Ogletree Deakins Welcomes Erika Leonard as Shareholder in Atlanta

ATLANTA – December 21, 2015 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to welcome Erika Leonard as a shareholder in the firm’s Atlanta office. Leonard joins Ogletree Deakins from the Atlanta office of Paul Hastings, where she practiced in the Employment Law Department and handled wage and hour class actions and collective actions, single-plaintiff litigation, and appellate work.

Leonard has successfully represented clients in more than a dozen wage and hour class and collective actions, including federal and state discrimination, wrongful termination, breach of contract, independent contractor misclassification, and off-the-clock cases. She regularly handles single-plaintiff employment discrimination cases, appellate litigation, and traditional labor matters. In her counseling practice, Leonard advises clients on compliance with federal and state wage and hour and equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws, reductions in force, and severance issues. She also prepares employee handbooks, conducts harassment, discrimination, and wage and hour investigations and trainings, and drafts employment agreements.

“Our clients regularly face complex class and collective actions that can have significant financial consequences on their business,” said Greg Hare, managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins’ Atlanta office. “Erika’s practical solutions and out-of-the-box thinking will make her an asset to our clients facing litigation and legal issues that could disrupt a business’ operations.”

A frequent writer, Leonard is an associate editor for the Employment Discrimination Law (Fifth Edition), as well the publication’s first supplement. She previously served as a coordinating editor for the third supplement to the Employment Discrimination Law (Fourth Edition), and has contributed to chapters in the Employment Law Deskbook for Human Resources Professionals, California Business Law Deskbook, and Reductions in Force in Employment Law. Leonard serves on the board of Atlanta-based children’s charity Childkind, Inc. and was a member of the organizational team that founded The CarePlace, which is the first free medical clinic in the metro-Atlanta county where she lives. Leonard earned her J.D., cum laude, from Washington and Lee University School of Law and earlier received her B.A. from Dartmouth College.

About Ogletree Deakins
Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has 750 attorneys located in 48 offices across the United States, in Europe, and in Mexico. Ogletree Deakins has been named a Law Firm of the Year five consecutive years by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms.” In 2016, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Employment Law – Management category. 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, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies.