Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

The firm fields 11 lawyers in the management labour and employment section. The team helps clients negotiate federal and state laws and develop internal employer and employee strategies in a range of industries.Philadelphia-based Francis Milone, chairman of Morgan Lewis, is a labour and employment “expert”. He manages clients on work related to discrimination, ERISA issues and defamation.

At the same office, Steven Wall heads the practice and is responsible for planning and managing its strategy. He has extensive experience of employment litigation matters in federal and state courts and before several administrative agencies, with an emphasis on class-based discrimination and collective bargaining. Michael Banks litigates on a wide range of employment matters including professional liability, personal injury, benefits and ERISA litigation. Timothy O’Reilly is a senior counsel at the firm and deals with private and public sector employees, arbitration disputes and union campaigns.

Charles Cohen and Harry Rissetto represent the DC contingent. Cohen brings a wealth of government knowledge with him as a former member of the National Labour Relations Board. He is a “great guy”. Rissetto focuses on employment issues, in the transport sector specifically, and provides mediation and dispute resolution on labour issues.

George Stohner served as an assistant US attorney in the DC civil division of the US Attorney’s Office, where he was responsible for defending the district in major lawsuits challenging personnel and labour/employment-related matters. He enjoys an active California practice acting for union and non-unionised employers.

Managing partner of the Miami office Mark Zelek assists clients on employee benefits, trade secrets, discrimination and arbitration, with an interest in Latin American and Puerto Rican labour law. In Houston, John Harper exclusively represents employers in labour and employment law matters and litigation under the National Labour Relations Act, Fair Labour Act and Civil Rights Act, among other federal legislation.

Over in Europe the chair of the global labour and employment practice Mark Dichter earns a listing. Based in London, he guides clients on workplace discrimination, harassment, employee benefits and whistleblowing disputes. He is the former chair of the ABA Labour and Employment Law Section and is “a recognised name”. In Paris, François Vergne advises on individual and collective aspects of industrial and corporate reorganisations, social security and litigation connected to labour disputes.

In a related area, the firm has three lawyers listed in the corporate immigration chapter. Head of the immigration compliance and risk management practice, Eric Bord represents clients on government investigations, litigation and appeals. Based in DC, he counsels clients in a range of industries including energy, manufacturing, media and the financial services.

Eleanor Pelta is a specialist in dealing with employee transfers, visas for the business and science industries and investor treaty issues. She received a large number of votes and is considered “very good”.

In San Francisco, James Vázquez-Azpiri concentrates on business immigration law, assisting corporate clients with hiring and retaining foreign employees in relation to labour certifications, specialty occupation petitions and intra-company transfers.

On the corporate side, Morgan Lewis has a good showing in the private funds chapter. Ann Baker in Paris focuses on fund structuring and formation and represents a range of clients including REITs, sponsors and venture capitalists. In Miami, Ethan Johnson counsels clients on a wide variety of regulatory and transactional matters, with an emphasis on the creation of funds, including real estate, hedge, UCITS and SEC-registered funds. In California, Peter Phleger is renowned as a “very good venture funds lawyer” and in New York, Louis Singer is “top-tier on the acquirers’ side”. He advises on risk management, fund formation, regulation and institutional investment rules.

Morgan Lewis’ ability to provide expert knowledge in a range of areas is demonstrated by its further listings in the corporate tax, life sciences, insolvency & restructuring, competition, business crime, trademarks, project finance, patens and oil and gas chapters.