Most Highly Regarded Firms: Management Labour & Employment 2008

• December 2008

• Management Labour and Employment

Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP has received the management labour and employment law firm of the year award for the past three consecutive years in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, and once again emerges as the best-regarded firm in this edition.

PAUL HASTINGS JANOFSKY & WALKER LLP

Of the firm's 14 representatives, 12 are based in the US, including Paul Grossman in Los Angeles, who received the most nominations of any listed practitioner. Grossman, who acts as general counsel for the California Employment Law Council, was described by one source as "a leader of discrimination law", and his diverse practice also encompasses a strong focus on wage-and-hour class actions, and whistleblower and sexual harassment cases.

The "outstanding" Barbara Brown chairs the firm's Washington, DC, office and was one of the most popular names in our research. Brown specialises in discrimination class actions, with particular focus on pay, promotion and hiring disputes. Another "stand-out name" at the firm is Nancy Abell, chair of the firmwide employment department and an expert in wrongful discharge and labour management litigation.

The firm also enjoys a presence in the UK, with the "terrific" Christopher Walter, who heads the employment department in the London office, where he specialises in employment factors effecting European data-privacy compliance, asset and share acquisitions, downsizing, outsourcing, and the drafting of consultancy agreements. The "great" Setsuko Ueno is special counsel in the firm's Tokyo office, where she specialises in employment-related litigation

US FIRMS

Of the 424 professionals in this edition, over a third are based in the US. Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP fields an impressive nine representatives in this publication, among whom labour and employment chair Mark Dichter is the most frequently nominated lawyer. Dichter is "one of the world's leading lawyers" for nationwide wage-and-hour litigation, ERISA class actions and whistleblower cases. Also listed is the "excellent" Barry Hartstein, who leads the Chicago office and represents companies in individual and class-action employment claims. Senior counsel Charles Cohen earned praise for his union and labour relations work, as well as his representation of senior management figures in complex private sector employment matters.

Nine lawyers from Seyfarth Shaw LLP also feature in this edition, with senior counsel Gloria Portela heading the list. Portela's "excellent reputation" is built on her employment dispute resolution practice, and she has also advised the Illinois and Texas advisory committees to the US civil rights commission, the commission on workforce quality and labour market efficiency and the civil rights reviewing authority of the US Department of Health and Human Services. Immediate past chair of the national labour and employment practice group Camille Olson is also highly rated, earning praise for her sexual harassment, discrimination and wage-and-hour work. Gerald Skoning has over 35 years of experience in labour and employment law, with notable cases including Lorance v AT&T, Caterpillar v Williams and University of Chicago v McDaniel.

At Miller Canfield Paddock and Stone PLC, Charles Mishkind is "extremely well-regarded" for alternative dispute resolution work for non-union employees and retiree health insurance benefit litigation. Mishkind is also one of five lawyers in the US to boast a fellowship in both the American College of Labour Lawyers and the American College of Benefit Counsel. Three attorneys feature from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, including Gary Siniscalco whose practice encompasses affirmative action, wrongful discharge and wage-and-hour matters, and who counts Albertson's, Merrill Lynch and General Electric among his clients. Howard Shapiro is one of seven nominees from Proskauer Rose LLP. Considered "top in New Orleans", Shapiro specialises in benefits and ERISA-related litigation, and was one of the founding members of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel.

EU FIRMS

The United Kingdom is home to 43 of the lawyers in this book, three of these hail from the "brilliant" Lewis Silkin, which was one of the best-regarded firms in the country for employment work. James Davies was noted by peers for his sexual harassment and age discrimination defence work, as well as his transfer of undertakings work on behalf of various companies. Also listed is Michael Burd, whose recent cases include successfully defending a professional services firm against a high-profile discrimination claim and aiding a US media multinational in its cross-border restructuring process. Russell Brimelow completes the firm's impressive showing here, receiving recognition for his mergers and restructuring work and his "excellent" senior employment termination negotiations.

Allen & Overy LLP finds two of its London partners in our listings. Former legal adviser to the Confederation of British Industry's employment affairs directorate, Mark Mansell is "fantastic" for transfer and takeover, service agreements, redundancy, and discrimination work. Karen Seward, who advises multinationals on strategic employment issues, is one of the "best-respected" names on our list. Two UK attorneys are also listed from Linklaters LLP, including head of the London employment group Raymond Jeffers. Jeffers advises public and private sector multinationals in all aspects of employment law and was described as "excellent" by numerous respondents to our survey. Another "outstanding" name at the firm is Catrina Smith, whose practice encompasses corporate transactions, collective labour law and discrimination issues.

We identify 24 experts in Germany. Heading the list of three attorneys from CMS Hasche Sigle, Gerlind Wisskirchen is a specialist in cross-border transfers and outsourcing, code of conduct implementation, and data privacy issues for multinationals and European works councils. Joining her are mergers and sale of business expert Björn Gaul, and Dieter Straub, who specialises in advising companies on the conclusion and termination of service agreements. Gleiss Lutz is also represented by three practitioners, including collective bargaining, restructurings and outsourcing specialist Martin Diller, who was the firm's best-regarded lawyer; Jobst-Hubertus Bauer, who was described as "one of the top names in Germany" by sources; and Gerhard Röder, whose experience in negotiations with works councils and trade unions, and company pension plans, earns him high praise.

Belgium is home to 12 of the lawyers we identify, among whom dismissal and transfer specialist Chris Engels of Claeys & Engels was the best-regarded name. Fellow name partner Thierry Claeys brings over 35 years' experience to the table and was noted for his work in the harmonisation of working conditions, collective and individual dismissals and qualification of a contract work. Respondents also "think very highly of" Carl Bevernage at Loyens & Loeff, whose practice encompasses industrial relations, national insurance and pensions work under both Belgian and EU law. Another well-respected figure at Loyens & Loeff, Christian Willems, chairs the firm's employment law, compensation & benefits and pensions practice group and specialises in collective dismissals, reorganisations, employee benefits, pensions and social security cases.

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