Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP‘s practice is regularly called upon by boards of directors and CEOs of major corporations in the retail, tech, and financial services segments for its employment litigation prowess. Core areas of practice for the group include the defense of wage-and-hour class actions, employment discrimination cases, whistleblower litigation, executive compensation mandates, and trade secret litigation. Leadership of the department is shared by Los Angeles-based Katherine Smith and Washington DC-based Jason Schwartz. Smith has broad advisory and contentious labor and employment experience that includes individual, representative and class action litigation at both the trial court and appellate level. Schwartz handles all manner of contentious mandates, among them sensitive workplace investigations, discrimination class actions, whistleblower protection claims, and workplace safety litigation. Additional key contacts in Washington DC, include ex- Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and Molly Senger, who has litigation, arbitration, and mediation experience.

The practice at Jones Day is equipped to handle the gamut of contentious labor and employment matters, namely wage and hour class and collective actions, discrimination actions, wage and hour claims, collective bargaining, and mass arbitration of employment discrimination. The team regularly defends employers in the retail, aerospace, and oil-and-gas segments before the Supreme Court, courts of appeals and district courts. New York-based Matthew Lampe co-leads and specializes in defending employers in class actions under state discrimination, wrongful discharge, and other tort laws. Chicago-based Elizabeth McRee shares leadership of the group and has notable experience in state and federal wage and hour and antidiscrimination law. Also in Chicago, Michael Gray stands out for his knowledge of trade secret and restrictive covenant matters. In New York, Wendy Butler garners praise for her work defending management in employment-related litigation, while in Washington DC, Thomas Chiavetta has focused his practice on representing transportation-sector clients.

The ‘world-class’ practice at Paul Hastings LLP is well-placed to handle contentious employment mandates including complex wage and hour claims, discrimination and harassment claims, government investigations, and sensitive labor disputes and negotiations. The group has additional experience in arbitration, trade secret cases, and government agency investigations. Elena Baca steers the practice from Los Angeles and specializes in class action defense, arbitration, and advisory mandates affecting C-Suite executives. Also in Los Angeles, ‘outstanding advocate’ Felicia Davis specializes in pay equity litigation. Over in New York, Patrick Shea litigates cases involving employee benefits, discrimination, wage and hour claims, and wrongful dismissal. Additional names to note include San Francisco-based Jeffrey Wohl, who has a track record in defeating high-stakes class action claims; and the ‘very skilled’ Carson Sullivan, who is based in Washington DC and majors on the defense of pay equity class actions. Sarah Besnoff, lauded by one client as ‘highly dedicated’, is the key senior associate-level contact. New York-based Sara Tomezsko was promoted to the partnership in February 2023.

Proskauer Rose LLP supports major employers with representation in class and collective action suits, including those involving wage and hour, discrimination, and harassment. The group is routinely instructed by employers in the retail, hospitality, healthcare, and aerospace segments, and regularly appears before state and federal courts. A core area of focus for the team is developing strategies to defeat class certification. The department is co-directed by Neil Abramson from New York, who specializes in discrimination claims, claims for breach of contract and claims arising from the collective bargaining relationship. Alongside him, Anthony Oncidi co-leads from Los Angeles and has focused his practice on representing media and entertainment-sector clients. Additional key contacts include New York-based Elise Bloom, who acts as co-head of the firm’s class & collective actions group, and Keisha-Ann Gray, who focuses on discrimination and harassment mandates. Michelle Annese handles claims of discrimination and retaliation, sexual harassment and wrongful discharge. Over in Boston, Mark Batten is noted for his class action defense and collective bargaining expertise. Nigel Telman leads the employment group at the Chicago office and specializes in dispute resolution and investigations. Greg Knopp joined the firm from Akin in February 2023.

