Working mainly between New York and Chicago, the deep bench at Jones Day is according to one client ‘the strongest management-side rail labor team in the country‘ and practitioners have a deep knowledge of the rail industry and the Railway Labor Act. The team also handles collective bargaining, union representation, and labor arbitration, and is also praised for its flexibility, namely ‘an ability to quickly and effectively staff matters with the resources that are necessary for any particular project.’ Matthew Lampe and Elizabeth McRee head up the team from New York and Chicago respectively and are well supported by David Birnbaum in Chicago who often acts as the lead labor lawyer in significant bankruptcy cases and M&A. Allyson Werntz, also in Chicago, and Brian West Easley in Minneapolis are also key team members.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP advises major corporations in the US on a range of contentious and non-contentious labor law issues. These include corporate campaigns, collective bargaining, and strike/work-stoppage preparation and management. On the disputes side, practice head Joseph Ragaglia in Philadelphia is a key name to note, leading the group alongside former National Labour Relations Board member Harry I. Johnson, III. The group hired Adam Abrahms, now based in Century City, from Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. in June 2023, who often works on strategic labor-management relations matters and is experienced in courts at all levels. Daniel Bordoni in Washington DC stands out for his work in relation to multiemployer benefit plans, and David Broderdorf, also in Washington DC, is notable in his representation of both public and private companies. As a whole, the group is known for its work across the country, leveraging good relationships with federal, state and local agencies. DC’s Jonathan Fritts brings a wealth of experience to the team. Steven Wall, located in Philadelphia is the firm’s managing partner and a key lawyer in the team.

Glenn Smith, Molly Gabel and Karla Sanchez head up Seyfarth Shaw LLP‘s team and are split between New York, Seattle and Chicago respectively. The group as a whole utilizes a ‘strong overall labor strategy‘ and a nationwide presence to handle unfair labor practice charges and representation proceedings in front of the National Labor Relations Board regularly. More broadly, the group tackles complex labor arbitrations, negotiations relating to collective bargaining, unfair labor practice charges, representation, and union organizing campaigns. This strategy is embodied by Arthur Telegen in Boston, a notable practitioner in the team who ‘is a leader in labor strategy and execution and is remarkably smart and practical.’ Sanchez is a dedicated labor lawyer with a strong focus on traditional labor law matters, and Brian Stolzenbach, who operates out of the firm’s Chicago office, is a ‘highly trusted go-to lawyer on complex labor matters‘. Bryan O’Keefe is key for the group's traditional labor law matters.

Fisher Phillips‘ team comprises practitioners who are ‘very knowledgeable‘ in a range of industries and sits within a firm which has now expanded to offices in Mexico. Todd Lyon, who clients commend as an ‘excellent negotiator‘ heads up the team alongside Steve Bernstein. Lyon is based between Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Portland, while Bernstein operates out of the firm's Tampa office. Focus for the team lies on areas such as assisting clients dealing with strikes as well as injunctions. David Dornak in Las Vegas is notable for his work advises local clients such as restaurants and night clubs on employment issues, and the group as a whole is also skilled in contentious matters such as labor contract arbitrations and damage cases against labor organizations.

Ford & Harrison LLP, which has a strong background in traditional labor law matters, hosts a team that is instructed by clients ranging from small independent companies to large corporations. Allen J McKenna in Charlotte and Paul R. Beshears in Atlanta are at the helm and guide the group through work in a range of industries such as healthcare and aviation and are key in the group’s reputation as a leading defense firm, often appearing in litigation and arbitration, as well as non-contentious matters such as advice to companies on how to handle strikes. Among the other key lawyers are the firm is Tammie Rattray in Florida who equally represents clients who are members of unions and clients who are not.

Jackson Lewis P.C., which works in a multidisciplinary fashion with the firm’s employment and litigation teams, among others, fields a nationwide team with strong management experience in a range of industries. These are industries such as energy, retail, and distribution. An area of expertise for the group, which is led by Jonathan Spitz and Richard Vitarelli out of Atlanta and Hartford respectively, is assisting clients with effectively working with labor unions within their workforce. Unfair labor practice matters, both contentious and non-contentious, also form part of the team’s workload. Laura Pierson-Scheinberg is instrumental in this regard, dividing her time between the firm’s San Francisco and Baltimore offices.

