The Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP labor and employment team has strong expertise across a wide range of industries, including retail, technology, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences. The firm holds an impressive list of clients; notably, the firm has recently been retained by the State of New York in the sexual harassment case involving former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Grace Speights, based in Washington, DC, co-heads the practice with David McManus, who is based in New York. Speights is often engaged in crisis management assistance, such as investigating workplace misconduct claims and examining workplace cultures, while McManus represents major employers in litigation and arbitration. Terry Johnson, working from Princeton, has great experience on DEI issues, while Sharon Perley Masling, located in the Washington DC office, is hugely experienced in issues concerning workplace harassment and misconduct. Kathryn McGuigan is another prominent practitioner in the firm’s Los Angeles office.

The labor and employment team at Proskauer Rose LLP handles a wide range of employment matters for high-profile clients, including the McDonald’s Corporation, Vice Media, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notably, the firm is well-known for representing major sports leagues; for example, the firm recently represented Major League Baseball during negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association. The practice is led by Neil Abramson in New York and Anthony Oncidi in Los Angeles. Abramson is one of the key contacts for Major League Baseball, while Oncidi represents the National Academy of Recording Arts in a wide range of employment matters. Other key names include Nigel Telman, located in the Chicago office; the New Orleans-based Nicole Eichberger, and senior counsel Noa Baddish.

Seyfarth Shaw LLP, which is headquartered in Chicago, offers a wide range of services for large international corporations, from investigations to helping clients implement diversity and inclusion strategies, and has significant experience with regards to federal legislative and regulatory policy issues. David Baffa, located in Chicago, leads the workplace counseling and solutions team. William Perkins, who has decades of experience advising clients on complex matters, is based in New York – he is particularly experienced in the application of leave laws and matters concerning disabled employees. Lisa Damon, based in Boston, is a well-versed litigator and counselor on matters concerning company senior executives. Operating from Washington DC, Lawrence Lorber frequently works on regulatory enforcement actions. Joshua Seidman, working from New York, has notable expertise in both mandatory paid sick and safe leave laws, as well as family medical leave laws. In Atlanta, Renate Walker is adept in handling paid leave, absence management and accommodations, and employment policy development and review. In January 2024, Gary Friedman joined the firm from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.

 

The Baker McKenzie LLP employment and labor practice has a strong global focus and is a top choice for employers with an international presence, requiring advice across a variety of jurisdictions. For example, the firm recently advised Alphabet on its acquisition of AI start-up, Alter, touching on legal matters across the Czech Republic, Philippines, Poland and Spain. Susan Eandi, based in Palo Alto, is both the chair of the firm’s North America employment and compensation team, and the head of the firm’s global employment and labor law practice for North America. San Francisco-based Benjamin Ho is sought after for cross-border employment matters. Operating from Los Angeles, Robin Samuel excels in litigation and collective claims, among other employment disputes. Kimberly Lower is based in New York, and focuses on labor, employment, and immigration issues surrounding M&A, spin-offs, among other corporate transactions.

The DLA Piper LLP (US) employment team provides the full range of services to a diverse range of major clients, including Best Buy, Dyson, and Levi Strauss. The practice is chaired by Dallas managing partner Marc Katz leads the practice from Dallas. Katz has huge experience of dispute and pre-dispute resolution and is the key point of contact for significant clients based in the region, such as the Dallas Cowboys and Six Flags, Inc. Also in Dallas, of counsel Todd Mobley has a track record of work on collective and class action disputes. The firm’s Palo Alto office advises a range of Silicon Valley companies, including work for their offices abroad – for example, Ute Krudewagen is providing ongoing advice for Zendesk on both US and global employment issues in its over twenty international locations. In New York, Brian Kaplan is seasoned in representing both employers and executives in significant litigation.

Greenberg Traurig LLP’s workplace compliance and counseling team offers a wide range of services for global companies. The firm handles everyday matters, such as regulatory, transactional, and compliance, as well as general services, including drafting employee handbooks and negotiating favorable settlements with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state agencies. The practice is jointly led by James Boudreau in Philadelphia, and Naomi Beer in Denver. Both Boudreau and Beer are well regarded advisors in class and collective action employment matters. Based in New Jersey, Galit Kierkut‘s practice focuses on both litigation and counseling in areas including restrictive covenants, privacy, and trace secret counseling. Kelly Dobbs Bunting, working from Philadelphia, is well experienced in advising on class and collective wage and hour strategies. John Richards focuses on labor and employment matters in the retail sector, particularly concerning matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The McDermott Will & Emery LLP US employment practice has a strong focus on M&A and private equity, regularly advising significant corporate clients on the employment aspects of major deals. In Chicago, Michael Sheehan leads the practice, while Rachel Cowen has a track record of work on cases concerning gender and pay equity and sensitive internal investigations, among other employment matters. Meanwhile, in New York, Linsay Ditlow  has deep experience of employment matters relating to corporate restructurings workforce reductions. The Los Angeles team contains individuals including Maria Rodriguez and Yesenia Gallegos. Rodriguez focuses her practice on clients in the media, entertainment, and sports industries; while Gallegos recently led the team which advised CVS Health on its acquisition of Signify Health.

The Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP employment practice group advises a range of clients, including financial advisors and lenders, large retailers, and consultancies in a wide range of US and international employment counseling issues. Over the past twelve months, the practice has worked on a variety of workplace investigations and provided clients with counseling on various trade secrets engagements and discrimination claims. In New York, John Barry heads the practice with strong experience in conducting internal inquiries and providing counsel on matters arising from executive terminations, hiring senior executives from competitors, and claims of discrimination. In Boston, Rebecca Sivitz, promoted to partner in January 2024, is well versed in advising clients regarding labor relations strategies, restrictive covenant and trade secret matters, and other employment-related matters. The Boston office is also strengthened by the arrival of Peter Mee from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in November 2023. Mee will advise clients, particularly private equity sponsors, on employment-related issues which arise from national and international corporate transactions.

The team at BakerHostetler handles a wide range of employment matters arising from both day-to-day work and from major transactions. The firm has clients in unionized industries as well as heavily regulated industries, such as healthcare and hospitality. In the New York office, Amy Traub leads the practice with her strong expertise in compliance investigations. Meanwhile, at the Orlando office, Caroline Landt is especially well recognized for counseling clients on PTO and sick leave policies; whereas Joyce Cox advises clients on internal investigations with her strong experience in mediation and litigation. For transaction-related employment matters, Atlanta-based Jason D’Cruz is a key point of contact.

Based in New York, Davis+Gilbert LLP’s labor and employment team offers a wide range of employment counseling services, including conducting investigations and internal audits, creating investigation training programs, and assisting in implementing preventative management procedures. Notably, the firm serves as the national employment counsel for Turner Construction Company, where it oversees the client’s labor obligations as a federal contractor. The practice is jointly led by Gregg Gilman and Daniel A Feinstein. Gilman is national employment counsel for several leading companies in the financial, marketing, communications, and real estate industries. Feinstein represents clients in a wide range of matters, including hiring, sexual harassment, and other types of internal investigations. Jessica Golden Cortes also comes recommended; she focuses on internal investigations of employee complaints. Shira Franco focuses on counseling clients particularly in the technology, healthcare, and financial services sectors. All individuals are based in New York.

The employment and labor practice at Dentons operates from a wide range of locations within the US, including offices in Atlanta, Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, and Des Moines. The firm’s large presence enables the employment practice to provide counsel to a uniquely broad variety of clients, including advising on Native American employment matters for the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, a federally recognised tribe in California. The firm also provides counsel to major international clients on US employment policies and practices, as well as issues of sovereign immunity and diplomatic privileges. The practice is led by Daniel Beale, Andrew Gruber, and Jo Whitney from Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Des Moines respectively. Beale’s practice focuses on counseling international clients operating in the US as well as US clients with a global presence; while Gruber advises clients on traditional labor law issues, such as collective bargaining, union avoidance, and NLRB representation; Whitney has recently been counseling a variety of healthcare providers concerning the increase of AI in the workforce.

The Goodwin employment team has strong experience with regards to workplace investigations in sensitive sectors, such as the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and cybersecurity industries. The firm also has a strong disputes practice, which supports on issues arising in the workplace, such as harassment, discrimination, and termination. Robert Hale, practising in Boston, leads the team. Hale has an active consulting practice, covering workplace investigations, layoffs and wage and hour advice, amongst many others. Also in Boston, Bradford Smith advises on a broad range of labor and employment agreements, while Jennifer Fay dedicates her practice to high-level workplace investigations, concerning matters involving fraud, discrimination and harassment. At the San Francisco office, Koray Bulut is an expert in providing counsel on matters involving trade secrets and employee mobility, as well a range of dispute matters.

Jackson Lewis P.C.‘s advice and counsel practice has a strong client base of US universities, such as the University of Arizona, Brandeis University, and the University of Massachusetts. Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard in June 2023, the firm is actively involved in providing their university clients advice and counsel concerning matters surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion related issues. The practice is jointly led by Richard Greenberg, Susan Groff, and Tasos Paindiris. Based in New York, Greenberg advises clients in collective bargaining negotiations, labor disputes, and arbitrations. Groff, located in Los Angeles, spends much of her time advising employers on federal and state requirements for disability accommodation and protected leaves of absence. Paindiris, operating from Orlando, offers a wide range of advice and litigation services for clients concerning workplace law.

The 'highly responsive, accommodating, and perceptive' practice at Jones Day has a track record of work on all manner of employment concerns, including advising on policies and procedures aimed at minimizing potential litigation exposure; implementing nondiscriminatory reductions in terminations, and investigating harassment and misconduct. The practice is co-headed by Matthew Lampe from the New York office, and Elizabeth McRee at the Chicago office. Lampe specializes in working on matters concerning discrimination and wrongful discharge in various states, while McRee is well-versed in counseling employers regarding legal compliance and litigation risk mitigation. In the Dallas office, Brian Jorgensen is particularly adept in advising clients on wage-hour compliance matters and conducting sensitive internal investigations. Operating from Houston, Joanne Bush works on a wide range of matters, some of which concern collective bargaining negotiations and misappropriation of trade secrets.

