Workplace and employment counseling in United States

The sizeable and highly regarded labor and employment practice at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 'consistently delivers expert legal advice in a timely and responsive fashion'. Its labor and employment counseling team includes many attorneys which worked in government before joining the firm, and employees at the firm are also trial lawyers, meaning they have first-hand experience of all aspects of the legal process. Its clients include major tech companies, as well as well-known companies operating in a range of other industries. The firm has made use of digital platforms, developing the Virtual Whiteboard, which allows employees to track and review progress virtually, and ClientSite, which provides analytics about client needs. The practice is led by Grace Speights in Washington DC, whose work has involved investigating misconduct claims in the entertainment, sports and legal services sectors, and David McManus in New York and Boston, who has crisis management experience, with a focus on avoiding reputational harm. From the Los Angeles office, Kathryn McGuigan covers all areas of human resources management and handles wrongful termination cases. David Bowman left the firm to work at Facebook.

Proskauer Rose LLP operates a large, international labor and employment practice, with over 140 lawyers based across nine offices in the US, UK and Europe. The practice is sought by clients operating in the sports, entertainment and real estate industries, amongst others. The team is led by Neil Abramson in New York, who handles complex collective bargaining cases, and Los Angeles-based co-chair Anthony Oncidi, who advises on high-profile employment cases, with a particular emphasis on the media and entertainment sectors. Other key practitioners include trial lawyer Keisha-Ann Gray in New York, and Washington DC-based partner Guy Brenner, who has particular experience in non-compete and trade secrets matters.

Highlighted for its ‘outstanding depth and high-quality attorneys‘, Seyfarth Shaw LLP is a popular choice for major and household name companies, with some client-firm relationships dating back several decades. Its employment counseling team serves as day-to-day employment counsel for many of the nation’s largest employers, but is particularly known for its complex, sensitive work, often requiring multi-faceted solutions. The team is led by Chicago-based partner David Baffa, who deals with clients across the financial services, pharmaceuticals and aerospace sectors. William P. Perkins in New York advises on contract negotiations and wage and hour claims; Boston-based partner Lisa Damon works with discrimination cases; Lawrence Lorber in Washington DC assists in a number of cases involving Covid-19 matters; and New York-based Joshua Seidman handles matters in the retail sector. Christine Hendrickson left the firm in October 2021.

Davis+Gilbert LLP‘s labor and employment team advises a large number of clients, with a focus on preventative management, which involves implementing employer/employee education, procedures and documentation, particularly during reductions in workforce and complex terminations. The firm has been successful in a range of employment-related litigation, including cases involving federal and state anti-discrimination laws, WARN Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, state wage and hour laws, ERISA and whistleblower claims. The team is led by New York–based co-chairs Gregg Gilman, who advises blue-chip companies on long-term strategy, and Daniel A Feinstein. Shira Franco, also in New York, often assists food and technology companies.

DLA Piper LLP (US) stands out for its national and international reach, and its work is equally broad; active across diverse fields, the team has recently been focused in particular on the pharmaceutical sector and the development of vaccines. Part of the firm’s counseling work has involved getting researchers safely back into work, as well as large-scale projects relating to employees working from home. The firm is led by Brian Kaplan in New York, who advises on restrictive covenants, tort claims and employee misclassification claims. Also in New York is Evan Parness; he assists clients in litigation prevention measures, and compliance with employment laws and regulations at the local, state and federal levels. Dallas-based employment expert Kim Askew represents clients in matters relating to discrimination and harassment, as well as litigation connected to non-compete and trade secrets claims, among other areas.

Jackson Lewis P.C. fields a sizeable team of employment law specialists dedicated to advising on management and workplace issues. The firm has the size and resources to provide advice across a range of areas, including employment applications, background checks, disability and leave management, fitness for duty examinations, handbooks and personnel policies, reductions in workforce, and preventing violence in the workplace. The team is led by New York-based partner Kevin Lauri and William Anthony in Albany. Other prominent lawyers include Katherine Van Dyke in Detroit; she specialises in the manufacturing and chemicals sectors. Daniel Doron joined from McDermott Will & Emery LLP at the start of 2022.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP's broad expertise in non-contentious employment and workplace matters complements its strength in labour litigation. The team provides management – including employers, boards, board committees, directors and executives – with assistance across the gamut of employment-related issues. Its lawyers have extensive experience in administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Committee (EEOC) and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The team is led by New York-based partner John Barry, who joined from Proskauer Rose LLP and brings experience in assisting clients with crisis management and business agreements. Gary Friedman and counsel Ami Zweig are other names to note. Jeffrey Klein retired from the firm in April 2021.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP handles complex and sensitive legal problems, from nationwide wage and hour class actions and equal employment opportunity (EEO) disputes to complex labor controversies and high-profile arbitration proceedings. The team is led by Washington DC–based partner Bob Lian, who deals with complex employment litigation, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) matters and whistleblower work. Lauren Leyden in New York has represented hedge funds, food producers and private equity funds in high-value acquisitions and restructurings.

