Ogletree Deakins Wins InnovAction Award from College of Law Practice Management

“One Team” Employment Convergence Model with
Red Robin Saves in Excess of $3 million

INDIANAPOLIS – October 12, 2020 – Ogletree Deakins, one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, along with client Red Robin, a large hospitality employer with more than 28,000 employees across 450 locations in the United States, has won the InnovAction Award for innovation from the College of Law Practice Management for their “One Team” Employment Convergence Model. Chuck Baldwin and Katy Yang-Page currently lead the team for Ogletree Deakins alongside Michael Kaplan, senior vice president and chief legal officer, and Christina Santangelo, litigation manager, for Red Robin.

The “One Team” model reduced Red Robin’s employment litigation by a staggering 70 percent during a two-year fiscal period; saved the client more than $3 million over the same time period; changed the trajectory of the client’s legal spend which was growing at more than 15 percent annually; and developed an online counseling log for employment questions and answers that minimized response times from 7-10 days to 1-24 hours. The InnovAction Award for innovation was presented to Ogletree Deakins and Red Robin during the College of Law Practice Management’s 2020 Futures Conference.

The “One Team” model was collaboratively developed when Ogletree Deakins was retained to handle all of Red Robin’s single-plaintiff litigation and agency charges and to provide employment-related legal advice and counseling for a fixed monthly fee. Ogletree Deakins delivered a combination of proprietary technology across case management platforms, compliance solutions, and knowledge management resources to Red Robin, including ClientLink™, OD Comply™, IntelliCase™, Client Team Sites, and the firm’s Knowledge Management Legal Resource Center. The “One Team” project resulted in a reduced legal spend, created budget certainty, improved consistency, and altered the approach to counseling, compliance, risk management, and claim resolution.

For Ogletree Deakins, receiving the InnovAction Award for innovation demonstrates how the firm lived the tenants of its Client Pledge by collaborating to develop creative business solutions; harnessing technology and innovation to better serve its client’s interests; communicating in a timely and effective manner; and providing quality representation with exceptional value.

“A focus on value, efficiency, and a mutually beneficial outcome can truly transform the relationship between law firms and their in-house legal department partner,” said Chuck Baldwin, Ogletree Deakins’ former managing director and lead counsel for Red Robin. “We are proud that our partnership with Red Robin has illustrated the importance of this collaborative approach and are honored to jointly receive the InnovAction Award for innovation from the College of Law Practice Management.”

“Receiving this award is exciting and a testament to the collaboration between the Red Robin and Ogletree Deakins teams,” said Michael Kaplan, chief legal officer for Red Robin. “The results achieved from our “One Team” integrated approach demonstrate how alignment around a shared vision and mutually beneficial outcomes can transform the relationship between clients and their outside counsel.”

The InnovAction Awards are part of a worldwide search for the most innovative law firms, lawyers, technical experts, and other participants in the legal services sector. The awards seek to identify and reward passionate professionals with big ideas and strong convictions who are making a difference. Since 2004, The College of Law Practice Management has presented the coveted InnovAction Awards to those unsung heroes and rising stars from among the legal profession who make a mark in the system by daring to think differently.

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 nine consecutive years. In 2020, the publication named Ogletree Deakins its “Law Firm of the Year” in the Labor Law – Management and Litigation – ERISA categories. Ogletree Deakins has more than 900 attorneys located in 53 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