The Legal 500

Gibson Dunn continues to sweep up accolades for its cutting edge and precedent setting labor and employment group. The firm’s 26-partner strong team has enjoyed yet another glittering year acting in many of the highest profile cases. The firm recently convinced the United States Supreme Court in Wal-Mart Stores v Dukes to unanimously reverse certification of one of the largest employment discrimination class actions in history. In another headline grabbing case, the firm represented NFL players when the owners of the National Football League imposed a lockout that threatened to shut down the 2011 football season. The firm secured a critical appellate ruling that allowed the players to maintain their leverage in ongoing settlement negotiations that ultimately allowed the players to negotiate a litigation settlement that led them to reconstitute their union and approve a 10-year collective bargaining agreement. The firm also defended Boeing’s decision to open a new plant in South Carolina. Last year the acting general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) sued The Boeing Company, claiming that the company’s 2009 decision to build a new final-assembly plant for its 787 Dreamliner in South Carolina violated the National Labor Relations Act. After five and a half months of litigation, the International Association of Machinists requested withdrawal of the charge it filed with the NLRB and the case was remanded to the Regional Director of the NLRB who approved withdrawal of the charge, and thus dismissed the case completely. Other highlights included successfully prosecuting a high-profile trade secret dispute against Hewlett-Packard’s former chairman and CEO; transforming a multi-district litigation for Enterprise Rent-A-Car with a joint employer summary judgment victory; gutting a nationwide wage and hour action without any discovery; successfully defended a case on tip pooling for Wynn Las Vegas; prosecuting a trade secret dispute involving several billion dollars of assets under management for Transamerica; and representing Ford Motor Company in reduction in force matters. Other representative clients include Northrop Grumman, Capital One and ABF Freight System. Eugene Scalia’s dream team includes the enviable talents of William Kilberg, Baruch Fellner, Jason Schwartz, Jesse Cripps, Jessica Brown and Scott Kruse. In 2012, former co-chair of the employment group, Christopher Martin retired

Jones Day provides ‘consistently superb customer service. The firm places a high value on old fashion personal service – the attorneys answer their own phones. Their response times are tailored to our needs’. The firm is praised for ‘outstanding partner responses in terms of timeliness, personal availability, substantive legal guidance and patience with our own internal processes and schedules’. ‘Advice is timely and often heavily dependant on our feedback which is much appreciated. Team depth appears to be substantial, on repeated occasions. All team members are excellent listeners’. The firm recently represented Morton’s of Chicago in a putative class action on behalf of current and former California assistant managers claiming that they were improperly classified as exempt under California law; and Morton’s of Chicago/San Diego, in a putative class action brought by hourly restaurant employees alleging failure to provide meal and rest periods, unpaid overtime, inaccurate wage statements, waiting time penalties, and unfair competition claims. In other work highlights, the firm is defending and has defended AstraZeneca in several pharmaceutical industry class actions and single-plaintiff actions, in which plaintiffs contend that the company misclassified pharmaceutical sales representatives as exempt from federal and/or state-law overtime requirements. In Prise v Alderwoods Group, the judge granted the firm’s client, Alderwoods Group’s motion to decertify a collective action. In William Helm et al v Alderwoods Group, the firm defeated the plaintiffs’ effort to obtain class certification of nationwide and California classes in an off-the-clock wage and hour action against Alderwoods Group, a subsidiary of Service Corporation International. Lawrence DiNardo is ‘a sophisticated, mature, reasonable and practical practitioner – he is a pleasure to work with and reinforces why firms such as this excel in legal services’. Other recommended partners include Glen Nager, who chairs the firm’s issues and appeals practice, Michael Gray, Mathew Lampe, Ronald Johnson, Rick Bergstrom and Donald Munro. ‘It is a distinct cut above the other firms I have worked with’. Curt Kirschner and Aaron Agenbroad are praised for ‘their reputation for integrity, expertise and fairness. They are simply the best!’

