Berna L. Rhodes-Ford

Biography

Berna L. Rhodes-Ford focuses her practice on corporate, labor and employment, and healthcare law. As an attorney with both private law firm and in-house experience, Ms. Rhodes-Ford is uniquely qualified to represent corporate clients. In her corporate law practice, she represents business organizations from formation to sale, including advice on day to day legal issues, corporate structuring, regulatory analysis and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and representing business in legal disputes in court, before administrative agencies and in alternative dispute resolution forums.

As a former attorney with Holland & Hart and Littler Mendelson, Ms. Rhodes-Ford has extensive experience litigating employment cases on behalf of corporate clients involving Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA and FLSA in union and non-union environments. She has advised clients on virtually all aspects of employment law, including employment agreements, employee manuals, compliance programs, and litigation avoidance. In addition, she worked as Senior Corporate Counsel for one of the nation’s largest occupational healthcare companies where she was directly responsible for all employment law matters affecting the company.

Ms. Rhodes-Ford’s healthcare practice includes drafting and reviewing partnership agreements, physician employment agreements, separation agreements, and other documents related to healthcare practice, as well as representing physician practices and physicians in asset and stock purchase transactions.

Ms. Rhodes-Ford has served as a law clerk to the Honorable Johnnie B. Rawlinson of the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, and as staff attorney to the Honorable Yvette McGee Brown of the Franklin County (Ohio) Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court. She has also served as Legislative Assistant to the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, United States House of Representatives, 30th District.

She has authored numerous publications and spoken in many venues. A recent article, “No ADA Claim Where Worker Fired for Threatening Co-Worker”, was published in the Society for Human Resource Management Newsletter (Jan. 2015). Ms. Rhodes-Ford’s most recent speaking engagements include “Marijuana in the Workplace,” Branch Benefits Consultants, Las Vegas (August 2015); “10 Interview Questions You Should Never Ask,” Workforce Connections, Las Vegas (June 2015); “LLC Workshop: Choose, Draft and Maintain,” National Business Institute, Las Vegas (Sept. 2014); and “Ethical Issues in Internal Investigations,” Association of Corporate Counsel Chapter luncheon, Las Vegas (July 2014).

Ms. Rhodes-Ford has been honored on many occasions to include: Attorney of the Year, Las Vegas Chapter of the National Bar Association (Sept. 2014); Woman in Business Recognition, Urban Chamber of Commerce (March 2014); selected for inclusion in the Mountain States Super Lawyers® list (2013-2015); Southern Nevada Top Attorneys, Nevada Business Magazine (2010, 2012, and 2014); featured on the cover of Nevada Business Magazine (Sept. 2012); Entrepreneur of the Year, National Association of Women Business Owners (April 2012); Business Leaders Under 40, Nevada Business Magazine, (Nov. 2010); and Women to Watch 2010, InBusiness Las Vegas (Jan. 2010).

As a member of the Business Law Section of the American Bar Association, Ms. Rhodes-Ford is the Membership Chair of the Middle Market and Small Business Committee (2010-present); Business Law Section Liaison for the Council for Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Educational Pipeline (2010–present); and former Ambassador of the Section. She is a member of the National Bar Association, Las Vegas Chapter, and currently serves as the Public Image and Relations Committee Chair formerly served as the Nominations and Elections Committee Chair and Ask a Lawyer Program Coordinator.

Ms. Rhodes-Ford served as Immediate Past President, President, and Secretary of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Southern Nevada Chapter. She is also a member of the Development Board for the Urban Chamber of Commerce.

Active within her community, Ms. Rhodes Ford served on the Board of Directors for the Make-A Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada (2009-2014) and as Secretary and Governance Committee Member. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Community Counseling Center of Las Vegas since 2008 and on the Board for the Cultural Diversity Foundation since 2014.

Ms. Rhodes-Ford has served as Vice President (2015-present), Treasurer (2014-2015); Legislative Chair (2013-present); Parliamentarian (2009-2013); and Program Director (2008-2009) with Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Las Vegas Chapter. She has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. since 1990, with the Las Vegas Chapter since 2008, and has served as AKA Day at the Capitol Chair (2014) and Social Justice and Human Rights Initiative Chair (2014). She is a member of the Las Vegas Chapter of The Links, Incorporated (2013-present) and has served as Parliamentarian since 2014 and formerly served as Membership Committee Vice Chair (2013-2014). Ms. Rhodes-Ford served on the Alumni Board for Southern Methodist University (2012-2015) and as President of the University’s Las Vegas Alumni Chapter (2014-present).

She earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration and B.A. in Psychology at Southern Methodist University. Ms. Rhodes-Ford is admitted to practice in all state and federal district courts in Nevada and Texas, as well as the Fifth and Ninth Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

• University of Texas School of Law, J.D.
• Southern Methodist University, Bachelor of Business Administration and B.A., Psychology

Bar Admissions

• Nevada
• Texas
• U.S. Courts of Appeals, Fifth and Ninth Circuits

In the News

• 9/2/2015 - GSH Welcomes Berna L. Rhodes-Ford