Seyfarth Shaw LLP‘s team assists its impressive client roster on the full range of employment matters in both national and international contexts, with a specialism advising on litigation avoidance strategies. Chicago-based team lead David Baffa is noted for his expertise in crisis response and investigations as well as in employee relations and cultural assessment matters. New York is home to William P. Perkins whose workload includes discrimination and harassment claims, reductions in force, contract negotiations and day-to-day advice, and Gary Friedman who is an expert in the handling novel employment issues in litigation, investigation and counseling contexts. Washington DC’s Lawrence Lorber handles regulatory enforcement actions, while Boston-based Lisa Damon is noted for her experience advising C-suite executives on complex employment issues, including DE&I initiatives. From Chicago, Ellen McLaughlin and Camille Olson are also preeminent in their fields; McLaughlin specializes in leave and accommodation issues while Olson has capabilities undertaking discrimination, harassment, wage and labor, and independent contractor matters. Atlanta’s Renate Walker is a name to note. In 2024, Michele Beilke and Julia Trankiem joined the Los Angeles team, while Alan Marcuis joined the team in Dallas.

Baker McKenzie’s team offers both domestic and international advice on a wide range of employment matters and is particularly adept at handling employment, compensation and mobility issues for multinational companies. Susan Eandi leads the team and is based in Palo Alto; Eandi specializes in cross-border matters and advises on all aspects of global workforce management. In Los Angeles, Robin Samuel is a skilled litigator and counselor, advising clients on issues from wage and hour laws to discrimination claims and restrictive covenants. Located in New York, Kimberly Franko Lower handles labor, employment and immigration issues arising from M&A and other national and international transactions. Benjamin Ho has a particular focus on cross-border matters and Amanda Cohen works with companies on a variety of employment matters, helping them achieve their compliance obligations; both are located in San Francisco. Paul Evans, Krissy Katzenstein, Blair Robinson and Jeff Sturgeon departed in October 2024.

The team at DLA Piper LLP (US) advises on the full spectrum of employment matters from DE&I and compliance to reductions in force and issues arising from acquisitions. Marc Katz leads the group from Dallas and represents clients in disputes including those concerning trade secrets and unfair competition, as well as advising on day-to-day issues. Brian Kaplan is based in New York and has extensive experience representing clients before federal and state courts, administrative agencies and arbitration panels. Kaplan also handles internal investigations regarding harassment allegations, as well as pre-litigation resolution matters. In Palo Alto, Ute Krudewagen works with multinational companies on all aspects of global workforce management and handles issues such as global background checks, workplace privacy and global mobility programs. In Dallas, Todd Mobley counsels on hiring practices, handbooks, discipline and internal investigations; Mobley also prepares employment agreements which include restrictive covenants.

The team at Greenberg Traurig LLP offers employment and regulatory counseling and compliance advice to both domestic and international clients. It handles the full range of matters affecting employment relationships, including the implementation of systems and initiatives, harassment and discrimination investigations, the due diligence aspects of immigration, and workforce strategies. Based in Denver, Naomi Beer leads the team. In Philadelphia, Kelly Dobbs Bunting advises on class and collective wage and hour-related litigation as well as misclassification claims in domestic and international contexts. In New Jersey, Galit Kierkut is a highly experienced litigator with a particular focus on restrictive covenants, privacy and trade secret counseling and litigation. Atlanta-based John Richards works on audits, compliance and DE&I practices.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP handles a vast array of employment counseling mandates including investigations, pay equity, training, M&A and private equity matters. Rachel Cowen co-heads the practice from Chicago and oversees a range of matters at federal and state level from collective bargaining to trade secret-related litigation. Fellow co-head Maria Rodriguez is based in Los Angeles and assists media and entertainment clients with litigation and employment counseling issues such as inclusion initiatives, discrimination training and executive contracts. In Chicago, litigator Michael Sheehan offers strategic guidance on C-suite arrivals and departures as well as on sexual harassment allegations and whistle-blower complaints. Located in New York, Lindsay Ditlow is an expert in M&A transactions and corporate compliance, while Stephania Sanon offers advice on C-suite employment transitions, complaint investigations, terminations and remote work polices.

The team at Paul Hastings LLP is particularly adept at handling internal and regulatory investigations, employee mobility and trade secret-related litigation, pay equity and audits, human capital compliance, and CSR, ESG and DE&I initiatives. The group is led by global employment expert Elena Baca and international employee mobility and trade secrets specialist Jennifer Baldocchi in Los Angeles, and litigator Kenneth Gage in New York, who handles reviews of employment processes, pay equity studies and risk mitigation strategies in particular. Also in New York, Marc Bernstein has extensive experience representing clients in a variety of employment disputes, from wage and hour class actions to ERISA litigation. In Los Angeles, Felicia Davis focuses on pay equity litigation and also advises employers on compensation practices, compliance, social diversity and environmental issues, while Washington DC’s Carson Sullivan offers advice on restrictive covenants and trade secret cases, among others. Paul Evans, Krissy Katzenstein, Blair Robinson and Jeff Sturgeon all joined the firm in October 2024.

The group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP advises on the wide range of matters, with specialisms spanning trade secret and restrictive covenant litigation, workplace investigations, transactional issues, discrimination claims and compliance counseling, as well as class and mass action litigation. John Barry heads the team in New York and has experience handling corporate and regulatory enforcement investigations and employment issues arising from transactions. Barry is also an expert in board and management counseling in such high-stakes situations as executive terminations, mass exoduses, trade secret theft, and harassment and discrimination claims. Rebecca Sivitz works between New York and Boston and leads on a number of high-profile transactions and restructurings. New York’s Celine Chan is a name to note and Boston-based Peter Mee is a seasoned litigator who works with private equity funds, corporates and others on restructurings and bankruptcies in particular.

BakerHostetler counsels a diverse range of employers on the full spectrum of workplace issues. Amy Traub heads the practice and is based in New York. Traub acts as a counselor and litigator for a variety of global clients across industries such as healthcare and hospitality. In Orlando, Joyce Ackerbaum Cox works with companies on disputes and wage hour claims, discrimination and retaliation claims, and in high-profile internal investigations. Jason D’Cruz has particular expertise in counseling C-suite employees, corporations, boards, management teams and owners and is located in Atlanta. Fanny Ferdman in New York assists clients in identifying employment risks. Ferdman and Atlanta-based Ashley Guffey whose specialisms include executive compensation and restrictive covenants, are key members of the team.

Davis+Gilbert LLP is based in New York and handles union negotiations, collective bargaining agreements, unfair competition and trade secret matters, among others. The team is led by Daniel A Feinstein and Gregg Gilman. Feinstein advises on wage and hour issues, terminations, C-suite separation agreements and internal investigations, while Gilman counsels clients in sectors including financial services, media, hospitality and construction. Shira Franco works with clients in the tech, healthcare and financial services industries, Jessica Golden Cortes handles sensitive discrimination and separation agreement cases and Jason Pruzansky advises on collective bargaining agreements and the management of labor relations. Sharon Cohen advises on employee morale, legal risk limitation and public image protection matters.

Goodwin‘s team specializes in delivering advice for clients within the tech, life sciences, healthcare and financial services industries. San Francisco-based Koray Bulut heads up the team and advises on policies and contracts, workplace investigations, terminations and discrimination matters. Co-head Robert Hale consults on investigations and provides advice on layoffs, wage and hour issues, executive employment and terminations. Jennifer Fay has a particular focus on life sciences and tech sector cases and is noted for her ability to handle investigations involving executives and whistle-blower claims. Christina Lewis and Timothy Holahan are also key members of the team. Alexander Flynn-Tabloff joined the team in August 2024. All mentioned bar Bulut are based in Boston.

The team at Jones Day offers counseling designed to minimize labor and employment risks and avoid potential litigation. Matthew Lampe co-heads the team from the New York office and is a seasoned litigator, representing employers in class actions, state discrimination and wrongful discharge, among other matters. Chicago-based co-lead Elizabeth McRee handles legal compliance and litigation risk mitigation matters, alongside her litigious work. Also in Chicago, Michael Gray advises on class action and multi-plaintiff employment discrimination lawsuits. In New York, Wendy Butler routinely defends management-level clients in employment litigation matters and advises on legal compliance, while Brian Jorgensen undertakes wage and hour, discrimination and trade secret matters from Dallas.

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. represents a broad range of clients with employment matters in a variety of transactional contexts. New York-based Michael Arnold leads the team and handles matters from advising on internal investigations to defending C-suite employees in litigation proceedings. In San Diego, Jen Rubin is regularly turned-to by clients in the tech, financial services, publishing, professional services, manufacturing, industrial and health industries. Geri Haight and Natalie Groot are located in Boston; Haight specializes in litigation, internal investigations and compliance as well as IP and trade secret matters, while Groot regularly leads investigations and employee training.

