Profile
R.J. (Randy) Stevenson represents private and public employers in all aspects of employment and labor relations law, including matters involving workplace safety and health (OSHA) across the United States. He is one of only a handful of labor and employment lawyers in the region who has been elected a Fellow of “The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers,” the premier peer-selected organization of labor and employment lawyers in North America. Admission is by invitation only, following a rigorous screening process. He is also a peer-elected Fellow of The Nebraska State Bar Foundation and The American Bar Foundation, honorary societies of lawyers and judges who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the profession and service to society. Membership in The American Bar Foundation is strictly limited to not more than one percent (1%) of lawyers and judges in the United States.
Since 2003, Randy has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Employment Law and Labor Law, and was previously named that publication’s “Labor Law – Management Lawyer of the Year” for Omaha and its 2017 and 2023 “Employment Law – Management Lawyer of the Year.” He has been listed for many years in Great Plains Super Lawyers®, Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business® (“Band A”), and in Martindale-Hubbell® with an “AV” rating. Additionally, Randy is listed as a “Midwest Star” in Benchmark, America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys®.
Randy served as the Chair of the firm’s Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Law Group from 1996 to 2023. He is a past Chair of the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Labor Relations and Employment Law Section and has served on the boards of numerous community, professional, and civic groups. Randy was also a former Adjunct Faculty member at Creighton University’s School of Law and regularly guest lectures there regarding employment law.
Areas of Practice
Education
- University of Nebraska College of Law, J.D., 1985
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, B.S., Business Administration, 1982
Professional & Civic Affiliations
- Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
- Fellow of The Nebraska State Bar Foundation
- Former Chair of the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Labor Relations and Employment Law section
- Former Legal Counsel for the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association
- Recipient, 2021 “Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service” given by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service
- Former Legal Counsel for the Human Resources Association of the Midlands
- Legal Counsel for Better Business Bureau serving Nebraska, South Dakota, the Kansas Plains, and Southwest Iowa
- Legal Counsel for nonprofit Heartland Family Service
- Elder, Dundee Presbyterian Church
- Former board member, Metropolitan Community College Foundation and Westside Community Schools Foundation
Bar & Court Admissions
- Nebraska, 1985
- Iowa, 1996
Selected Practice Highlights
- Recognized legal authority regarding COVID-19 issues affecting the workplace. Has been interviewed regarding the topic on affiliates for ABC, Fox, and NBC. Has also been interviewed and extensively quoted in local and national newspapers, including the Omaha World-Herald and the Miami Herald, on COVID-19 employment law concerns
- Successfully represented hundreds of employers in OSHA cases in construction, general industry, and agriculture on a national basis, including over 50 cases involving workplace fatalities. Obtained the complete withdrawal of numerous citations and penalties at both the informal conference stage and in litigation
- Effectively represented employers in the labor relations area from union organizing to the successful negotiation of operationally-sound collective bargaining agreements
- Routinely works with employers to avoid litigation by training supervisors, managers, and employees regarding legal compliance and best practices
- Advised and represented numerous employers on EEO matters before numerous state and federal equal employment agencies
- Successfully defending against numerous wage and hour and child labor claims brought by the USDOL’s Wage & Hour Division
Representative Reported Cases
- Lakes Regional Healthcare and Lakes Regional Healthcare Nurses Assn., 13 HO 8430 (Iowa Pub. Emp. Rel. Bd. 2013)
- C & L Industries, Inc. v. Kiviranta, 13 Neb. App. 604 (Neb. Ct. App. 2005)
- Millard Refrigerated Services, Inc. and United Food & Commercial Workers Local Union 230, 345 NLRB No. 95 (2005)
- St. Luke’s Health System, Inc. and United Food and Commercial Workers Local Union 222, 340 NLRB No. 139 (2003)
- Millard Refrigerated Services, Inc. and United Steelworkers of America, AFL–CIO–CLC, 326 NLRB No. 156 (1998)
- Iowa State Bank of Hamburg v. Trail, 234 Neb. 59, 449 N.W.2d 520 (Neb. S. Ct. 1989)
Selected Recent Publications
- “COVID-19 Conundrums: How Employers’ Compliance With Employment Laws Has Had To Adapt,” The Nebraska Lawyer, November/December 2020
- “OSHA Inspections: A Survival Guide, ” USLAW Magazine, Fall/Winter 2013
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Creighton Law Review 2022 Symposium: Once in a Century – Employment Law and the Legal Legacy of COVID-19 (March 2022)
- Nebraska State Bar Association’s Labor Relations and Employment Law Section: The Work Environment After Coronavirus (October 2021)
In the News
- Thirty-Four Baird Holm Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America® 2024 List; Nine are Named “Lawyer of the Year,” and 13 are Named to the “Ones to Watch” List
- Baird Holm Partner Randy Stevenson Featured in Midlands Business Journal Article, “An Untraditional Role: Lawyers Focus on Helping Attract and Retain Employees”
- Baird Holm Partner Randy Stevenson spoke with KETV’s Abbie Petersen about OSHA’s emergency temporary standards
- Randy Stevenson Featured in Omaha World-Herald Story Discussing the Presidential Vaccine Mandate
- Randy Stevenson Featured in Omaha World Herald Story Discussing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
- Randy Stevenson Featured in WOWT Story Discussing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates by Employers
- Randy Stevenson Featured in KETV Story Discussing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
- R.J. (Randy) Stevenson Receives UNO CPACS Alumni Award
- Randy Stevenson Featured in KETV story discussing workers return to the office
- Randy Stevenson Discusses the Importance of Information Security for Remote Workers with KETV’s David Earl
Covid-19 Information Hub
- Coronavirus: What Should You Be Doing Now?