The ‘versatile and knowledgeable’ team at Seyfarth Shaw LLP demonstrates capabilities in a range of contentious employment mandates including class action defense, bet-the-company litigation, wage and hour cases, and discrimination and harassment litigation. The team acts for clients in the insurance, aerospace, retail, and financial services segments. San Francisco-based Laura Maechtlen in San Francisco heads up the practice and specializes in large-scale class actions alleging systemic violations of federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Over in Chicago, key contacts include ‘exceptional partner’ and complex litigation practice co-chair Camille Olson; and Noah Finkel, who is well-versed in state wage-and-hour law mandates. Atlanta-based Annette Idalski, lauded as a ‘staunch advocate for her client’, handles wage and hour lawsuits. Recent arrivals include Sul Kim, who arrived at the Atlanta office in June 2023 from Akerman LLP, and Clifford Sethness, who joined the Los Angeles office in November 2023 from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Gary Friedman also joined the New York office from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in February 2024.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP‘s department houses a strong employment disputes offering which is equipped to handle class actions and claims involving harassment and discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, wage-and-hour, worker classification, and business immigration. Companies working in tech, private equity, and financial and professional services regularly feature on the group’s client roster. Julie Totten steers the practice from Sacramento and specializes in wage-and-hour class actions, pay equity and promotion matters, and wrongful termination issues. In Silicon Valley, names to note include seasoned defense litigator Lynne Hermle; Jessica Perry, who represents large tech companies and emerging unicorns alike in high-profile discrimination, harassment, and retaliation disputes; and Joseph Liburt, active on arbitrations and internal investigations. In New York, Mike Delikat and Lisa Lupion are noted for their internal investigations expertise, and Mark Thompson is the key senior associate-level contact. San Francisco-based Erin Connell's caseload includes multi-plaintiff discrimination cases and pay equity class actions.

The BakerHostetler team shows strength representing employers involved in multiparty employment disputes, class actions, and individual private-plaintiff actions across state and federal courts across the country. A recent work highlight saw the group represent Health Care Service Corporation in connection with a putative class and collective action overtime lawsuit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Amy Traub heads up the national group from New York and routinely represents retail, healthcare, and hospitality clients in litigation. In Los Angeles, Matthew Kane has experience of misappropriation of trade secrets and non-competition agreement claims; Houston-based Mark Temple‘s practice encompasses wage and hour claims and non-compete litigation. Over in Cincinnati, Scott McIntyre frequently represents clients working in the healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing and media segments; Gregory Mersol works from Cleveland and is well-versed in a range of contentious mandates including discrimination claims, benefit plan disputes, and wage and hour litigation.

The labor and employment group at DLA Piper LLP (US) is equipped to handle wage and hour, collective, and representative actions, as well as discrimination and COVID-related litigation. National practice lead Marc Katz also acts as managing partner at the Dallas office; his broad practice encompasses trade secret and unfair competition litigation, fiduciary duty and partnership disputes, and class action. In New York, Mary Dollarhide is routinely involved in discrimination, harassment, and breach of contract claims; Joseph Piesco, also in New York, regularly works on wage and hour class actions. San Diego-based Julie Dunne has knowledge of private attorney general representative actions under Californian law and the Fair Labor Standards Act. In New Jersey Brian Kaplan disputes experience includes the enforcement of restrictive covenants, and tort and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Partner Troy Valdez joined the team from Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass LLP in April 2023.

Greenberg Traurig LLP‘s team is regularly instructed by national and international corporations in the retail, education, and logsitics segments. The group’s contentious labor and employment offering includes litigating wage and hour lawsuits, discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination, mandates, and business immigration cases. Practice co-lead Naomi Beer is based in Denver and specializes in representing clients in complex commercial, class action and multidistrict litigation. Alongside her, Philadelphia-based James Boudreau co-chairs the firm’s global labor and employment practice and is well-versed in representing management in class action litigation. Additional key litigators include San-Francisco based trio Charles Thompson, Ellen Bronchetti, and Ronald Holland.

The practice at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP is co-led by Emily Burkhardt Vicente from Los Angeles and Kevin White from Washington DC. Burkhardt Vicente is well-versed in litigating hybrid class and collective action cases, and has particular focus on the defense of sexual harassment and equal pay challenges. White has focused his practice on defending retail and energy-sector clients in discrimination and wage and hour class action litigation, as well and handling government agency discrimination investigations. Additional key contacts include Washington-based Ryan Bates, Los Angeles-based Michele Beilke, and Michael Brett Burns of the San Francisco office.

The team at Jackson Lewis P.C. is well-placed to represent clients involved in discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, and wrongful termination claims. Vaccine litigation is a particular area of focus for the group, and it has recently represented T-Mobile USA in a number of related claims. New York-based Kevin Lauri heads up the national group. Additional key practitioners include John K. Bennett in New Jersey, who handles litigation and arbitration in federal and state courts; Baltimore-based Donald English co-leads the firm’s trials and appeals group and specializes in the defense of discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, and wrongful termination claims. In Cincinnati, Patricia Anderson Pryor focuses on vaccine litigation mandates.

