Denise Greathouse Photo

Denise Greathouse

Partner
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

Head of Best Workplace Solutions
Michael Best Strategies LLC
Washington, D.C.
The Wharf
1000 Maine Avenue SW
Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20024

Overview

Denise represents management clients in regard to labor and employment matters. Clients in sectors such as construction, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, food, and education turn to her for informed guidance on matters involving:

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) issues, including investigating, defending citations and assisting with abatement
  • Workplace investigations, including defending claims regarding matters including discrimination, Title IX, harassment, theft, suspicion of drugs at the workplace, whistleblower complaints
  • Labor arbitration, employment tort and breach of contract lawsuits, unemployment insurance appeals, employee separation/ termination matters, unemployment compensation matters, workmen’s compensation matters
  • Employee safety and health
  • Medicare/Medicaid billing disputes and Social Security disability

Denise brings a valuable perspective to her counsel in these areas as the result of her previous work as Assistant District Attorney with Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office.

Experience

Denise's notable matters include:

  • Handling whistleblower matters that resulted in dismissals at the investigation stage
  • Challenging MSHA’s unwarrantable failure classification at MSHA hearings
  • Advising on complicated OSHA inspections involving fatalities, resulting in no citations or “other than serious” citations being issued
  • Conducting OSHA informal conferences ranging from serious citations to willful citations with 5 to 6-figure penalty amounts
  • Handling arbitrations involving various grievances that resulted in dismissals  
  • Drafting Plans of Corrections for review and acceptance by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Quality Assurance (DQA), and helping clients comply with their Medicare Conditions of Participation 

Honors & Recognitions

  • Best Lawyers®, Women in the Law (Milwaukee, WI), Labor and Employment Law, 2022-Present
  • Most Influential Black Lawyers, Savoy Magazine, 2022
  • Notable Women in Law, BizTimes Media, 2022
  • The Best Lawyers in America©, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2021-present
  • The Midwest’s Best Lawyers©, Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2021
  • Woman of the Year, Wisconsin Law Journal, 2019
  • Black Excellence Awards Recipient, The Milwaukee Times, 2018
  • Recognized as one of the "40 under 40" by the Milwaukee Business Journal, 2017
  • Emerging Lawyers, Law Bulletin Publishing, 2015-2018
  • Lawyers of Color Hot List, Lawyers of Color Inc. (LOC), 2013

Professional Activities

  • Fellow, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, 2019
  • Member, State Bar of Illinois Association
  • Member, State Bar of Wisconsin Association
  • Member, Waukesha Bar Association
  • Member, American Bar Association

Education

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

Community Involvement

  • Past Board Member, Waukesha Dental Clinic
  • Past Board Member, American Black Holocaust Museum
  • Past Board Member, Pearls for Teen Girls
  • Founder & Member, 3-D Fellowship: Determination, Dedication, and Devotion
  • Volunteer, Catered the Homeless
  • Volunteer, Mentor at City of Milwaukee Catholic schools
  • Volunteer Coordinator, Food, Body, and Soul, North Shore Church of Christ Food Pantry
  • Previous Mentor to a Milwaukee inner city Hurricane Katrina Survivor
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