Fisher Phillips Welcomes Experienced Education Industry Professional, Deborah O’Toole, to Growing Charlotte Office

Fisher Phillips, one of the country’s preeminent employment and education law firms representing employers, is pleased to announce that Deborah O’Toole has joined the firm as Of Counsel in the Charlotte office.

Deborah arrives with more than 20 years of experience in human resources management and risk mitigation on behalf of educational institutions, including her most recent role as Chief Human Resources and Risk Officer at Milton Academy, a K-12 day and boarding school. In that role, Deborah successfully led the institution's risk management program, providing invaluable guidance to the head of school and board of trustees around landmark investigations. She also collaborated with school leadership to design and implement several human resource initiatives focused on talent management, performance evaluation, salary and benefits, compliance, and health and safety during the institution’s COVID response.

Deborah joins Fisher Phillips’ Education Industry Team and will assist independent and private schools and educational institutions with legal and regulatory issues involving employees, students, and boards at all levels. She will focus on providing preventative services in the form of overseeing compliance audits, counseling on governance issues, conducting investigations, and developing and implementing training programs. Deborah will also draft and review contracts, employee handbooks, bylaws, and board policies.

“Deborah brings a thorough understanding of the unique legal concerns that often arise at educational institutions and have the ability to impact operations.” said Jennifer Carroll, Co-Chair of the firm’s Education Industry Team. “Having an embedded boarding school professional like her on our team adds a valuable perspective and will only help us emphasize the importance of prevention and compliance to address concerns before they become issues that could negatively affect a school’s success,” added fellow Co-Chair Kristin Smith.

Deborah earned her Master of Social Work from Boston College and her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School. She worked as a project director for the Child Support Enforcement division of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue and went on to hold various leadership roles at a leading nonprofit organization providing comprehensive programming in the fields of child welfare, children’s behavioral health, and special education.