Ogletree Deakins Expands Atlanta Office, Deepens Workplace Safety, Litigation Experience

ATLANTA – May 22, 2012 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms, welcomes Eric Berezin as a shareholder to the firm’s Atlanta office. Berezin practices in the areas of employment law and workplace safety and health with an emphasis on litigation. He joins Ogletree Deakins from the Atlanta office of Duane Morris where he was a partner. Previously, he was a partner and head of the labor and employment group at Powell Goldstein. With the addition of Berezin, Ogletree Deakins continues its nation-wide growth in response to continuing client demand. Since January 2012, Ogletree Deakins has added shareholders in its Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City, and Philadelphia offices.  

During his career that spans nearly 30 years, Berezin has gained extensive experience in the workplace safety and health area, and frequently represents employers in connection with on-site investigations conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and OSHA’s state counterparts. Berezin also frequently litigates cases before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, in state and federal court, and before various state agencies. Additionally, he assists clients in developing workplace safety and health policies and procedures, conducts safety and health audits, and provides training on a wide variety of workplace safety and health topics.

Beyond his workplace safety and health experience, Berezin represents employers throughout the country in arbitrations, mediations, and trials involving employment-related claims, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful discharge. Berezin’s practice also includes the prosecution and defense of actions involving employment contracts, trade secrets and noncompetition agreements as well as employment-related tort and privacy claims.

“Eric is uniquely situated at the intersection of employment law and workplace safety and health where his knowledge and experience will be very valuable to clients given the recent and ever-increasing amount of enforcement activity from agencies such as OSHA and the Department of Labor,” said Bill Steinhaus, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office. “Eric’s experience enables him to counsel clients on compliance and risk avoidance while also defending them when claims are brought under the various employment and safety and health statutes and regulations.” 

Berezin earned his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law, and a B.S., cum laude, from American University.

About Ogletree Deakins  

Ogletree Deakins is the nation’s third-largest labor and employment law firm, representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 600 lawyers located in 41 offices across the United States. In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law. Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, including more than half of the Fortune 50 corporations in the United States. For more information, please contact Ryan King, public relations manager, at (404) 870-1742.