Ogletree Deakins Names Five New Shareholders

ATLANTA, GA – January 30, 2008 – Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms, announced today that the following five attorneys were voted shareholders at the firm’s annual Shareholders Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia on January 26: Matthew S. Effland of the firm’s Indianapolis office; Helen A. Palladeno of the firm’s Tampa office; Chris M. Mason of the firm’s Phoenix office; Margaret H. Gillespie of the firm’s Los Angeles office; and Rafael Morell of the firm’s Washington, DC office. With the addition of these five lawyers, Ogletree Deakins now has 218 shareholders firm wide.

Matthew S. Effland, of the firm’s Indianapolis office, regularly represents clients at both the state and federal level in a variety of employment litigation claims, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.  He earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell College and his law degree, cum laude, from Texas Tech School of Law.

Helen A. Palladeno, of the firm’s Tampa office, counsels employers concerning labor issues, the ADA, Title VII, the ADEA, the FMLA, the FLSA and the WARN Act. She earned her undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from the University of South Florida and her law degree, magna cum laude, from Florida State University College of Law.

Chris M. Mason, of the firm’s Phoenix office, represents clients in employment and labor litigation in federal and state courts, and before administrative agencies, and counsels management clients on applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations.  He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis and his law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law.

Margaret H. Gillespie, of the firm’s Los Angeles office, has represented management in a wide variety of employment litigation matters, as well as provided employment advice and counseling to employers. She earned her undergraduate degree from Stanford University and her law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Rafael Morell, of the firm’s Washington, DC office, represents businesses in employment litigation matters before courts and administrative agencies as well as commercial disputes. He also advises clients on a wide variety of labor and employment issues. Mr. Morell earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Albany and his law degree from Cornell Law School.

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 400 lawyers located in 33 offices from Miami to Los Angeles. 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 U.S.

For more information, please contact Karen Gonzales, communications manager, at 210-277-3606.