Carson G. Burnham

Carson has extensive experience in global employment matters as an employment law litigator and advisor. She also has experience managing employment litigation and threatened litigation on a global scale which includes working with in-house and outside counsel and advising executive leadership, international managers and human resources personnel. During her career, Carson has also tried federal and state cases on matters regarding discrimination, the Family and Medical Leave Act, retaliation, wage & hour, breach of contract, defamation and fraud. She has advised all levels of management, both directly and through an international team, on issues related to employment contracts, performance management, disciplinary action, termination and redundancy matters on a global scale.

Education

• J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1998
• B.A., cum laude, English, University of Vermont, 1995
• Harvard Business School (Executive Leadership Development), 2009-2010

Admission to Practice

• Massachusetts
• U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
• U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

• American Bar Association, International Labor & Employment Law Committee
• American Bar Foundation, Fellow
• International Bar Association
• Association Internationale des Jeunes Avocats
• American Counsel Association, International Committee
• Leaders-In-Law
• Certified Title IX Investigator
• Association of Workplace Investigators, Training Institute Certificate Holder since November 2019

• SHRM Annual Conference – “Cross-Border Conundrums: Examining Workplace Investigations in the U.S. and Beyond” – September 11, 2021
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “The Remote Work Series: Global Remote Work Issues” – April 27, 2021
• Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “Investigations From Afar: Best Practices for Conducting Remote Investigations” – November 11, 2020
• Ogletree Deakins Podcast – “Redundancies During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic” – August 7, 2020
• Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “From Term Sheet to Close: The Life Cycle of an M&A Transaction” – New Orleans – November 14, 2019
• Association of Corporate Counsel Webinar – “Combatting Bullying, Sexual Harassment, and Violence in the Workplace” – April 16, 2019
• Ogletree Deakins International Practice Group Symposium – “Field Notes: International Investigations Workshop, Part 1” – Washington, D.C. – March 28, 2019
• Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive – “Bullying and Harassment in a Global Workforce: Investigations and Remedies” – La Quinta – November 9, 2018
• Ogletree Deakins International Practice Group Seminar – “Compensation Planning in Global Organizations” – Washington – March 29, 2018
• Ogletree Deakins International Practice Group Seminar – “Harassment Investigations in 2018: The World Has Changed” – Washington – March 29, 2018
• ACC Annual Meeting – Outside Counsel Panel – “Where in the World is Emily Employment Counsel” – Washington, D.C. – October 16, 2017
• Clear Law Institute Webinar – “Designing a Global Sales Compensation Plan” – July 20, 2017
• Bloomberg BNA Webinar – “Easing the Pain of Multi-Country Payroll” – June 14, 2017
• The Knowledge Group Webinar – “The Aftermath of the 2016 Presidential Election” – May 15, 2017
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Emerging Issues for Multinational Employers: New Regulations, New Risks, New Challenges” – San Diego – May 4, 2017
• Ogletree Deakins International Practice Group Seminar – “Emerging Globalism: Dealing with Change in Multi-National Organizations” – Washington – March 29, 2017
• Lorman Educational Services Webinar – “Sales Compensation Plan Design” – December 13, 2016
• Association of Corporate Counsel Charlotte Chapter – “International Effects of Corporate Compliance” – Charlotte – October 13, 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Seminar – “As the World Turns: Effectively Managing Global Employment Terminations” – Colorado Springs – September 30, 2016
• Mobility Assignments – “Balancing the Preservation of At-Will Employment against Mitigation of Permanent Establishment Risk” – Kohler – September 27, 2016
• The Knowledge Group /The Knowledge Congress Live Webcast Series – “International Labor & Employment Law: Significant Issues to Watch For in 2016 & Beyond” – September 12, 2016
• The Knowledge Group Webinar – “Identifying Risks and Challenges in a FCPA Violation: What You Need to Know” – May 18, 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Discrimination in the Global Workplace: Strategies for International Employers” – Chicago – May 5, 2016
• Ogletree Deakins Employee Benefits Symposium – “Structuring an International Assignment” – Chicago – May 4, 2016
