GERARD P. PANARO is of counsel to Howe & Hutton, Ltd. in its Washington, D.C. office. He has over 35 years of experience in the practice of employment law and representation of nonprofit organizations in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Jerry advises tax-exempt organizations and small businesses and negotiates on their behalf on matters related to employment, corporate and tax matters, antitrust and administrative law. He is the author of Employment Law Manual (1998), and writes a column for HR Advisor. He also does writing, training and seminars on employment law matters for clients and has done webinars for BankersonLine.com. Jerry graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, where he was on the Dean's List, earned a Ph.D. from Boston College with highest distinction, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Scranton. Currently Jerry is a volunteer lawyer for Employers in Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR), whose mission is to assist employers and employees in understanding and complying with their rights and obligations under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).