Boards of directors, CEOs and general counsel regularly seek out the expertise of the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP labor and employment practice. Its experience includes wage-and-hour class actions, employment discrimination cases, whistleblower litigation, executive compensation, exit negotiations and trade secret litigation. The practice is jointly led by Jason Schwartz in the Washington DC office and Katherine Smith in Los Angeles. Schwartz is highly regarded for his involvement in sensitive workplace investigations, high-profile trade secret matters and wage-hour class actions. Smith is highly experienced in class action litigation at the trial court and appellate level. Former US Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia is a key name in the group for matters under the NLRA, as well as class actions and collective actions under Title VII. Molly Senger brings significant experience in defending clients against employment-related putative class actions and high-stakes executive compensation disputes to the team. Both Scalia and Senger are situated in the Washington DC office.

Jones Day prides itself on its ability to defend employers in class and collective mass actions under federal and state EEO and wage-hour laws. Its work also features whistleblower claims, trade secret cases, collective bargaining and discrimination claims. Co-head of the practice, Matthew Lampe sits in the New York office and excels in state discrimination and wrongful discharge cases. Elizabeth McRee is also a co-head of the practice in Chicago and frequently represents employers in class, representative and multi-plaintiff actions. Also situated in the Chicago office, Michael Gray is a specialist in state law overtime class actions, FLSA collective actions and restrictive covenant matters. In New York, Wendy Butler focuses her practice on the defense of management in employment-related litigation and legal compliance advice. Thomas Chiavetta brings specialist knowledge of the transport industry to the Washington DC office.

The Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP employment team covers a wide array of employment-related disputes including class, collective, and single plaintiff litigation, FLSA suits, whistleblower claims, trade secret disputes and OSHA matters. Jointly overseeing the team is Boston-based David McManus , who is a key point of contact for employment matters relating to reductions in force, outsourcing transactions and facility shutdowns; Stephanie Sweitzer in Chicago, who specializes in the financial services, retail, tech and manufacturing industries; Michael Burkhardt , who sits in the Philadelphia office and is active in employment discrimination class actions, systematic discrimination investigations and multi-plaintiff litigation, and New York-based Lincoln Bisbee, who is regularly involved in whistleblower and discrimination cases. Also based in the New York office, Samuel Shaulson has notable specialism in the financial services, pharma and entertainment sectors and Melissa Rodriguez , who is active in dispute’s concerning federal and state labor and employment statutes. Other standout members of the team include Grace Speights in Washington DC, who excels in crisis management; Sarah Bouchard in Philadelphia, who is well versed in harassment, whistleblower and noncompetition suits and Anne Marie Esteves in Miami, who brings significant knowledge of the retail and ecommerce industries to the team.

The breadth of Paul Hastings LLP‘s expertise spans class actions, arbitrations, high profile single-plaintiff matters, trade secrets litigation and human capital compliance. In the area of class actions the group is skilled at handling discrimination, pay equity, PAGA and wage and hour cases. The trio at the head of the practice is formed of Elena Baca, who is trusted advisor to large blue-chip corporates; Jennifer Baldocchi, who focuses her practice on employee trade secret misappropriation claims and Kenneth Gage, whose expertise lies in discrimination, retaliation and state common law claims. Baca and Baldocchi are based in Los Angeles, while Gage sits in New York. Felicia Davis is a key figure in the Los Angeles office for her pay equity litigation expertise. In New York, Patrick Shea specializes in employment discrimination wage and hour claims and wrongful discharge matters, while Sara Tomezsko handles first instance and appellate single-plaintiff and class action claims for her corporate clients. Carson Sullivan is a name to note in Washington DC, which benefits from her significant experience defending pay equity class actions.

Proskauer Rose LLP acts as trusted employment counsel to a range of Fortune 500 companies, universities, professional sports leagues and law firms. The group excels in all phases of class litigation and also boasts expertise in the media, entertainment and sports sectors, as well as in the legal profession. The practice is jointly led by Allan Bloom, who is skilled at handling claims for unpaid wages, employment discrimination and wrongful discharge; Adam Lupion, who is a key contact for sports leagues and teams seeking representation; Tony Oncidi, who focuses a large section of his practice on defending employers in large class action disputes, in addition to Andrea Rattner and Neil Abramson. All co-heads are based in New York, bar Oncidi who is based in Los Angeles. Mark Batten is a key name in the Boston office for class and collective actions, while Chicago’s Nigel Telman is often chosen to handle claims involving significant reputational risk. Notable figures in the New York office include Elise Bloom, who is a reputed discrimination, wage and hour and class action trial lawyer; Keisha-Ann Gray, who is a go-to advisor for issues involving discrimination or harassment and Michelle Annese, who has expertise in the financial services, retail, entertainment and sports sectors.