- What Employers Need To Know About Face Masks And Coverings
- Considerations For Returning Higher Risk Employees To The Workplace
- COVID-19 Waivers from Employees: A Bad Idea
- Screening Employees for COVID-19 Symptoms: Tips and Traps for Employers
- What Omaha Employers Need to Know About the New Mask Mandate
- OSHA and COVID-19: Ten Questions Frequently Asked By Employers
- Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards Related to COVID-19 Inspections
- New COVID-19 Quarantine Rules for Employees’ Return to Work
- New EEOC Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace
- The American Rescue Plan Act’s New Paid Sick and Family Leave Provisions
- New OSHA Guidance Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Updated EEOC Guidance on Vaccines, Masks and Incentives
- OSHA Issues COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard for Healthcare Employers
- The President Delivers a Bombshell: Employers with 100 or More Employees Must Mandate Vaccination
- New Iowa Law Requires Employers to Grant Medical and Religious COVID-19 Vaccination Exemption Requests
- OSHA Releases Landmark COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Mandate
- OSHA’s Vaccination and Testing Mandate Temporarily Stayed: What does it Mean for Employers?
- Nationwide Hold Emerges on CMS Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Staff
- Court Lifts Stay on OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing Mandate
- OSHA Announces Shot-or-Test Mandate Enforcement Begins in January
- OSHA Withdraws Most of Its COVID-19 Healthcare ETS
- Iowa Refuses to Adopt OSHA’s Vaccination and Testing ETS
- Supreme Court Blocks OSHA’s Shot or Test Rule
- Employers Take Note: Nebraska Law Now Mandates Certain Vaccine Exemptions
Labor & Employment Law Update
Baird Holm Banter® - A Legal Podcast
Health Law Alert
Areas of Practice
Education
- University of Nebraska College of Law, J.D., 1985
- University of Nebraska at Omaha, B.S., Business Administration, 1982
Bar & Court Admissions
- Nebraska, 1985
- Iowa, 1996
Profile
R.J. (Randy) Stevenson represents private and public employers in all aspects of employment and labor relations law, including matters involving workplace safety and health (OSHA) across the United States. He is one of only a handful of labor and employment lawyers in the region who has been elected a Fellow of “The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers,” the premier peer-selected organization of labor and employment lawyers in North America. Admission is by invitation only, following a rigorous screening process. He is also a peer-elected Fellow of The Nebraska State Bar Foundation and The American Bar Foundation, honorary societies of lawyers and judges who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the profession and service to society. Membership in The American Bar Foundation is strictly limited to not more than one percent (1%) of lawyers and judges in the United States.
Since 2003, Randy has been selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the fields of Employment Law and Labor Law, and was previously named that publication’s “Labor Law – Management Lawyer of the Year” for Omaha and its 2017 and 2023 “Employment Law – Management Lawyer of the Year.” He has been listed for many years in Great Plains Super Lawyers®, Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business® (“Band A”), and in Martindale-Hubbell® with an “AV” rating. Additionally, Randy is listed as a “Midwest Star” in Benchmark, America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys®.
Randy served as the Chair of the firm’s Labor, Employment and Employee Benefits Law Group from 1996 to 2023. He is a past Chair of the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Labor Relations and Employment Law Section and has served on the boards of numerous community, professional, and civic groups. Randy was also a former Adjunct Faculty member at Creighton University’s School of Law and regularly guest lectures there regarding employment law.
