Two Ogletree Deakins Shareholders Earn Labor and Employment Board Certification from Florida Bar

TAMPA, Fla. – June 1, 2018 – Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce that Phillip Russell and Dee Anna Hays, shareholders in the firm’s Tampa office, are now Board Certified Labor and Employment Lawyers by the Florida Bar having surpassed the rigorous standards set forth by the Bar. Russell and Hays are two of only 199 attorneys in the state who have earned this certification.

The standards require at least five years practicing law, 50 percent or more of an attorney’s practice being labor and employment law focused over the last five years, 60 hours of continuing education, a peer review, and a written examination.

Russell is a practical labor and employment lawyer who represents businesses in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including workplace safety and health (OSHA), traditional labor relations, unfair competition and trade secrets litigation, employment litigation defense, and advising and counseling employers on workplace legal compliance issues. He represents clients in the construction, staffing, technology, manufacturing, banking, and other industries. He is also a nationally recognized speaker and author on labor and employment law issues.

Hays has defended management in both federal and state courts, before numerous government agencies, including the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, Occupational Safety and Heath Administration, Florida Commission on Human Relations, and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and has represented employers in audits performed by the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, OFCCP, and OSHA. She regularly audits employer handbooks, policies, and procedures. She has handled substantive compliance reviews on a national scale for large employers. Hays also frequently lectures on topics in the labor and employment law arena and serves as a Co-Chair for the Labor & Employment Law Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA).

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. Premier client service, as outlined in the firm’s Client Pledge, is one of the firm’s top priorities and a cornerstone of its core values. U.S. News – Best Lawyers^® “Best Law Firms” has named Ogletree Deakins a “Law Firm of the Year” for seven consecutive years. In 2018, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor & Employment category. Ogletree Deakins has more than 850 attorneys located in 52 offices across the United States and in Europe, Canada, and Mexico. The firm represents a diverse range of clients, from small businesses to Fortune 50 companies. www.ogletree.com