Morgan Lewis pleases clients. ‘I consider it to be one of the best law firms I’ve worked with, and I’ve worked with many firms. Both partners and associates are very responsive, very client-oriented and focused on obtaining not just the best legal results, but the best results that make sense for the business. The lawyers are very familiar with the law as well as local issues (judges, attorneys, etc). It is my go-to firm for tough matters’. ‘It is one of my top firms. It obtained excellent results for us and is overall very good value’. ‘I have worked with many other firms in this area, and I have found few that match its ability to combine the day to day advice and practical guidance, while still providing the experienced litigation team when needed’. At the end of 2011, the firm secured an important victory on behalf of Lockhead Martin when the US District Court for the District of New Jersey granted its motion to deny class certification in Bell, et al v Lockheed Martin Corp. Key recent client wins include Gap and Facebook. Joseph Costello is ‘a seasoned litigator. His thoroughness and dedication to his clients is truly an asset in this extremely competitive marketplace’. Grace Speights ‘brings a level of experience with complex/class action litigation that I believe is unparalleled in the industry. She is never too busy to take a call from a client’. Michael Banks, Nina Stillman, Melinda Riechert, Samuel Shaulson, Robert Smith, Clifford Sethness and Ira Rosenstein are all recommended. John Battenfeld’s ‘depth of knowledge of California wage/hour law is remarkable. He offers practical, precise advice and is an astute litigator in all phases of the case’.

Paul Hastings LLP provides ‘excellent service levels: prompt response time; is knowledgeable regarding law and industry practice; and offers both US and international expertise’; it is ‘best in class’. The firm has been leading Bank of America’s defense in several putative class actions in California; advised the defendants in Christopher v SmithKline Beecham Corporation, D/B/A GlaxoSmithKline; won a defendant’s verdict for Diageo in a disability discrimination case before a jury in Connecticut. It was also instrumental in the closure of the UPS misclassification class case. A UPS full-time supervisor sued his employer, alleging that he was misclassified as exempt and therefore denied overtime and payments for missed meal and rest breaks. He claimed to represent a class of approximately 1,300 full-time supervisors and sought back pay and penalties for missed meal and rest periods. The firm convinced the federal district court judge to decertify the class, an action that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later affirmed. Without a class, 54 other supervisors then filed individual cases alleging employee misclassification as exempt from California’s overtime and meal and rest period requirements. The team then systematically won every one of those cases it litigated to conclusion, either at trial or on summary judgment. The firm fields ‘an exceptional collection of talented lawyers’ that includes ‘hard working and well respected’ global head of the firm’s employment practice Nancy Abell, Heather Morgan, Leslie Abbott, Elena Baca, Bradford Newman and Kirby Wilcox. Jeff Grube is ‘a star – I would turn to him and this firm for real tough employment cases’. Barbara Brown has ‘the ability, and importantly, the experience to manage major litigation such as the class action cases where there are literally millions of documents, hundreds of potential witnesses, a myriad of facts that must be mastered as well as highly complex legal issues’. Stephen Berry has ‘very extensive employment law and labor relations knowledge. He has a tremendous ability to think logically, analytically and creatively’.

