After graduating from the Air Force Academy as a distinguished graduate, Mr. Michels flew some 2800 hours with the Strategic Air Command before attending law school at Duke under an Air Force program. He served as a military attorney in the active duty and Reserve force for the next 18 years. His 30-year civilian practice includes litigating employment and labor cases in local, state and federal courts, as well as appearing before administrative agencies such as the NLRB, OSHA, and numerous state agencies. He has developed a particular expertise in litigating issues involving technology-based and startup companies, focusing on trade secret and non-compete litigation, as well as high level investigations of claims involving corporate malfeasance. Mr. Michels was an NFL Players Association registered agent for more than 20 years, and has advised college and professional athletes, agents, and coaches on collective bargaining rights and other employment issues affecting the sports marketplace. He also has extensive experience in conducting corporate training on developing legal issues and continuing legal education programs for clients and legal associations.