In New York, the employment team at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. is led by Michael Arnold. Arnold specializes in conducting complex internal investigations and advising on the employment aspect of transactions. The practice has a particularly formidable presence in Boston, where Natalie Groot and Geri Haight are based. Groot regularly addresses issues concerning relocation, absence and recruitment policies, while Haight advises on everyday HR issues and various employee compliance issues. In San Diego, Jennifer Rubin is a key point of contact for clients for providing counsel on everyday employee relations and employment law compliance.

The Reed Smith LLP labor and employment practice advises on a broad spectrum of matters, including employment law aspects of corporate transactions, global HR counsel, and general employment counseling, such as union negotiations. In Washington DC, Tyree Jones oversees the practice. Jones is well-regarded for his work on diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives. The 'outstanding' Betty Graumlich is particularly adept in investigating and providing advice regarding complaints against C-suite executives. In Los Angeles, Jennifer Terry provides management-side counseling to a wide range of employers, including retail, goods and beverage companies, and transportation and logistics firms, among others.

The Ropes & Gray LLP tax, employment and employee benefits department has a strong presence in both Boston and New York. The practice primarily works on work arising from private equity and M&A matters, as well as sensitive workplace investigations and executive level dismissals. In Boston, Meg Bisk leads the practice. Bisk provides counsel for employers who are involved in M&A transactions, including the negotiation for reductions in force and conducting internal investigations for allegations of discrimination. Also based in the Boston office, Douglas Brayley leads the employment litigation practice. Outside representing clients in disputes, Brayley provides counsel for clients to mitigate litigation risks. In New York, Richard Kidd focuses on matters regarding executive compensation and employee benefits, including a wide range of cross-border and domestic corporate transactions.

Vedder Price, a long-established brand name in its home town of Chicago, has an experienced labor and employment team which advises employers on a broad range of labor matters, working with a global client base across the US. The firm regularly works in negotiations in heavily unionized industries, such as healthcare, where it regularly engages in representing employers in collective bargaining agreements and provides counsel concerning organized industrial actions. Elizabeth Hall leads the practice from Chicago. Hall is involved in a wide range of employment matters, including workplace investigations against C-suite employees, advising on non-compete contracts, and assisting in regulatory advice in the healthcare industry. Thomas Hancuch also supports the Chicago practice in a variety of matters, such as compliance, employee benefits, and executive compensation. Meanwhile, in Washington DC, Amy L. Bess is particularly adept in counseling non-profit and education organizations in negotiating severance agreements, conducting internal investigations, and other related employment matters.

The Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. employment, labor and workforce management team specializes in litigation and business disputes, regularly providing counsel in matters concerning workplace discrimination, restrictive covenants, and departing employees. David Garland and Susan Gross Sholinsky lead the practice from New York. Garland, an expert litigator, is also well experienced in leading investigations for claims of sexual harassment, employment discrimination, breach of contract, among others. Sholinsky focuses on providing counseling advice to clients for compliance with local, state, and federal laws, on employment matters concerning discrimination, restrictive covenants, paid family leave, and more. Based in Newark, James Flynn is notable for intellectual property and proprietary information disputes. Gregory Keating, acting from Boston, is well recommended as a whistleblower defense attorney, while New York-based Marc Mandelman supports the practice in managing risk of discrimination claims.

The counseling and advice practice at Fisher Phillips provides clients with a wide range of everyday employment services, including immigration and union-related matters. The firm has a large footprint of offices in the US, with offices in key cities, such as Los Angeles, Boston, and Louisville. John Polson, head of the practice, provides counsel on matters concerning compliance, M&A, and startup representation. Christopher Boman focuses on employment litigation and provides counsel on administrative complaints, including harassment, discrimination, and wage issues. Both Polson and Boman are based in Irvine. Laurel Cornell, based in Louisville, is particularly adept in advising clients in the healthcare industry.

With offices across New Orleans, Jackson, and Birmingham, Jones Walker LLP advises US clients in a variety of employment situations, including due diligence from M&A transactions, employment agreements and covenants, contentious matters, and handbooks and policies. The practice is led by Sidney Lewis, who handles internal investigations, policy reviews, and early litigation negotiations, among other matters. Mark Adams routinely counsels employers in developing effective HR policies and to comply with state and federal employment laws. Jennifer Kogos is experienced in providing compliance training, general counselling, as well as litigation for large employers. All individuals mentioned are based in New Orleans.

Mayer Brown’s employment litigation and counseling team offers a wide range of services, from personnel issues and processes and policies to pre-litigation employment matters. The firm has a strong base in Chicago, where it counsels an array of US and international clients. Ruth Zadikany, based in LA, co-heads the practice with Andrew Rosenman. Zadikany is an experienced litigator who also serves as day-to-day counsel for software, financial services, real estate, among other clients. Meanwhile, Rosenman is proficient in conducting pre-litigation counseling and internal investigations. Marcia Goodman has recently provided support on drafting and updating new policies and procedures for employers, while Maritoni Kane is proficient in wage and hour and leave issues. All individuals mentioned are based in Chicago, unless stated otherwise.