TOLEDO, OH – Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is pleased to announce that Mechelle Zarou, partner in the Toledo office, has joined the Steering Committee for Welcome Toledo-Lucas County.  Welcome Toledo Lucas County is an initiative that seeks to build a vibrant and welcoming community celebrating the region’s immigrant heritage and focusing on talent attraction, retention, and immigrant integration. 

Mechelle was also selected to serve on the Board of Trustees for Legal Aid of Northwestern Ohio (“LAWO”) and Advocates for Basic Legal Equality (“ABLE”), regional law firms that provide high quality legal assistance in civil matters to eligible low-income individuals. 

Mechelle has also been selected to serve on the Board of Trustees of The Arts Commission of Greater Toledo, which seeks to promote the visual, performing and literary arts throughout the region.

Mechelle is Co-Chair of the firm’s labor and employment department and the immigration practice group.  Mechelle’s practice encompasses all areas of labor and employment law, including wrongful discharge, discrimination, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, labor negotiations and arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges.  Mechelle regularly assists employers with obtaining temporary and permanent visas for skilled foreign workers.  She has extensive experience in obtaining L-1, H-1B, TN and E visas on behalf of foreign workers, as well as permanent residency based on employment.  Mechelle also has experience assisting the firm's healthcare clients with their specialized immigration needs, including obtaining J-1 visa waivers, visa screen certifications, and H-1B cap exemptions.

Mechelle received her J.D. and M.A. from Duke University and her B.A., with honors, from the University of Michigan.

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Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP is a premier provider of quality legal services with more than 245 lawyers, 55 paralegals and 500 employees in five offices:  Toledo and Columbus, Ohio; Tampa and Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina.  Whether through its commitment to clients or its work in all of our communities, involvement lies at the core of all Shumaker’s initiatives.