Spotlight on . . . Renee Mattei Myers
November 7, 2018
Renee Mattei Myers joined the firm’s Harrisburg office in 2009. She grew up as the middle child with two sisters in Montdale, Pennsylvania, located on the outskirts of Scranton. (“Yes, the Scranton portrayed in The Office,” she says.) Growing up in such a rural area meant that lots of her high school classmates were farmers.
Today, Renee is a single mother to a 15-year-old daughter named Kendall, a cat named Tinkerbell, and a new puppy named Russell. “They all keep me on my toes,” she says. Two years ago, Renee and her daughter moved to Walden in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. “It was a builder concept idea of recreating the ‘Great American Neighborhood,’ Renee says. “We have our own downtown shops, a restaurant and a microbrewery, along with a large park, pool, and health club — all within walking distance. The houses all have very small lots and big front porches that encourage the residents to get out and meet their neighbors.
Renee Mattei Myers focuses her practice on a wide variety of labor and employment matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Pennsylvania. She has experience defending employers against discrimination claims under Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. She also designs and implements training sessions for managers and supervisors on employment law issues, conducts audits of employer policies, and provides general employment advice to human resource managers in a wide range of industries on matters including hiring, discipline and discharge, family and medical leave issues, wage and hour issues, and reductions-in-force. In addition, Renee serves as the chair of the firm’s Associates Committee.
Q&A
What led you to pursue a career in law?
I am the first and currently only attorney in a family full of engineers. Becoming a lawyer was a crazy idea that hit me when I was in middle school and stuck thanks to a great college advisor who encouraged me to dream big.
What do you enjoy most about your practice?
Although I have changed firms twice, I have had the pleasure of working with the same group of attorneys almost my entire career. With our employment practice, I can honestly say there is never a dull moment.
What is your favorite place?
My favorite place to visit is hands down—Walt Disney World. They call it the “Happiest Place on Earth” for a reason. I own a Disney Vacation Club timeshare and go at least once a year with my daughter or with friends.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
I think most people would be surprised to know that I ran the New York City marathon in 2013 after suffering from a pretty bad stomach bug only two days before the race. It was a long day but I was determined to finish. It was probably both one of the best and worst days of my life. It was the last time I ran 26.2 miles. These days I stick to much shorter distances.
What’s the last TV show you binge-watched?
I will admit that I generally only watch TV while on my treadmill, so if I find a show I love — it motivates me to keep running. The last shows I ran through were “The Crown” and “Stranger Things.” Currently I am going retro and working my way through “Friends.”
What’s a book that you think everyone should read?
I have been a part of a book club for over 15 years so I read a lot. A few of the books that have really stuck with me that I think everyone should read at least once are “Still Alice,” about early onset Alzheimer’s; “The Handmaid’s Tale,” now a great series on Hulu; and “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” a book about a school shooting our book club is still talking about more than 10 years after we read it.
What’s an app that you can’t live without?
Anyone who has a teenager should go right now and download Life360. It basically lets me stalk my kid. It gives me alerts when she arrives at school or home. If she is riding with other teenagers it can alert me to excessive rates of speed etc. and pinpoint her exact location. It gives me great peace of mind since like a lot of other teenagers, she is not very reliable on checking in when she arrives at where she is going, etc.
What’s something on your bucket list?
I studied abroad in London in college and always swore I would go back. The return trip is already booked for next summer!