• The Knowledge Group Webinar – “Whistleblowing: The Landmark to Global Compliance in 2016” – January 28, 2016
• Global Anti-Corruption Compliance Summit 2015 – “How to Effectively Identify and Monitor Facilitation Payments” – New York – November 2015
• Global Anti-Corruption Compliance Summit 2015 – “How to Strengthen the Cooperation between Countries during Cross Jurisdiction Investigations into Corruption and Bribery Cases” – New York – November 2015
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies – “Around the Globe with Independent Contractors” – San Antonio – May 2015
• IUNO and NMN Management Consulting for HR Executives – “Effectively Structuring Global Mobility Assignments: Strategies for Reducing Risk and Hidden Costs” – Copenhagen – February 3, 2015
• Association of Corporate Counsel 2014 Annual Meeting – “Avoiding Common Mistakes in Global Human Resources Investigations” – New Orleans – October 31, 2014
• Association of Corporate Counsel Northeast Chapter – “Global Labor and Employment Compliance” – Boston – October 8, 2014
• Ogletree Deakins Corporate Labor and Employment Exclusive Seminar – “After the Acquisition: Integrating a Global Workforce” – Los Angeles – September 20, 2014
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Harmonizing Cross-Border Employment Practices and ‘Boilerplate’ Language” – Las Vegas – May 8 – 9, 2014
• American Bar Association, Section of International Law – 2013 Fall Meeting – “Rethinking Boilerplate in International Employment Contracts” – London – October 17, 2013
• International Bar Association – Annual Conference – “The Growing Importance of Corporate Immigration and International Employment Law in Transactions; Getting it Right When Moving Personnel Between Entities, In-Country or Across Borders” – Boston – October 10, 2013
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Harmonizing Workplace Practices, Including Employee Privacy: A Global Perspective” – New Orleans – May 10, 2013
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Terminations Around the Globe – Meeting the ‘Just Cause’ Standard” – New Orleans – May 9, 2013
• ABA Section of International Law – 2013 Spring Meeting – “Multinational Bribery Investigations: A Case Study” – Washington, D.C. – April 26, 2013
• Association of Corporate Counsel, Southern California Chapter – “Independent Contractor or Employee” – Anaheim – January 16, 2013
• The Knowledge Congress (webinar) – “International Employment Law: a 2012 Perspective” – December 5, 2012
• aija/ABA Section of International Law, International Employment Law Conference – “Key Human Resources Issues in International M&A” – Boston – June 15, 2012
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “International Roundtable: Engaging the First Employee in a Foreign Jurisdiction” – Phoenix – May 12, 2012
• Ogletree Deakins Workplace Strategies Seminar – “Performance Management and Termination: From the International Perspective” – Phoenix – May 10, 2012
• Ogletree Deakins Employment Law Briefing – “Addressing the Top Five Most Pressing International Labor and Employment Issues” – Boston – April 3, 2012
• Ogletree Deakins Webinar – “Effectively Structuring Global Mobility Assignments” – April 2, 2012
• APALSA/APA Alumni Conference, Boston University Law School – “Breaking Barriers and Overcoming Obstacles in the 21st Century” – Boston – March 3, 2012
• Ogletree Deakins Employment Law Briefing – “Addressing the Top Five Most Pressing International Labor and Employment Issues” – Pittsburgh – February 28, 2012

• May 2018 – Corporate LiveWire – Expert Guide: Labor & Employment 2018 – “Harassment Investigations in 2018: The world has changed”
• January 16, 2017 – Business Management Daily – “In Contentious Times, Reaffirm Your Commitment to Diversity”
• January 4, 2017 – The National Law Review – “So You’re Going Global! Five Employment Basics for U.S. Companies Expanding Overseas”
• October 25, 2016 – Lawyer Monthly Magazine – “Thought Leader: Employment Benefits”
• 2013 – The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Employment & Labour Law 2013 – “Engaging Independent Contractors for Multinational Organizations”

• March 18, 2019 – Financial Times – “Tech investors include #MeToo clauses in start-up deals”
• February 15, 2019 – SHRM Online – “Should Multinational Employers Have a Global Handbook?”
• July 31, 2018 – Lawyer Monthly – “Managing Employment Law On A Global Scale”

• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer (2024)
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law – Management (2021-2025)
• Who’s Who Legal Thought Leader – Labour & Employment (2020)
• Acquisition International’s Most Influential Woman in International Law 2017 – Massachusetts
• Senior Editor, Journal of Constitutional Law
• Phi Beta Kappa Society
• Thomson Reuters “Stand-out Lawyer”