KS, May 2014
• Speaker, "Expansion of Employment Law by Regulatory Agencies," 23rd Annual Heartland Labor & Employment Law Conference, June 2, 2011
• Speaker, "Employment Law Update," 22nd Annual Heartland Labor & Employment Law Conference, June 3, 2010
• Speaker, "I-9, E-Verify & Immigration Law Updates," Human Resources Association of Central Missouri, June 9, 2009
• Speaker, "Immigration Compliance Webinar," Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, June 2, 2009
• Speaker, "2008 Conference on Immigration," Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, April 17, 2008

• Contributing Author, "Immigration Reform & Control Act, Ch. 11," Kansas Employment Law, 3^rd Edition (2016), Kansas Bar Association

• American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
• American Immigration Lawyers Association
• Heartland Labor and Employment Law Institute
• Kansas Bar Association
• The Missouri Bar

• Cristo Rey Kansas City, Executive Committee; Board of Trustees
• Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Centurions Class of 2013

• Named among "2019 NextGen Leaders" by the Kansas City Business Journal, 2019
• Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Missouri Labor & Employment, 2019-2024
• Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2019-2024
• Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2018-2023
  • "Rising Stars," 2011-2015
• Chambers USA, Missouri Labor & Employment, 2018, Recognized Practitioner
• Selected for KC Business "Rising Stars," 2014
• KC Chamber of Commerce Centurions Class of 2013
• Managing Editor, Missouri Environmental Law & Policy Review