Equipped with ‘excellent knowledge of the industry’, Seyfarth Shaw LLP is highly regarded for its ability handle labor and employment disputes, notably class actions, government investigations and bet-the-company trials. The group is also adept at representing employers in BIPA litigation across the hotel, healthcare and airline industries. Laura Maechtlen leads the practice from the San Francisco office and is called upon by clients in crisis or with matters involving significant business impact. New York-based Gary Friedman assists employers in litigation concerning restrictive covenants and employment-related class actions. In the Chicago office, reputed litigator Camille Olson defends clients in high stakes discrimination, harassment and wage and hour matters, while Noah Finkel specializes in actual and putative collective or class action matters under the FLSA. The Massachusetts office benefits from Barry Miller‘s expertise in the trial of claims under the FLSA and other wage laws. Annette Idalski is a notable figure in the Atlanta office for her significant experience as a trial lawyer in matters involving the energy and telecoms industries.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP demonstrates breadth and depth in its employment disputes practice with experience in matters involving discrimination, whistleblowing, internal investigations, wage and hour actions, pay equity and harassment. Julie Totten is responsible for leading the team from the Sacramento office and brings expertise in discrimination and wage and hour class actions to the group. Notable figures in the Silicon Valley office include Lynne Hermle, who works on wrongful termination and retaliation allegations; Jessica Perry, who is a key advisor to several large technology companies and Joseph Liburt, who handles arbitrations, internal investigations and disputes. In New York, Mike Delikat represents clients facing suits under federal whistleblowing statutes, while Lisa Lupion specializes in claims alleging discrimination, equal pay and termination and Mark Thompson is trusted advisor to clients in the venture capital, technology and financial services industries. Erin Connell frequently handles pay and equity discrimination cases out of the San Francisco office.

BakerHostetler‘s class, collective and representative action expertise spans wage and hour violations, unlawful discrimination and employee privacy violations. In charge of the practice is Amy Traub, who is based in the New York office and boasts an extensive breadth of expertise, along with knowledge of the healthcare, retail and hospitality industries. In Cleveland, Gregory Mersol has significant experience representing employers in class action litigation, benefit plan disputes and wage and hour litigation. Mark Temple splits his time between the Houston and Dallas offices and leads on wage and hour class actions work. Matthew Kane sits in the Los Angeles office and excels in wage and hour matters, restrictive covenant and PAGA claims. In Cincinnati, Scott McIntyre defends clients in whistleblower claims, trade secret litigation and privacy-related litigation.

The employment group at DLA Piper LLP (US) is routinely retained on employment disputes involving sensitive reputational concerns, as well as on wage and hour matters for leading corporates. Marc Katz sits at the head of the practice and leads from the Dallas office. Katz brings significant experience representing corporate clients in trade secret and unfair competition litigation, as well as in collective and class actions, to the team. In the New York office, Mary Dollarhide concentrates her practice on wage and hour class actions brought under PAGA and WARN laws, while Brian Kaplan shines in the defense of claims of employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Julie Dunne is a key figure in the San Diego office and frequently defends employers in wage and hour class and collective actions, as well as those under the FLSA.

Jackson Lewis P.C. is highly regarded for its work in the vaccine litigation space, with its experience spanning administrative charges, arbitrations and lawsuits. Outside of this, the group handles litigation involving discrimination, wage and hour, class action defense and restrictive covenants. New York-based Kevin Lauri and Orange County's Samantha Hoffman jointly oversee the running of the practice. In the Baltimore office, Donald English is highly regarded for his experience representing employers in the automotive, healthcare, higher education, retail, construction, financial services and technology industries. Patricia Pryor is based in the Cincinnati office and brings significant experience representing and advising employers in federal and state administrative proceedings.