Goodwin maintains a broad and active employment counseling practice, advising on hiring and disciplinary actions, union-related work, and internal workplace investigations. Employment litigation is another strength. The practice is led by Robert Hale in Boston; he deals with matters concerning non-competition, discrimination and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) litigation, among other areas. San Francisco-based Koray Bulut leads the California branch of the employment practice, working primarily with technology companies.

Greenberg Traurig LLP operates a large labor and employment practice, with the size and resources to handle a range of matters, from pay equity to restrictive covenants to workplace investigations. Also of note is the firm’s GT Training Workshop, which offers clients highly interactive training on a wide variety of legal compliance topics. The team is led by Philadelphia-based James N. Boudreau and Denver-based Naomi Beer. Also in Philadelphia is Kelly Dobbs Bunting; she stands out for her work with technology companies.

The team at Jones Day provides counselling designed to minimize labor and employment risks. It advises clients on varied and complex issues such as the design and administration of compensation systems; dismissals; the implementation of non-discriminatory reductions-in-force and plant closings; the investigation of sexual harassment, theft and other misconduct; and compliance with complex new employment laws. Names to note include Elizabeth McRee and Michael Gray in Chicago, with Gray covering matters arising from the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act and state anti-discrimination laws; and Matthew Lampe in New York, who handles class actions, discrimination and wrongful discharge laws. In Atlanta, Deborah Sudbury is another active member of the practice, handling a range of cases across varied industries.

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has offices across the US, with members of the workplace and employment counseling team based in Chicago, New York, Miami, Washington DC, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Although the firm works in many industries, it is especially prominent in representing many of the country’s major movie studios. The team has been increasingly involved in pay equity reviews, and has also seen an uptick in work involving the labour aspects of M&A transactions. The workplace and employment counseling team is led by Chicago-based partner Michael Sheehan, who can regularly be found assisting companies against allegations of harassment. He is supported by Rachel Cowen, who is sought by multiple companies for advice on pay equity issues. Maria Rodriguez in Los Angeles handles retail and entertainment cases.In New York, Daniel Doron left the firm at the start of 2022.

Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP‘s employment practice is closely integrated with the corporate team, ensuring a steady flow of transactional work, in which the group advises on the labour law aspects. Its clients range from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies and governmental entities. The Atlanta-based team is led by Edmund Emerson, while Ellenor Stone covers work from private equity firms to executive recruitment, and Meredith Caiafa works with emerging companies.

Ropes & Gray LLP‘s workplace and employment counseling group is entrusted by clients with sensitive matters, from cross-border investigations to pay equity audits. The practice also focuses on the labour aspects of major corporate transactions and executive employment matters. Key practitioners include Boston- and San Francisco–based partner Jeffrey Webb, and Megan Bisk and Jennifer Cormier in Boston, who have worked extensively with clients in the financial services, healthcare and technology sectors.

Vedder Price deals with complex and challenging labor and employment issues, and provides counsel on sensitive and high-risk employment decisions. Its team has developed a comprehensive workplace harassment training program for its clients, who have increasingly requested this service since the expansion of media reporting on sexual harassment claims. The team is led by Chicago-based Elizabeth Hall, whose work involves providing advice to employers and executives relating to remote working and pandemic-related issues.

Baker & Hostetler LLP fields a sizeable employment counseling and training group. It has an established track record in advising large, multinational clients on workplace issues, and regularly advises clients on all aspects of employment law and employment-related statutes, including on issues involving leave, hiring and firing, immigration, non-competition agreements and prevention of trade secrets theft, among other areas. The team is led by New York–based group chair Amy Traub, who focuses on the healthcare, hospitality and retail sectors.

Jones Walker LLP combines its depth in labor and employment law with a broad base of experience in other practice areas to address unique workplace and industry situations. Its experience extends to defending claims involving race, sex, age and disability discrimination and sexual harassment; employee benefits issues; wage and hour law; wrongful discharge; breach of contract; and employment torts such as defamation, interference with contract rights, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. It also handles complex litigation involving non-disclosure and non-competition agreements and employee theft of confidential information and trade secrets. The firm is led by New Orleans–based Sidney Lewis, who handles union elections and labor arbitration. In Jackson, JoJo Adams advises on banking and Covid-related matters.

Mayer Brown often advises on employment due diligence in the context of M&A and finance transactions. The team is led by Chicago-based partner Andrew Rosenman, who acts for consulting firms and financial institutions in matters related to race, gender and pregnancy discrimination, and Ruth Zadikany in Los Angeles, who deals with class actions and employment litigation matters. Also in Chicago is Marcia Goodman, who represents global banks in litigation regarding discrimination.