Proskauer Rose LLP’s ‘attorneys consistently score excellent marks in terms of responsiveness, business acumen and industry knowledge. They are business savvy and give appropriate advice’. ‘The common thread throughout all of its attorneys is a calmness and rationality in terms of dealing with internal clients, an appropriate level of firm but zealous advocacy in hearings and court, plainspoken advice, and most impressively, a recognition that the best lawyer in the room is not always the loudest or the most obnoxious or boorish’. ‘The overall level of service is outstanding. It has unparalleled business acumen and industry knowledge’. ‘We feel like we have a great advantage with the firm on our side’. ‘It is an integral part of our human resources function’. The firm is well versed in all labor and employment litigation matters, including class actions and single plaintiff matters, and has particular expertise in representing law firms and financial services suppliers. Highlight work included representing clients such as Citrix Systems, Newedge USA LLC and SIF ICAP in non-compete litigation. Co-chair of the labor and employment law department Paul Salvatore is ‘knowledgeable and highly talented in all respects’. He ‘is a great advisor and a very calming influence’. His co-chair Elise Bloom and Nigel Telman ‘are highly responsive, partner with me and my colleagues such that I feel like they are quasi-in house and are commercial such that they think about the business needs in addition to the law’. Howard Ganz is ‘an outstanding labor person’, ‘exceptional’ Joseph Baumgarten provides ‘a unique combination of unparalleled knowledge, legal ability, and common sense advice’, and Kathleen McKenna is ‘the perfect blend of a lawyer who is incredibly smart, up to date on the law and trends, a superb strategist and litigator who is as good on her feet in front of a judge, jury and arbitrator as she would be in front of a classroom’. As for Lawrence Sandak, ‘I see only strengths. He is a pleasure to work with – very experienced, prompt in communications, a fine negotiator, a fine professional overall’. John Barry is ‘an excellent leader who always looks for consensus’, Steven Hurd is ‘pleasant and he is extraordinarily sharp in dealings with adversaries’. Bettina Plevan, senior counsel Jeremy Brown and Scott Faust are also highly recommended.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP ‘provides outstanding service to us in all respects. It is very responsive to our specific needs and offers practical and constructive advice ‘. It ‘continues to be the firm we use when important issues arise and when the stakes in litigation are high’. The firm recently represented The Hershey Company in a nationwide wage and hour collective action; secured a recent important appellate victory for Bank of America; secured a very favorable settlement for client Babcock & Brown International in a dispute with its parent company, Babcock & Brown Limited, over the right to approximately $9.1m held in an employee benefits trust; and represented the Air Transport Association of America, in a lawsuit against the National Mediation Board (NMB) challenging the NMB’s new voting rules for union elections as a violation of the Railway Labor Act and the Administrative Procedures Act. Other representative clients include Alaska Airlines, LA Fitness, NY Mets, Marriott International, Morgan Stanley and United Airlines. Lawyers at the firm ‘understand our business operations and provides timely and valuable guidance upon which we rely in developing our long-term corporate strategies. They combine exceptional legal skills with unrivaled business acumen. And, they can distill complex issues into relatively simple items that are easily understood by judges, jurors and arbitrators’. Practice chair Apalla Chopra, Framroze Virjee, Robert Siegel and Jeffrey Kohn are all highly recommended. Mark Robertson and Eric Amdursky are also extremely experienced. ‘Having worked with other prominent law firms that practice in these areas, I am confident that it is unrivaled in the terrific results it gets for its clients. And, the individuals at the firm are truly nice people, easy to work with and fun to be around’.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is praised for its ‘innovative and aggressive legal strategies; same-day responses to email and voicemail; lean case staffing; willingness to entertain creative fee arrangements; ability to simplify highly complex cases into simple, winning arguments’ and for simply being ‘enjoyable to work with!’ ‘Orrick’s performance, ethic and value far exceeded several other firms we routinely use’. ‘I can’t emphasize enough that the team is not just highly competent, but also a joy to work with. We are clients for life’. The firm is representing Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Andrews v LLNL, a complex contract and discrimination case arising from a layoff of employees at LLNL in 2008; and won summary judgment in Bloemendaal v Morgan Stanley, a case where the plaintiff challenged Morgan Stanley’s policy of requiring employees who have brokerage accounts to maintain their accounts with the firm, claiming that it violates Labor Code section 450 and constitutes compelled patronage. All claims were dismissed on motion to dismiss. Other representative clients include McAfee, Facebook, Apple, Levi Strauss and Credit Suisse. Mike Delikat is chair of the global employment law group. Lynne Hermle is ‘an unparalleled negotiator and tactician who can smoke out the opposing side’s position, often before they fully understand it themselves. She is really enjoyable to work with and has a track record of success others only dream about’. Robert Shwarts ‘does an outstanding job. He has excellent trial skills and instincts and excellent client relations skills’. Andrew Livingston, who specializes in discrimination and harassment, trade secrets litigation, wage-and-hour and wrongful termination cases is also recommended. Joshua Rosenkranz specializes in appellate advice and advocacy. ‘His even temperament and keen intellect make him a not-so-secret weapon in high-stakes appellate work’.