The employment litigation team at Mayer Brown is well-place to defend clients in wage-and-hour class and representative actions, handle discrimination claims, and prosecute and defend actions regarding trade secrets and non-discosure agreements. The group is routinely called upon by employers in the technology, consumer products, and energy segments. The practice is co-led by Los Angeles-based Ruth Zadikany, who has experience both acting as day-to-day employment counsel to corporate clients and representing them in high-stakes employment-related litigation; and Chicago-based Andrew Rosenman, who represents clients in class and collective actions, appellate cases in state and federal courts, administrative proceedings, arbitrations, and mediations. Also in Chicago, Marcia Goodman has broad expertise in domestic and cross-border employment mandates.

The ‘exceptional’ practice at McDermott Will & Emery LLP is equipped to handle the defense of class action, wage-and-hour, and single plaintiff actions, as well as dealing with executive compensation disputes, trade secrets litigation, and discrimination mandates. ‘Exceptional employment litigator’ Michael Sheehan steers the group from Chicago and garners client praise for his ‘incredibly practical and commercial advice’. Sheehan specializes in trade secrets litigation, and has additional experience defending companies against age, gender, and race discrimination claims, as well as wage-and-hour class actions. Also based in Chicago, Rachel Cowen majors on employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases. The department welcomed Jim Nicholas to the Boston office from Foley & Lardner LLP in April 2023.

Demonstrating ‘absolute commitment to being the client’s best advocate’, the team at McGuireWoods LLP is regularly engaged in the defense of discrimination and wage and hour class actions. The group, which has additional expertise in health and safety, whistleblower, and trade secret litigation, is directed by Los Angeles-based Sabrina Beldner, who is knowledgeable on both advisory and contentious labor and employment mandates. Richmond-based all-rounder Christopher Michalik represents management in union negotiations and routinely appears before state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Over in Chicago, Sarah Wake garners client praise for her ‘problem-solving … pragmatic approach’, and contributes significant Title IX experience.

The group at Morrison Foerster specializes in wage-and-hour class actions, PAGA cases, whistleblower mandates, and trade secrets litigation. Clients include private and public company boards of directors of companies in the retail, financial services, and tech segments. The team is co-led by San Francisco-based Eric Tate, who regularly represents C-suite executives in employment-related crisis matters and is praised by one client as being at the ‘top of his game’. Alongside him, Los Angeles-based Tritia Murata routinely acts in PAGA mandates and has significant experience defeating class certification in wage-and-hour cases.

The New York-based group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP boasts a varied offering that includes trade secrets and restrictive covenant litigation, discrimination claims, and wage and hour mandates. Another pillar of practice is the handling of claims of misconduct against C-Suite executives and litigation arising from corporate transactions and restructurings. At the helm of the practice, New York-based employment all-rounder John Barry specializes in disputes emerging from executive terminations, mass exoduses, and discrimination and harassment claims. Over in Boston, Peter Mee joined the firm from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in November 2023. Also in Boston, Rebecca Sivitz made partner in January 2024 and has knowledge of executive disputes, investigations, and complex union matters. New York-based counsel Celine Chan focuses on employment-oriented investigations. Gary Friedman left the firm in February 2024.

Akerman LLP‘s practice is sought after by healthcare, hospitality, aviation, financial services, retail, and tech companies for its employment litigation expertise. The group handles the defense of class and collective actions relating to wage and hour issues, discrimination and harassment claims, and wrongful termination. Eric Gordon steers the national labor and employment practice group from West Palm Beach and is experienced in class action defense, arbitration, and leading in-house training programs. Los Angeles-based Marissa Alguire acts as labor and employment group deputy chair and focuses on litigating discrimination, wrongful termination, retaliation, wage and hour, and PAGA cases. The team was strengthened by the October 2023 arrival of Emily Patajo from Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. to the LA office.

The team at Dentons is well-placed to handle a range of management-side employment litigation mandates. Particular areas of expertise include class action, alternative dispute resolution, and representing management in discrimination and retaliation claims. The group is also equipped to represent management and senior executives on sensitive restrictive covenant and trade secret matters. The practice is jointly led by a group of five experienced attorneys. Daniel Beale, based in Atlanta, is well-versed in litigation and assuring employers’ compliance with federal, state and local employment laws; in Salt Lake City, Rick Hymas has notable experience dealing with claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Labor and employment all-rounder Andrew Gruber leads from the Indianapolis office; Carsen Ruperto and Jo Ellen Whitney are based in Pittsburgh and Des Moines, respectively.