BakerHostetler is adept at defending against union activities, with recent examples of this including assisting a food distribution company with the decertification of a union. Practice heads Amy Traub, Jay P. Krupin, and Patrick M. Muldowney, who are based in New York, Washington, DC, and Orlando respectively, and have years of experience in traditional labor law issues, having negotiated many collective bargaining agreements as well as negotiating labor contracts and private sector election campaigns. Paul Rosenberg is another key name to note due to his ability to advise clients at both state and federal level when it comes to employment matters and often works in the hospitality industry, which is a standout sector for the group.

Ballard Spahr LLP ‘offers a strong traditional labor practice‘ which includes areas such as union negotiations and representing clients before labor relations boards. On the non-contentious side, the group is present at every phase of the negotiation process. The broader group is largely sector agnostic, but most notably is active in the public sector, with unique knowledge of state laws, but is also comfortable operating in federal courts throughout the country. Leading the team is Denise Keyser in New Jersey, who, along with versatile labor and employment lawyer Shannon D. Farmer in Philadelphia, is described by one client as ‘practical with their advice‘. Brian Pedrow in Philadelphia is a key practitioner for the group’s litigious matters.

DLA Piper LLP (US)‘ team excels in arbitration and is also able to litigate before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The group collaborates with clients in corporate campaigns and other labor activity, as well as regularly advising on and negotiating collective bargaining agreements as well as acting in labor peace (LPA) negotiations. Team leader Marc Katz is based in Dallas and oversees much of the group’s contentious work due to his experience in these matters. Katz is well supported by Joseph Piesco and Kevin Harlow in New York and San Diego respectively.

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. has a history of working on traditional labor law matters. David Garland and Susan Gross Sholinsky, both in New York, oversee the team, and among other key team members are Michael Ferrell in Chicago and Jeremy Brown in Newark, who are particularly prominent in the manufacturing, health care, and grocery sectors. Brown is at the forefront of the group’s litigious work, and often deals with complex employment litigation. The group as a whole often handles arbitration, an area of strength, as well as acting in front of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

James Boudreau, Naomi Beer, Justin Keith and Jerrold Goldberg, in Philadelphia, Denver, Boston, and New York respectively, head up Greenberg Traurig, LLP‘s labor management relations team. Goldberg has an ‘extensive knowledge within his field‘ which includes traditional labor and union-management work and collective bargaining negotiations. This extensive expertise is true of the team generally, as the group is hailed for its ‘deep esoteric subject matter expertise‘. There is a strong focus on alternative dispute resolution, and the group also appears in state and federal courts, and recently appear in the US district court, with wide coverage of the US means that it is able to operate across states and for international clients. Charles Birenbaum is a key team member for matters relating to Northern California.

Labor and employment team co-chair Emily Burkhardt Vicente in Los Angeles and Kevin White in Washington DC lead the team at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, which often appears before the National Labor Relations Board. A feature of the group’s practice is its flexibility when dealing with litigation for unionized employers and tailoring their approach to unique defenses available to them. Such litigious matters include wage-hour class action matters, particularly in the retail and consumer products sector. Non-contentious issues handled by the group often involve collective bargaining agreements.

O'Melveny is a team full of ‘excellent, creative litigators.’ Notably, practice group head Eric Amdursky in Silicon Valley is ‘exceptional for high-stakes litigation matters.’ Fellow practice head Aparna Joshi in Washington DC is also experienced in aviation labor law. The group is particularly active in the aviation industry, with New York-based Mark Robertson, co-chair of the firm’s aviation group, is a prominent team member. Key clients instructing the group include American Airlines and United Airlines.

Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP‘s practice stands out for its work with public sector unions in New York, the most significant part of the practice, which often involves advising on collective bargaining agreements. The team is based in New York and therefore is able to count the largest labor unions in New York as clients. Practice head Alan Klinger is a cornerstone of the team’s work for large, sophisticated labor unions in New York, while Dina Kolker also has a strong knowledge of public law.

Vedder Price represents clients in industries which vary from healthcare to logistics to manufacturing, among many others. Running the group are duo Kenneth F. Sparks and Elizabeth Hall in Chicago. Sparks offers of deep experience in labor and employment matters, while Hall has negotiated many collective bargaining agreements and is comfortable advising on the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 and other traditional labor law matters, as are many other team members.