The employment team at DLA Piper LLP (US) handles US and international employment matters. The team is geared to support clients on sensitive matters covering diversity, inclusion, and equity laws, and transaction-related employment work. Brian Kaplan, based in New York, represents employers and senior executives in litigation matters related to employment discrimination, retaliation, and harassment. Palo Alto-based Ute Krudewagen advises companies on employment issues triggered by cross-border transactions, such as global background checks and employment and independent contractor agreements, while Austin’s Georgia Jolink brings knowledge of government contractor compliance and advises on various audits. Alison Lewandoski, based in New York, focuses on employment litigation and counseling. Todd Mobley left in October 2025. Marc Katz has left the firm.
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Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Brian Kaplan is the main partner that we work with. He has been extremely helpful with his practical advice for employment matters.
- The employment partner is very knowledgeable and practical when we ask him for advice.
- A risk-calibrated approach that is informed by the client's risk tolerance.
- Ute Krudewagen and Georgia Jolink each have deep expertise in their respective areas of the law and give practical, risk-calibrated advice.
- DLA is my go-to for all global equity and employment questions. They not only have extensive country reach, but also have partners here in the U.S. who can help quarterback and translate the more nuanced local laws. They have DLA Genie and various other global equity/employment resources that make it easy to do quick reference checks.
Key clients
- Cohesity Inc.
- SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC
- National Financial Partners Corporation
- Databricks
- Qualcomm
- Robinhood Markets. Inc.
- Genesys Cloud Services, Inc.
- Woven by Toyota, Inc.
- Mozilla Corporation
Work highlights
Advised Cohesity in its $7 billion business combination with Veritas' data protection business, handling all international employment aspects, including due diligence and post-closing integration measures across 35+ jurisdictions.
Advised SolarWinds on the employment aspects of its $4.4 billion take-private acquisition by Turn/River Capital, leading all employment diligence and post-closing integration efforts across multiple jurisdictions.
Provided comprehensive employment counseling to NFP, for over twenty years on matters including compliance, restructurings, restrictive covenants nationwide, and sensitive executive transitions—protecting the client's business interests and goodwill across a national footprint.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Brian Kaplan
Other key lawyers
Ute Krudewagen; Georgia Jolink; Alison Lewandoski