Dickinson Wright PLLC‘s practice handles a range of contentious employment mandates, including claims involving trade secrets, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, breach of contract, and wage and hour. Leadership of the practice is shared between Nashville-based Joshua Burgener and Lexington-based Brian Johnson. Burgener specializes in trade secret and non-compete cases. Names to note at the Detroit office include Timothy Howlett, who handles both advisory and contentious employment mandates; and the ‘thorough’ Kathryn Wood, who handles the gamut of employment litigation work. Nashville-based Reid Estes and William Thacker, who is based in Ann Arbor, are additional key litigators.

The employment litigation department at Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP is regularly instructed by financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and real estate-sector clients for its contentious expertise. Mark W. Lerner co-leads the practice and is frequently engaged to handle litigation matters relating to non-competition agreements, discrimination and harassment claims, employee raiding, and executive compensation disputes. Former Assistant District Attorney Jessica Taub Rosenberg, who was promoted to practice co-head in 2023, is well-versed in representing executives in high-profile employment disputes. Joshua Fulop is noted for his experience defending claims of discrimination and sexual harassment and litigating matters involving the enforcement of employment contracts and non-compete covenants. All lawyers mentioned are in New York.

The practice at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP handles the defense of employment claims, namely those involving wage and hour, wrongful termination, discrimination, PAGA representative actions, and seating and rest breaks. The group acts for clients in the healthcare, retail, and entertainment segments. Los Angeles-based Esra Hudson steers the department and specializes in wage and hour litigation, trade secret and unfair competition claims, and discrimination, harassment, and wrongful discharge matters, as well as arbitration. Additional names to note include San Francisco-based Sharon Bauman, and Andrew Satenberg in Los Angeles, who both frequently handle multi-plaintiff disputes.

The group at Norton Rose Fulbright, lauded for being ‘cost-efficient, practical, responsive, and knowledgeable’, routinely handles the defense of claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, as well as wage and hour cases. In addition, the team conducts internal investigations and is frequently called upon by clients working in the oil-and-gas sector. Houston-based Shauna Johnson Clark leads the department and handles both litigation and workplace investigations involving allegations of harassment, hostile work environments, discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblowing. Additional key contacts include the firm’s global labor and employment lead M Carter Crow, who is based in Houston; and Mario Barrera, who works from San Antonio and Austin and is lauded for his ‘strong guidance’.

The group at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP regularly handles an array of employment litigation, with core mandates including wage and hour, non-compete, discrimination, wrongful termination, defamation, and breach of contract mandates. The team’s sectoral expertise covers healthcare, transportation, financial services, retail, fashion, and hospitality. Los Angeles-based Kelly Hensley co-leads, along with New York-based Jonathan Stoler, who represents international clients in a variety of contentious and transactional matters. Additional key department figures include Chicago-based Kevin Cloutier, who has experience appearing before state and federal trial and appellate courts across the country; and Los Angeles-based Tracey Kennedy, lauded as a ‘superstar employment defense trial lawyer’.

The group at Vedder Price specializes in assisting management-side clients with the gamut of contentious labor and employment matters. Typical mandates involve discipline, leaves of absence, and wage and hour violations; the team’s expertise extends to union grievances, organizing and bargaining, and the protection of confidential information and trade secrets. It boasts a track record in representing clients in claims of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and class actions alleging violation of EEO laws. Chicago-based Elizabeth Hall steers the practice and is well-versed in defending employers before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbitral forums against discrimination and breach of contract claims. Nicholas Anaclerio and Thomas Petrides are key contacts at the Chicago and Los Angeles offices, respectively.

The expertise of Winston & Strawn LLP’s labor and employment team covers a wide range of contentious matters including whistleblower, discrimination, wrongful termination, misappropriation of trade secrets, and breach of contract mandates. The group routinely assists employers in the healthcare, professional services, and luxury goods segments. National practice chair Michael Roche is based in Chicago and has broad advisory and contentious labor and employment expertise. Also in Chicago, local managing partner Cardelle Spangler has acted on numerous high-profile discrimination matters. In San Francisco, Joan Fife is a seasoned class action practitioner whose practice encompasses wage and hour classification matters and suitable seating and rest break lawsuits.