Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation

🌸 Women’s History Month | Celebrating Sue Ann Van Dermyden This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating a true trailblazer—someone who didn’t just build a career, but helped define an entire profession. From her roots on a North Dakota farm to graduating from McGeorge School of Law, Sue Ann Van Dermyden built her path on resilience, integrity, and a deep understanding of how legal decisions impact real people. In 2006, she made the bold decision to leave a secure partnership to pursue a vision: advancing neutral, high-quality workplace investigations grounded in both legal rigor and human insight. That vision led to the founding of Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation in 2010—now a national leader in workplace and campus investigations—and to co-founding the Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI), helping shape the profession as we know it today. Sue Ann’s legacy goes far beyond titles and accolades. It’s reflected in the standards she helped establish, the people she’s mentored, and the trust she’s built across organizations nationwide. This Women’s History Month, we honor Sue Ann Van Dermyden—a leader, a mentor, and a lasting force for fairness. 💙 #WomensHistoryMonth #WHM2026 #WomenInLaw #LegalLeadership #WorkplaceInvestigations #VanDermydenMakus

Staring at a blank document after your last witness interview? You're not alone — and there's a better way. The biggest myth in workplace investigations: report writing happens at the end. The best investigators write throughout — from scoping the complaint to summarizing witnesses to crafting the analysis. When the report becomes a living document, something powerful happens: the writing guides the investigation. In his latest VM blog, Leo Moniz shares five practical strategies for weaving writing into every phase of an investigation — and why doing so leads to clearer reports and stronger findings. Read it here 👇 https://buff.ly/4DUaT3m #WorkplaceInvestigations #EmploymentLaw #HRProfessionals #ReportWriting

We're proud to announce that Sue Ann Van Dermyden has been named to the 2026 San Diego Super Lawyers list! 🌟 This honor recognizes the top 5% of attorneys in California, selected through peer nominations, independent research, and rigorous evaluation. It's a well-deserved reflection of Sue Ann's expertise, leadership, and commitment to excellence. Congratulations, Sue Ann! #VanDerymdeynMakus #SuperLawyers #SanDiego #2026

No investigator enters a case as a blank slate. Experience, prior cases, even the way a complaint is framed at intake — all of it can quietly shape conclusions before a single interview takes place. In workplace investigations, that's a problem. In her latest article for VM Mastered, Kristin Allen tackles one of the most overlooked challenges in investigative practice: assessing credibility without bias. She breaks down: → How confirmation bias takes hold — and why it's not a moral failing → Why demeanor-based credibility assessments are less reliable than we think → Practical steps to ground findings in evidence, not instinct "The goal is not to eliminate bias entirely — but to manage it thoughtfully so credibility assessments are rooted in evidence rather than instinct." A must-read for HR professionals, investigators, and employment counsel. Read the full article here: https://buff.ly/6VV4ew9 #VMMastered #Credibility #WorkplaceInvestigations

Workplace investigations are under more scrutiny than ever. Legal rulings have underscored that investigations lacking neutrality, adequate fact gathering or well-documented rationale can create vulnerability, even when intent was good. On March 17, join us for a webinar led by Eli Makus of VM Mastered to explore how strong investigation practices not only reduce legal risk but also strengthen credibility and trust across the organization. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eRNspFWd #EmployeeRelations #WorkplaceInvestigations #HRCompliance 

We're thrilled to introduce Hank Dunning, the newest member of the Van Dermyden Makus team as our Billing and Accounts Receivable Specialist! 👏 With over 12 years of financial operations experience, Hank brings deep expertise in client invoicing, payment processing, financial reporting, and month-end close. In his new role, he works hand-in-hand with our attorneys and staff to support the Firm's day-to-day billing and A/R operations — and we're already glad to have him. Beyond his impressive finance background, Hank has a fascinating story: he studied U.S. History, managed a record store, and worked in the home video and gaming industry — occasionally crossing paths with a movie star along the way! 🎬 Outside of work, this Northern California native stays busy hiking, camping, writing music, and hunting for the perfect vinyl record. Welcome to the team, Hank — we're lucky to have you! 🎶 Learn more about Hank: https://lnkd.in/gR63qz9D

The investigation training you’ve been waiting for is back, and we’re running it only once this year.  Investigation Essentials is a virtual, live training built for employee relations professionals who want to run investigations that are fair, consistent and defensible — without second-guessing every step. Led by workplace investigation experts VM Mastered and offered through empowER™, this three-part course gives you hands-on practice in: ✔️ Planning investigations the right way  ✔️ Conducting strong, neutral interviews  ✔️ Weighing credibility and evidence  ✔️ Writing reports that hold up under scrutiny This isn’t just another lecture. It’s an interactive session where you’ll practice, discuss and apply what you learn in real time. 📅 April 15, 22 & 29 | 💻 3 virtual workshops | 🎓 6 SHRM/HRCI credits | $350 per seat | Offered exclusively through empowER; joining is fast, easy and free Seats are limited, and once it’s gone, it’s gone. Register now: https://lnkd.in/e6GWF3gu #Training #empowER #Investigations

✨🌟 𝗠��𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲! 🌟✨ A huge 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to 𝗩𝗮𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝘂𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗺 for shining bright as the 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿 of Keaton’s 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮! Your incredible support helps welcome our community into a night dedicated to 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 - and the hope and healing they deserve. 💛 Step into our Viva Las Vegas-inspired celebration, featuring: 🎨 A high-energy 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱-𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗱𝗶 ✨ An unforgettable evening filled with purpose, community, and inspiration 💛 A powerful mission supporting families facing childhood cancer 📅 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 📍 𝗕𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵 - 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 | 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲, 𝗖𝗔 🎟️ 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄! 🌟 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 - don’t miss your chance to be part of this meaningful and impactful evening. 💛 Thank you, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation, for helping us roll out the golden welcome and create a night filled with hope and heart. ✨ 🔗 Learn more or get tickets: 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿.𝗼𝗿𝗴/𝗼𝗿𝗴 #GlowForGoldGala | #KeatonsChildCancerAlliance | #childcancerawareness