Mary Louise Conrow

Mary Lou Conrow joined Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP, in 2000 and is Of Counsel with the firm. She has been selected to the Best Lawyers in America since 2020 in the Labor and Employment - Litigation field. Mary Lou was selected Lawyer of the Year for 2023, in the area of Labor and Employment - Ligation for the Binghamton Area and received the William L. Holcomb Award for Public Service in Labor Relations in 2023. She practices as an arbitrator, mediator and hearing officer. She is currently on the American Arbitration Associations Construction Panel of Arbitrators. She has previously practiced in the labor and employment field, with emphasis on municipal liability, including police and fire disability and retirement claims, labor negotiations, Workers’ Compensation, arbitrations, grievances, discipline, NYSHR and PERB matters. Her previous experience includes private practice in Broome County; Vice President of Workers’ Compensation and Disability for EM Ernst Management; Risk Manager for Broome County; First Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Binghamton; Assistant Broome County Public Defender. Mary Lou is also an owner and President of KHM, Inc., a WBE/DBE Construction company.

Mary Lou is a member of the Broome County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association (Municipal Law Section, Labor Law Section and Dispute Resolution Section). She is also a member of the New York State Association of Self-Insured Counties, the New York State Public Employer Labor Relations Association, the North East Subcontractor’s Association (NESCA); Associated General Contractors of America (AGC); Builders Exchange of the Southern Tier and a member of the St. Bonaventure University National Alumni Association Board. She is also Past President and current member of the Triple Cities Chapter of St. Bonaventure alumni.

Awards

Listed, Best Lawyers in America 2020- Present

Lawyer of the year, Best Lawyers in America 2022 - Labor and Employment litigation, Binghamton Area

William L. Holcomb Award for Public Service in Labor Relations, 2023

Presenter

New York State Retirement Systems

New York State Association of Career Fire Chiefs

New York State Association of Fire Chiefs

The Albany Department of Public Safety

Executive Services Corps of the Tri-Cities

New York State Rural Housing Association

Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar-Municipal Service Division

New York State Department of Civil Service

Cornell University Institute of Labor Relations

New York State Association of Self-Insured Counties

New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)

Law Enforcement Training Directors Association of New York State

Executive Services Corps of the Tri-Cities

Monroe County Association of Chiefs of Police

New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal (NYMIR)

New York State Association of Chiefs of Police

NYS Conference of Mayors

NYS City/County Managers Association

The Broome County Bar Association (Ethics & Professionalism Course)

New York Association of Fire Districts

Practice Areas

Litigation

Labor & Employment

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Published Works

•General Municipal Law Section 207-a Handbook (New York State Association of Fire Chiefs)
•Navigating Municipal Employment Issues: Leading Lawyers on Analyzing the Latest Employment Trends, Creating Effective Strategies, and Resolving Conflicts (Inside the Minds): “Managing Municipal Employee and Employer Rights in the Technological Age”
•Employment Law 2014: 'Recent Decisions from the National Labor Relations Board affecting the Field of Employment Law'

Past Positions

•Past member of the Board of Directors of the BC Pops
•Current member of the St. Bonaventure University Alumni Association
•Co-Chair of the Florida Gulf Coast St. Bonaventure University Alumni Association
•Past President of the Binghamton Alumni Association
•Served as a member of the St. Bonaventure National Alumni Board for six years
•Past member of the Broome County Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee
•Past assistant organizer of the “All Paws for a Cause” walk for the YWCA Encore Breast Cancer Prevention group