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer covers the full gamut of employment litigation matters, including those involving discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, retaliation, restrictive covenants and wage and hour claims. The firm's client roster spans several industries, including financial institutions, private equity and asset management houses, entertainment companies and social media platforms. Kevin Leblang is responsible for leading the New York-based team and frequently represents management in a broad range of employment litigation matters. Eliza Kaiser is a key name in the group and brings experience in discrimination, wage and hour violations and breach of contract matters to the team. Robert Holtzman is also a name to note for investigations of discrimination and whistleblower complaints.

Mayer Brown spends significant time defending clients in wage and hour class and representative actions. The group also handles discrimination claims, as well as the prosecution and defense of matters involving trade secret provisions, restrictive covenants, non-disclosure agreements and non-solicitation agreements. The trio at the head of the practice is formed of Andrew Rosenman in Chicago, who has experience representing clients in a broad range of actions; Gabrielle Levin, who is based in the New York office and is a key name for whistleblower protection litigation, discrimination and retaliation claims and Ruth Zadikany in Los Angeles who is active in the putative class action and representative actions work. Marcia Goodman is also a key figure in the Chicago office.

Praised for its ‘first-rate employment practice’, McDermott Will & Emery LLP is highly regarded for its work prosecuting and defending unfair competition and restrictive covenant litigation involving the disclosure of trade secrets, employee raiding and breaches of fiduciary duty. The duo jointly leading the practice is formed of Rachel Cowen in Chicago and Maria Rodriguez in Los Angeles. Cowen is well known for handling sensitive internal investigations for companies and healthcare providers regarding allegations of sexual harassment. Rodriguez’s clients largely come from the media, entertainment and sports industries. Boston's Jim Nicholas is a name to note for his experience handling wage and hour class actions under the FLSA, claims of discrimination and harassment.

The McGuireWoods LLP team has significant experience defending clients in nationwide and state-wide collective and class actions brought under the FLSA and state wage and hour laws. Other areas of focus for the group include trade secrets litigation and employment discrimination class actions. Elena Marcus heads up the practice from the Baltimore office and frequently defends employers in federal and state courts against individual and collective claims of workplace discrimination and rights violations. Sabrina Beldner is a key figure in the Los Angeles office and brings significant experience in a broad range of employment-related litigation matters. Richmond-based Christopher Michalik has an extensive wage and hour practice, and Sarah Wake specializes in matters involving institutions of higher education out of the Chicago office.

The Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP employment group is well equipped to prosecute and defend restrictive covenants actions, investigate claims of misconduct against high-level executives and litigate discrimination and wage and hour class and collective actions. John Barry is responsible for leading the practice from the New York office and specializes in crisis and emergent situations arising from executive terminations, mass exoduses, theft of trade secrets and discrimination claims. In the New York office, Rebecca Sivitz is a key contact for corporates, private equity funds and their boards in sensitive employment investigations and litigation. Also based in New York, Celine Chan handles employment-related investigations and litigation involving allegations of discrimination and restrictive covenants.

Akerman LLP is active in a range of employment litigation matters, notably class and collective actions under federal, state and local employment laws and the FLSA. The group is especially knowledgeable of wage and hour issues and discrimination claims. West Palm Beach-based Eric Gordon co-heads the group and has experience in federal and state jury trials, class actions and claims before administrative agencies. Marissa Alguire also co-heads the group from Los Angeles and specializes in wage and hour class actions and PAGA claims. Emily Patajo supports Alguire in the Los Angeles office and is active in wrongful termination and discrimination matters.

Akin has notable experience representing hedge funds, private equity firms and clients in the financial services space in disputes involving terminations, severance, non-competition agreements, discrimination and misappropriation of trade secrets. Robert Lian heads the practice from the Washington DC practice and has significant experience in class and collective action claims. Jessica Taud Rosenberg joined the practice in July 2024 from Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP and brings knowledge of FLSA suits and PAGA claims. Lauren Leyden and Desiree Busching are also both active members of the practice. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York unless specified otherwise.

ArentFox Schiff is well positioned to handle disputes involving claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, whistleblowing and wrongful termination. Nancy Puleo heads up the practice from the Boston office and acts a trusted to advisor to clients in the healthcare, technology, financial services, sports and manufacturing industries. Other key figures in the team include John Zaimes, who works from Los Angeles and regularly defends companies in class action suits; Robert Carrol, who largely works with clients in the food, agribusiness and alcoholic beverage industries in the San Francisco office; Washington DC-based Linda Jackson, who is skilled at conducting high-level executive investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination and Lauren Schaefer, who is a name to highlight in the Boston office.