Professional & Civic Affiliations
- Fellow of The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
- Fellow of The Nebraska State Bar Foundation
- Former Chair of the Nebraska State Bar Association’s Labor Relations and Employment Law section
- Former Legal Counsel for the University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association
- Recipient, 2021 “Alumni Award for Excellence in Public Service” given by the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service
- Former Legal Counsel for the Human Resources Association of the Midlands
- Legal Counsel for Better Business Bureau serving Nebraska, South Dakota, the Kansas Plains, and Southwest Iowa
- Legal Counsel for nonprofit Heartland Family Service
- Elder, Dundee Presbyterian Church
- Former board member, Metropolitan Community College Foundation and Westside Community Schools Foundation
Selected Practice Highlights
- Recognized legal authority regarding COVID-19 issues affecting the workplace. Has been interviewed regarding the topic on affiliates for ABC, Fox, and NBC. Has also been interviewed and extensively quoted in local and national newspapers, including the Omaha World-Herald and the Miami Herald, on COVID-19 employment law concerns
- Successfully represented hundreds of employers in OSHA cases in construction, general industry, and agriculture on a national basis, including over 50 cases involving workplace fatalities. Obtained the complete withdrawal of numerous citations and penalties at both the informal conference stage and in litigation
- Effectively represented employers in the labor relations area from union organizing to the successful negotiation of operationally-sound collective bargaining agreements
- Routinely works with employers to avoid litigation by training supervisors, managers, and employees regarding legal compliance and best practices
- Advised and represented numerous employers on EEO matters before numerous state and federal equal employment agencies
- Successfully defending against numerous wage and hour and child labor claims brought by the USDOL’s Wage & Hour Division
Representative Reported Cases
- Lakes Regional Healthcare and Lakes Regional Healthcare Nurses Assn., 13 HO 8430 (Iowa Pub. Emp. Rel. Bd. 2013)
- C & L Industries, Inc. v. Kiviranta, 13 Neb. App. 604 (Neb. Ct. App. 2005)
- Millard Refrigerated Services, Inc. and United Food & Commercial Workers Local Union 230, 345 NLRB No. 95 (2005)
- St. Luke’s Health System, Inc. and United Food and Commercial Workers Local Union 222, 340 NLRB No. 139 (2003)
- Millard Refrigerated Services, Inc. and United Steelworkers of America, AFL–CIO–CLC, 326 NLRB No. 156 (1998)
- Iowa State Bank of Hamburg v. Trail, 234 Neb. 59, 449 N.W.2d 520 (Neb. S. Ct. 1989)
Selected Recent Publications
- “COVID-19 Conundrums: How Employers’ Compliance With Employment Laws Has Had To Adapt,” The Nebraska Lawyer, November/December 2020
- “OSHA Inspections: A Survival Guide, ” USLAW Magazine, Fall/Winter 2013
Recent Speaking Engagements
- Creighton Law Review 2022 Symposium: Once in a Century – Employment Law and the Legal Legacy of COVID-19 (March 2022)
- Nebraska State Bar Association’s Labor Relations and Employment Law Section: The Work Environment After Coronavirus (October 2021)
Covid-19 Information Hub
- Coronavirus: What Should You Be Doing Now?
- What Employers Need To Know About Face Masks And Coverings
- Considerations For Returning Higher Risk Employees To The Workplace
- COVID-19 Waivers from Employees: A Bad Idea
- Screening Employees for COVID-19 Symptoms: Tips and Traps for Employers
- What Omaha Employers Need to Know About the New Mask Mandate
- OSHA and COVID-19: Ten Questions Frequently Asked By Employers
- Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards Related to COVID-19 Inspections
- New COVID-19 Quarantine Rules for Employees’ Return to Work
- New EEOC Guidance Regarding COVID-19 Vaccinations in the Workplace
- The American Rescue Plan Act’s New Paid Sick and Family Leave Provisions
- New OSHA Guidance Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Updated EEOC Guidance on Vaccines, Masks and Incentives
- OSHA Issues COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard for Healthcare Employers
- The President Delivers a Bombshell: Employers with 100 or More Employees Must Mandate Vaccination
- New Iowa Law Requires Employers to Grant Medical and Religious COVID-19 Vaccination Exemption Requests
- OSHA Releases Landmark COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Mandate
- OSHA’s Vaccination and Testing Mandate Temporarily Stayed: What does it Mean for Employers?
- Nationwide Hold Emerges on CMS Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Staff
- Court Lifts Stay on OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination or Testing Mandate
- OSHA Announces Shot-or-Test Mandate Enforcement Begins in January
- OSHA Withdraws Most of Its COVID-19 Healthcare ETS
- Iowa Refuses to Adopt OSHA’s Vaccination and Testing ETS
- Supreme Court Blocks OSHA’s Shot or Test Rule
- Employers Take Note: Nebraska Law Now Mandates Certain Vaccine Exemptions