Seyfarth Shaw is a serious hit with its clients. It ‘has met my every expectation and then some. Its lawyers are responsive at all times, they know the substantive law, have provided consistently strong judgment advice, and its bench strength in terms of producing high-quality work product at moderate billing levels has been outstanding’. The firm acted for the defendants in a highly publicized case where the District of Hawaii dismissed a Title VII human trafficking case against a number of Hawaiian coffee farms; won a denial of conditional certification in one of the first rulings applying Dukes v Wal-Mart Stores to FLSA collective actions; and won summary judgment in an issue of first impression in the Seventh Circuit for DHL. Camille Olson ‘has great knowledge of the law and ever better client and executive relations’, Gerald Maatman’s ‘strength is his strategic advice and judgment’, and David Kadue and Lorie Almon are ‘experienced litigators and valued advisors who have a very good understanding of our business. They share a desire to see us succeed’. ‘There is no one better than Richard Alfred for FLSA class action matters and post litigation remediation’. Andrew Paley is a ‘smart, responsive lawyer who understands the needs of the business in addition to the subject matter of the litigation’, and Ariel Cudkowicz ‘comes across as warm, gentle and compassionate, but he is also a fighter. His ability to grasp quickly and understand issues continues to impress me most of all. We couldn’t ask for a better attorney’. Raymond Baldwin is ‘pleasant, responsive, knowledgeable, practical and tough when necessary’, and Jeremy Sherman ‘is responsive and creative and very smart’. Gilmore Diekmann ‘is absolutely top notch’, Linda Schoonmaker ‘is one of the finest lawyers I have ever worked with. She is client-focused. Her work is brilliant, cost-effective and targeted on the company’s goals’, and Jeffrey Berman has a ‘great service attitude and is very responsive.’ Brian Ashe ‘has been the most effective labor and employment counsel with whom I have ever had the pleasure of working’.

Fisher & Phillips’ attorneys represent employers before all federal and state courts, commissions and administrative agencies. Its lawyers are experienced in handling jury trials, complex class action litigation, employee lawsuits, unfair labor practice charges and compliance actions by various government agencies, as well as matters before private arbitrators. The firm also prosecutes and defends trade secrets and unfair competition lawsuits. Headline cases included the US Court of Appeal’s affirmation of a lower court trial victory by the firm on behalf of Guerrieri Management in a Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act case; the Fifth Circuit upholding a summary judgment awarded to a Louisiana detention centre in a gender discrimination case; and prevailing in an Americans with Disabilities access case before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In another case, the firm won a significant victory in the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. In1998, the plaintiffs in Engers v AT&T filed a lawsuit challenging the company’s conversion of its traditional defined benefit pension plan to a cash balance formula. This was one of the first of many similar lawsuits filed around the country challenging companies’ moves to cash balance formula based pension plans. After certification of a plaintiff class with thousands of participants, the firm was part of a team of lawyers that was granted several favorable rulings from the federal district court in New Jersey, that resulted in the dismissal of most of the claims in 2006 and culminated in a summary judgment dismissal of all remaining claims in 2010. In 2011, the Third Circuit affirmed the district court’s summary judgment rulings, effectively putting an end to this 13-year long litigation. Spencer Skeen, Edward Harold, Lawrence Sorohan, Andrew Froman, Christopher Mills, senior counsel Christopher Robinson and of counsel David Treibman all deserve recognition for their success in the aforementioned 2011 cases.

Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP’s employment law department assists clients in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, from the drafting of employment policies and employment agreements, through advice concerning the treatment of current employees, to the mediation and litigation of disputes that arise. While the firm does represent clients in class actions, the majority of its practice comprises single-plaintiff employment disputes. It has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best employment law services providers in New York to financial services firms as well as alternative asset managers such as hedge funds and private equity firms. The firm was recently retained by Madison Square Garden and the Knicks in a lawsuit brought by a former professional basketball player, who was not allowed to play professional basketball due to a life-threatening heart condition, alleging disability discrimination. The firm acted in Société Générale (Levion), where summary judgment was granted dismissing numerous compensation-related claims for allegedly unpaid compensation of approximately $40m; assisted in Bank of America (Britt) where summary judgment was granted by federal court in New York, dismissing gender discrimination and harassment claims in their entirety; and advised in Bank of America (Krause) where the federal court in New York granted summary judgment dismissing sexual harassment, gender discrimination and wage and hour claims in a high-profile decision. Other representative clients include Nomura, Barclays Capital, BlackRock, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Ernst & Young. Chair of the employment department Kevin LeBlang is ‘very down to earth, business-orientated and always available. He can be a killer or a gentleman when he needs to be’. Robert Holtzman and Jennifer Rochon are also recommended.

