L. Michael Zinser is the founding partner of The Zinser Law Firm in Nashville, Tennessee. The Zinser Law Firm has a heavy concentration of clients in communications media. Mike Zinser is an honors graduate of the University of Cincinnati; he received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1975. He is a member of the Antitrust, Labor Law and Litigation Sections of the American Bar Association.

Mike Zinser is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers for Labor and Employment Law. The Bar Register is a Martindale-Hubbell publication. Martindale-Hubbell is the national legal directory which rates lawyers. Many corporations use Martindale-Hubbell to help select outside counsel for various cases. Martindale-Hubbell’s highest attorney rating is “AV”. Only 7% of all lawyers nationwide are rated AV. Only 3% of AV rated lawyers are listed in the Bar Register.

Since 1975, Mike Zinser has spent the great majority of his time representing communications companies and industry trade associations. Mike’s thirty two years of practice has, in particular, focused on labor/employee relations and circulation legal issues. Mike is General Counsel to the following newspaper trade associations.

1. 1.    Cal-Western Circulation Managers Association
   

2. 2.    Central States Circulation Managers Association
   

3. 3.    International Newspaper Financial Executives
   

4. 4.    Inter-State Circulation Managers Association
   

5. 5.    Midwest Circulation Management Association
   

6. 6.    Mid-Atlantic Circulation Managers Association
   

7. 7.    Northwest International Circulation Executives
   

8. 8.    Ohio Circulation Managers Association
   

9. 9.    Texas Circulation Management Association
   

In addition, Mike regularly speaks on legal issues to trade associations and universities, including the following:

1. Adjunct Associate Professor on Law, Department of Communications (Newspaper Management Center), Utah State University, Logan, Utah.
   

2. Regular Lecturer (25 appearances) at American Press Institute seminars, lecturing on legal aspects of various facets of newspaper business, since 1977.
   

3. Faculty member at various I.C.M.A. Legal Symposiums from 1976 to 1992.
   

4. Seminar Leader, Cal-Western Legal Seminar for 27 consecutive years
   

5. Speaker, California Newspaper Carrier Foundation (over 25 appearances)
   

6. Panelist, ANPA Labor Negotiations Seminars (1986)
   

7. Lecturer in Law, North Texas State University School of Journalism, Annual Circulation Management Course, since 1977
   

8. Speaker, "Key Legal Issues," ABC Major Metro Conference (1992)
   

9. Speaker, "A Mock Trial on Independent Contractor Status," National Newspaper Association (1991)
   

10. Speaker, "Circulation Legal Issues," Newspaper Satellite Network (1991)
    

11. Lecturer in Law, Rochester Institute of Technology (since 1980): a Circulation Management Conference sponsored by the Gannett Foundation.
    

12. Speaker, Midwest Circulation Managers Association Annual Meetings (1980 to present)
    

13. Speaker, "Americans with Disabilities Act - A Legal Overview", California Newspaper Carrier Foundation (CNCF)
    

14. Speaker, "Down-sizing the Work Force" Inland Press Association (1991)
    

15. Speaker, "Repetitive Stress Injuries and the Law" (1991), Anaheim, California.
    

16. Speaker, "A Mock Trial on Independent Contractor Status", Colorado Press Association (1991)
    

17. Speaker, Southern Newspaper Publishers Association (1988, 1989, 1994, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2002)
    

18. Speaker, Southern Production Program, Inc. Annual Conference (1980 to Present)
    

19. Lecturer in Law, University of Arizona (1979, 1981 and 1982); a Circulation Management Conference sponsored by the Gannett Foundation.
    

20. Speaker, Wisconsin Newspaper Association
    

21. Speaker, New York Press Association
    

22. Speaker, Oklahoma Press Association
    

23. Speaker, Alabama Press Association Annual Meetings
    

24. Speaker, Georgia Press Association
    

25. Speaker, Iowa Newspaper Association Annual Meetings
    

26. Speaker, Missouri Press Association
    

27. Speaker, Nevada State Press Association
    

28. Speaker, Tennessee Press Association Annual Meetings
    

29. Speaker, Hoosier Press Association
    

30.        Speaker, Virginia Press Association
    

31. Speaker, Institute of Newspaper Controllers and Finance Officers annual conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada (1981)
    

32. Speaker, Ohio Newspaper Association Annual Meeting (1982, 1984, 1991)
    

33. Panelist, American Bar Association Media Labor Law Seminar, Washington, D.C. (1982)
    

34. Speaker, Newspaper Personnel Relations Association Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. (1983, 1988)
    

35. Speaker, Allied Daily Newspaper Annual Meeting (1983, 1985, 1989)
    

36. Speaker, Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association Annual Meeting (1989, 1990, 1995, 2001)
    

37. Speaker, Industrial Relation Bureau (1985, 1988)
    

38. Speaker, Texas Daily Newspaper Association (1989, 1994 and 1996)
    

39. Speaker, New York State Publishers Association (1998)
    

40.       Speaker, California Newspaper Publishers Association (1997 to present)
    

41.       Speaker, American Association of Independent Newspaper Distributors (2006)
    

42.        Speaker, American Bar Association, Annual Meeting (2005)
    

In addition, Mike has worked as private legislative counsel to newspapers and press associations seeking to gain statutory language changes to protect independent contractor status. According to the August 1991 issue of Presstime magazine, Mike was instrumental in Montana's achievement of legislative exemptions. In 1993 he testified before the Nevada Legislature for the same purpose.