Christina Alabi, an associate at Gould & Ratner LLP, is one of just 30 attorneys nationwide to be chosen as a 2017 National Employment Law Council (NELC) Academy Fellow. Fellows are selected based on demonstrated excellence in the practice of management-side labor and employment law, demonstrated leadership potential, and stellar references.The NELC’s mission is to enrich the minority bar that represents management in the field of labor and employment law, to impact global employment law policy and to promote ethnic interest in the profession. Admission to the Academy has become highly competitive as Academy Fellows obtain advanced skills training during the NELC’s annual conference as well as exposure to NELC’s national network of experienced practitioners.Alabi regularly defends management clients in employment discrimination actions in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. In addition, she has extensive experience drafting and reviewing employment policies and handbooks, preparing employment agreements, counseling employers on compliance with federal and state employment laws and negotiating severance agreements. Alabi also counsels and represents clients in unfair competition, non-compete and trade secret litigation.Alabi brings a dynamic perspective and understanding of employment and human resources issues to serve clients. Before joining Gould & Ratner, she was a field attorney with the National Labor Relations Board, investigating and litigating unfair labor practice charges, as well as conducting secret-ballot elections. Alabi began her career as an administrative law judge with the Illinois Labor Relations Board.Alabi has a Master’s in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois School of Labor and Employment Relations. During her Master’s program, Alabi was a labor relations associate for Coca-Cola.