Littler Mendelson, P.C. now has over 900 lawyers in over 55 locations. From January 2006 to July 2011, the firm defended clients in more than 900 class and collective actions. In 2010 alone, its lawyers represented clients in more than 500 class and collective actions involving ERISA, discrimination and wage and hour cases. Of those 500, 79 were wage and hour class actions. The firm also has considerable experience representing clients facing investigations by the US Department of Labor and state labor departments, as well as various government agencies. The firm was recently victorious in Brian Driscoll v Granite Rock Company, where the ruling determined that Granite Rock was within the law when it allowed truck drivers to opt out of formal lunch breaks in exchange for extra pay and getting off work early. Other representative clients include Analysts International Corp and Donaldson Co. The firm’s current president and managing director is the highly acclaimed Marko Mrkonich. Other recommended practitioners include Keith Hult and Allan King – co-chairs of the firm’s class action practice group – Alan Carlson, Jay St Clair, Scott Lidman, Garry Mathiason, Julie Dunne and Gregory Keating.

Reed Smith LLP is ‘a major player for our company’, ‘I would always choose it first’ and importantly, ‘I have found all of the lawyers in the practice areas noted above to be superb. They are well regarded by their peers and by the courts, incredibly knowledgeable, hard working, and judicious in billing their time’. The firm’s ‘lawyers are on a par with other large firms, but they have the common sense and practical skills necessary to be effective with internal clients’. They are ‘top of the pack’. The firm recently advised Bank of America in Lepkowski v Telatron Marketing Group and Bank of America, a case that involved a putative class action brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act; succeeded in persuading the California Court of Appeal to affirm summary judgment in favor of its client Kaiser in two separate matters; and acted in Brown v Ralphs Grocery Company, et al, challenging California’s hostility toward employment arbitration. Global labor and employment practice chair Casey Ryan is ‘the best employment lawyer and relationship partner I work with. The entire bench is strong, but I particularly appreciate Casey Ryan’s ability to seamlessly and effectively manage a huge amount of litigation’. Martha Hartle Munsch ‘makes herself available 24/7. She is an expert in her field. In addition to her litigation skills, she provides the kind of business savvy, practical and timely advice that we need’. Karl Fritton, Linda Husar and Thomas Hill are also highly recommended.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is ‘by far one of the top teams I have worked with nationwide’. The firm is praised for its ‘excellent response time and business acumen and strong partners’. Another client attests that ‘service is excellent, as is response time. I recommend the firm for the intelligence of its staff, friendliness of personnel and ease of dealing with it’. The firm recently won summary judgment for client Waste Management in the Los Angeles Superior Court on all ten causes of action; defeated class certification in a time-shaving suit against client CalPortland Company; persuaded the Judge in Madrigal v Tommy Bahama to deny class certification in a putative wage/hour class action; won a defense verdict across the board on all claims for its client Costco Wholesale Corporation; and was victorious in a class action lawsuit against Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, where the plaintiff asserted claims that the employer violated various provisions of the Labor Code, including obligations regarding indemnification for tools and uniforms, the payment of wages, meal and rest periods, paystubs, and the Private Attorneys General Act. Ryan McCortney is a ‘strong class action litigator. He is very knowledgeable, practical and creative’. Jennifer Redmond is ‘smart, quick, aggressive when needed, and has good mediating skills when needed’. Richard Simmons and Tracey Kennedy are also very experienced employment litigators. Ron Holland and Ellen Bronchetti recently joined the firm in San Francisco from Littler Mendelson, P.C.. They are ‘both excellent as is their entire team of associates. They are all easy to work with, knowledgeable about the law, timely with everything, and eager to help’.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP is renowned for its expertise in employment bankruptcy law. That said, the firm’s lawyers in the employment litigation group litigate and advise clients on the full spectrum of employment issues, focusing on complex, multi-disciplinary problems, such as class and mass actions, large scale reductions in force, executive compensation, separation and employment agreements, restrictive covenant and trade secrets litigation involving key personnel, and the full breadth of issues arising from mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructurings and bankruptcies. In addition to representing employers in court and in arbitration, the firm defends employers before the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state and local civil rights agencies on a variety of issues such as discrimination, retaliation, harassment and other civil rights claims. Work highlights included being involved in the defense of one of the world’s largest catering companies to the airline and railroad industries from a class and collective action involving wage and hour claims brought under federal and California law in Mercado et al v Gate Gourmet; and defeating a motion for certification in McReynolds v Merrill Lynch & Co. Jeffrey Klein chairs the firm’s national labor and employment practice. Gary Friedman and Lawrence Baer are also highly recommended.

Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. has a well-deserved reputation for advising clients in the financial services, retail, hospitality, and health care and life sciences industries. Indeed, it recently launched its health, employment and labor group, which unites the firm’s healthcare and life sciences and labor and employment practices to counsel healthcare and life sciences clients on how to address labor and employment challenges. The firm represented Home Depot in a nationwide conditionally certified collective class action seeking overtime compensation based upon a misclassification of current and former assistant store managers under the executive exemption of the Fair Labor Standards Act, persuading the Court to grant the employer’s motion to decertify the collective action. In another highlight case, the firm obtained the dismissal of a federal court sex and race discrimination case based upon discovery misconduct by the plaintiff. Founder of the firm’s national labor and employment practice Ronald Green, head of the team Jay Krupin, Peter Stein, Patrick Brady, Peter Steinmeyer and Michael Kun are recommended. In 2011, 14 Houston-based lawyers, including Martin Wickliff, left the firm and joined Cozen O’Connor.

Jackson Lewis LLP is ‘very responsive’ and is praised in particular for being ‘excellent on single plaintiff matters, smaller discrete issues and workforce planning’. The firm recently reduced the exposure of the case in Palacios v Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals by ensuring that the alleged national collective action remained a single plaintiff case; and obtained a jury verdict in favor of First Data Corporation in a disability discrimination and retaliation action filed against it in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Kovelesky v First Data Corporation. National director of litigation Vincent Cino, Kevin Lauri, Joan Ackerstein, Ashley Abel, Thomas Walsh and Ralph Losey are all recommended. Victoria Chavey is ‘a fantastic attorney. She is incredibly knowledgeable, and made my life easier in all the cases we worked on together’. Also in Hartford, Margaret Strange is an ‘excellent attorney. She is extremely responsive and provides good, quick, practical legal and business advice. She had taken the time to really learn about our company and the industry and has now created a true partnership with the business. She is a trusted, reliable advisor, very good at strategic thinking, a good negotiator and great in front of a jury’. John Tratnyek is ‘highly practical, amazingly responsive, very efficient and effective in his work product and advice’.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC has ‘true expertise and is located in many states so is great for companies and organizations who have business operations and employees all over the United States. It is also very cost effective’. Indeed, the firm has national representation agreements with major corporations based on alternative fee arrangements structured to suit their needs and routinely offers tailored alternative fee arrangements to interested clients. The firm’s litigators have significant experience handling complex employment cases, including class and collective actions. The litigation practice includes experience with laws governing the workplace, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the WARN Act and many other federal and state laws. In addition, the firm’s workplace dispute litigation experience includes matters involving protection of trade secrets and confidential business information, and restrictive covenants not to compete. Donald Prophete, Robert Sands and Joseph Clees are ‘excellent litigators and provide top-quality work’.

Vedder Price’s clients assert that ‘the overall level of service has been outstanding’. The firm recently prevailed on an appeal to the First Circuit Appellate Court of Illinois of a lower court’s dismissal of a plaintiff’s claim pursuant to the Illinois Whistleblower Act; successfully negotiated and obtained court approval of a settlement of a putative FLSA collective action and New York state law class action; served as lead counsel for Aegis Media, and its subsidiary, Synovate, in the defense of a misappropriation of trade secrets claim; and obtained dismissal of a complaint filed against a national retailer by a former employee whose employment was terminated for poor performance. Representative clients include Bank of America, Alitalia, CAN Insurance, Dyson and PepsiCo. Chair of the firm’s labor and employment practice group Thomas Wilde has extensive experience in this field. Laura Sack ‘has completely redefined my opinion and expectations of a lawyer. She is the most experienced, intelligent, insightful, and efficient counsel I have ever had the pleasure to work with’. Amy Bess is ‘a very good lawyer who cares a great deal about doing a great job’.