The employment practice at Dickinson Wright PLLC is regularly engaged in disputes involving trade secrets, retaliation, whistleblowing, harassment, breach of contract and wage and hour matters. The group is jointly led by Joshua Burgener in Nashville and Brian Johnson in Lexington. Burgener specializes in trade secrets, non-compete suits and contract claims. In the Detroit office, Kathryn Wood is active in discrimination, harassment and whistleblower claims and Timothy Howlett is a key contact for litigation matters involving substantial financial risk. In the Nashville office, Reid Estes has significant experience handling FLSA cases and wage and hour claims. William Thacker is also a notable name in the Ann Arbor office.

The Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP team has significant experience handling employment litigation, representing clients before the courts and administrative agencies in matters involving the theft of trade secrets, breach of restrictive covenants, discrimination, harassment and wage and hour compliance. Emily Burkhardt Vicente and Kevin White both sit at the head of the practice. Vincente works from the Los Angeles office and has significant experience taking hybrid class and collective action causes to jury trial. White is situated Washington DC and brings specialist knowledge of the retail and consumer products industry to the group. Supporting White in Washington is Ryan Bates, who handles class actions, collective actions and bet-the-company litigation. M. Brett Burns is a key figure in the San Francisco office and focuses his practice on wage and hour class and collective actions. Michele Beilke departed in June 2024.

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP is well equipped to defend wage and hour class actions and employment litigation matters involving discrimination claims, especially those stemming from the healthcare industry. Mark Konkel spearheads the New York-based practice, which benefits from his significant experience handling employment class actions. Barbara Hoey is a key name in the group and excels in matters involving healthcare institutions. Blythe Lovinger is skilled at defending employers and senior executives against claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP‘s labor and employment group handles a full spectrum of employment class actions, single plaintiff cases and appeals. The group also has significant knowledge of the healthcare, retail and entertainment industries. Esra Hudson oversees the practice from the Los Angeles office and focuses on wage and hour class and collective actions, PAGA matters and trade secret claims. Deborah Kelly sits in the Washington DC office and is a key contact for matters involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. Andrew Satenberg is a member of the Los Angeles office and focuses his practice on wage and hour class actions and multi-plaintiff disputes.

Morrison Foerster is a key port of call for boards of directors in need of employment-related crisis management and assistance with executive employment disputes, whistleblower claims and internal investigations. The group is also active in class, collective and representative actions. San Francisco-based Eric Tate and Washington DC-based Andrew Turnbull are the duo responsible for heading up the team. Tate is often called upon by clients to assist with trade secrets, employee raiding and whistleblower litigation. Turnbull excels at litigating, investigations and advising companies on discrimination, harassment and whistleblower claims. Cooper Spinelli is also a notable name in the San Francisco office for his involvement in litigation focused on trade secrets and restrictive covenants. Tritia Murata departed in February 2024.

Norton Rose Fulbright counts financial institutions, large corporates and HR directors among its client roster, with expertise in the financial services, energy, infrastructure, mining, transport, technology, life sciences and healthcare industries. Both Shauna Clark and Carter Crow lead the practice from the Houston office. Clark brings significant experience handling workplace investigations concerning discrimination, retaliation and whistleblowing and Crow excels in employment class actions. Mario Barrera is a key name in the San Antonio office and routinely works for clients in the healthcare, energy and technology spaces.

Vedder Price offers assistance to clients facing employment-related litigation against claims involving unlawful discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination and wage and hour violations. The team also offers specialist knowledge of the healthcare and financial services spaces. The practice is headed by Chicago-based Elizabeth Hall, who has extensive experience representing employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Nicholas Anaclerio is also based in the Chicago office and often assists client in the defense of wage and hour and discrimination claims. Thomas Petrides is a key name in the Los Angeles office for his expertise in PAGA and FLSA actions.

Winston & Strawn LLP‘s bench of expertise encompasses wage and hour class and collective actions, whistleblowing, discrimination, harassment and misappropriation of trade secrets. Chicago’s Michael Roche is responsible for leading the team and excels in lawsuits involving claims of whistleblowing. Cardelle Spangler, also in Chicago, is a key name in the practice and also brings expertise in whistleblowing and discrimination matters to the group. Joan Fife is a reputed wage and class action attorney in the San Francisco office, while in Los Angeles, Jason Campbell provides further expertise in the defense of class wage and hour actions.