Reed Smith LLP’s team has expertise advising on trade secret issues, whistle-blower investigations and in affirmative action matters. The team is led by New York-based Cindy Schmitt Minniti who offers strategic advice on employee discipline, compliance and diversity issues, among others. Richmond-based Betty Graumlich works with Fortune 50 companies in investigations regarding C-suite executives and related employment matters. Michele Haydel Gehrke specializes in handling wrongful termination, discrimination claims and unionization issues and is located in San Francisco. Joey Mammone in Dallas and Noah Oberlander in Richmond are also names to note. Tyree Jones left the firm in October 2024.

Vedder Price‘s team handles issues from disciplinary and training matters, to workplace audits and C-suite departures. Elizabeth Hall heads the practice from Chicago and advises employers on a variety of matters, including remote work issues, workplace violence and severance negotiations. Thomas G. Hancuch specializes in employee benefit plan design and administration and Alex C. Weinstein focuses on restrictive covenant and trade secret cases. In Washington DC, Amy Bess' workload includes wrongful termination and wage and hour violations. San Francisco-based Cheryl Sabnis also undertakes a vast array of employment matters, with pay laws, disability accommodation and drug testing-related cases among them.

Cooley LLP counsels a diverse range companies on the full spectrum of employment issues, with marked capabilities in the life sciences and tech industries. Based in Palo Alto, Wendy Brenner chairs the group and counsels companies on issues concerning worker classification, employee complaints, workplace investigations and restrictive covenants. In San Francisco, Joshua Mates has extensive experience as a litigator and counselor, handling day-to-day matters such as compliance and diversity initiatives as well as employment issues arising from M&A transactions. Helen Connolley specializes in advising emerging companies on workforce development and is based in Reston.

Dentons‘ team is co-led by Daniel Beale in Atlanta, Andy Gruber in Indianapolis, Rick Hymas in Salt Lake City, Robert Cottington in Pittsburgh and Jo Ellen Whitney in Des Moines. Beale is experienced advising on employment policies, agreements and internal compliance investigations, while Whitney handles day-to-day employment matters. In San Diego, Sandra McCandless handles mandates involving Asian, European, Middle Eastern and African operations. Erin Bass and Kate Erdel are also names to note and are located in Los Angeles/Phoenix, and Indianapolis respectively. Corianne Lau retired in 2024.

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.'s team is led by David Garland and Susan Gross Sholinsky from New York. Garland handles trade secret, wage and hour and workforce government relations-related cases, while Sholinsky advises across the financial services, healthcare and retail sectors, handling matters from those concerning DE&I counseling, to employment training and pay equity. Boston-based Gregory Keating is a reputed whistle-blower defense attorney and Marc Mendelman advises on discrimination claims and related risk management from New York.

Fisher Phillips‘ group advises on workplace compliance and preventive matters, with expertise spanning discrimination issues, workplace hazards, contracts and restrictive covenants. Based in Irvine and Los Angeles, John Polson heads the team and harnesses experience counseling clients on compliance, contracts and strategic planning. Polson also represents gig economy businesses regarding independent contractor status and related freelancing issues. In Louisville, healthcare specialist Laurel Cornell is a name to note and in Irvine Christopher Boman specializes in class and collective action, employee defection, discrimination and harassment claims, and wage and hour matters. Todd Logsdon in Louisville and David Jones in Memphis are also recommended.

Jackson Lewis P.C. specializes in day-to-day employment-related issues. Richard Greenberg in New York assists clients on matters from collective bargaining negotiations, to those regarding compliance with state and federal law. In Los Angeles, Susan Groff advises on wage and hour laws, disability and leave management, harassment and discrimination complaints, as well as on investigations, terminations and reductions in force. Tasos Paindiris in Orlando represents clients in class and collective actions. The three co-lead the team.

Jones Walker LLP‘s team handles employment matters concerning compliance, immigration and allegations of trade secret theft, among other issues. Sidney Lewis leads the group, advising management and HR personnel on issues regarding discipline, terminations, wage and hour laws and internal investigations. Mark Adams has experience representing clients before regulatory agencies, particularly on federal contractor compliance, while Jennifer Kogos works with employers in the healthcare, retail and energy industries. All aforementioned are based in New Orleans, as is noteworthy attorney Jason Culotta. Mac B. Greaves in Birmingham and JoJo Adams in Jackson are also recommended.

The team at Mayer Brown handles matters from restrictive covenants and privacy issues, to whistle-blower claims and internal investigations. Los Angeles-based litigator Ruth Zadikany also serves as a day-to-day counsel for many of her clients. June 2024-arrival Gabrielle Levin in New York has experience defending employers in discrimination and retaliation claims, executive compensation disputes and trade secret litigation. In Chicago Andrew Rosenman represents clients in class and collective actions and restrictive covenant cases. The three co-head the team. Also in Chicago, Marcia Goodman routinely represents global employers.