Kristen S. Bonatz

Deputy General Counsel

Kristen S. Bonatz joined OIIGC in January 2016 as Associate General Counsel. She was promoted to Senior Associate General Counsel in August 2018 and currently serves as to Deputy General Counsel. Her practice focuses primarily on legal issues related to employment, including Title VII, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Equal Pay Act, and other employment matters related both to employees subject to, and exempt from, the State Human Resources Act. Kristen joined a virtual panel related to Title IX at the NACUA 2021 annual conference and as a panelist the 2022 NACUA employment conference in Indianapolis. Kristen serves on the NACUA Notes Editorial Board.

Prior to coming to UNC Greensboro, Kristen was an Associate University Attorney at East Carolina University, where she began working as an Assistant University Attorney in 2006. While at ECU, Kristen advised on a broad range of legal and compliance issues ranging from free speech and employment to financial aid.  Her practice focused on the application of law and regulations to the Student Affairs division’s policies and procedures, including the ADA, FERPA, Title IX and threat assessment.  She also provided counsel on a range of employment issues and was responsible for the review of general contracts and affiliation agreements, as well as the review and response to requests for records under the North Carolina Public Records Act.  Prior to working at ECU, Kristen clerked for Chief Judge John C. Martin at the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Kristen graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Connecticut School of Law, where she was co-President of the Public Interest Law Group and the Technology Editor of the Connecticut Law Review.

Kristen is a member of the Future of Law Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association, and serves as the co-chair of the pro bono committee of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Education section.