Appellate
At Ogletree Deakins, our appellate attorneys know that appeals court rulings can affect our clients’ industries as a whole. Ogletree Deakins’ appellate work has made a global impact in several industries. Our appellate victory regarding the interpretation of the federal Mine Safety and Health Act (MSHA) was a boon to the entire mining industry.
Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Employment arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques can help employers and employees achieve quicker and more efficient resolutions to employment disputes. Using ADR, especially arbitration, can reduce the burden and expense of litigation while maintaining fairness to all parties.
Background Checks
Background checks are a trending topic for employers because of the tidal wave of class action lawsuits alleging technical violations of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act as well as the proliferation of state and local background check laws (including those arising from the Ban the Box movement).
California Class Action and PAGA
California routinely leads the nation in wage-and-hour class action filings for a number of reasons. California’s wage and hour laws provide a broader range of rights for employees than federal law or the laws of other states. In addition, California’s Labor Code generally allows a successful employee to recover attorneys’ fees, whereas a successful employer is not able to recover fees from the employee.
Class Action
Our class action lawyers are veterans. We have decades of experience handling numerous types of federal and state law class and collective actions, such as those arising under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Cross-Border
Often, a company’s employment issues are not isolated to one state, country, or region of the world. Our Cross-Border Practice Group helps clients with matters worldwide—whether involving a single non-U.S. jurisdiction or dozens.
Cybersecurity and Privacy
The attorneys in the Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice Group at Ogletree Deakins understand that data now accumulates quickly and transmits easily. As the law adapts to technical advancements, we effectively advise our clients as they work to comply with new developments and best practices for protecting the privacy of the data that their businesses collect and retain.
Disability Access
The lawyers in Ogletree Deakins' Disability Access Practice Group have extensive experience helping their clients face the multiple challenges presented by Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other disability access laws. From defending class actions, to ensuring compliance with federal and state building standards-thereby eliminating the conditions that lead to litigation-to navigating the complicated regulations covering service animals, hotel reservations, ticketing, and Segways, our work is comprehensive.
Diversity and Inclusion
Our attorneys are ready to assist with the full spectrum of workplace D&I-related issues. The members of Ogletree Deakins’ Diversity and Inclusion Practice Group have extensive and unique experience assisting employers in the creation, implementation, and management of D&I programs, including conducting thorough analyses of diversity data and identifying meaningful metrics and benchmarks.
Drug Testing
Ogletree Deakins understands that employers face complex and nuanced issues when implementing and enforcing drug and alcohol testing and substance abuse policies. Drawing on decades of experience advising and defending drug testing laboratories, and public and private employers across the country and internationally, our attorneys provide highly responsive legal service
Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest teams of employee benefits and executive compensation practitioners in the United States. As part of a firm that focuses on labor and employment law, our Employee Benefits Practice Group has a special ability to relate technical experience to the client’s “big picture” issues.
Employment Law
Ogletree Deakins’ employment lawyers are experienced in all aspects of employment law, from day-to-day advice to complex employment litigation.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives involve unique and sometimes difficult challenges for employers that seek to develop and comply with these initiatives while minimizing the potential for audits, shareholder demands, litigation, and other adverse, reputational outcomes based on these ESG initiatives.
ERISA Litigation
Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest teams of employee benefits, executive compensation, and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) litigation practitioners in the United States. As part of a firm that focuses on labor and employment law, Ogletree Deakins’ ERISA Litigation Practice Group applies technical litigation experience and employee benefits knowledge to clients’ needs.
Ethics Compliance and Whistleblower Response
Ogletree Deakins provides clients with innovative and business-oriented solutions to compliance issues across every facet of labor and employment law. Our lawyers work with clients to design effective compliance measures, assist in audits and investigations, and defend clients in relation to compliance as well as retaliation claims.
Global Reorganizations
Organizations may need to restructure their workforces for a number of reasons. These include mergers and acquisitions, post-merger integrations (PMI), cost-cutting initiatives, and reorganizations of group structure to improve, among other things, business performance, operations, and efficiencies.
Governmental Affairs
Ogletree Governmental Affairs, Inc. (OGA), a subsidiary of Ogletree Deakins, is a full service legislative and regulatory affairs consulting firm, dedicated to helping clients solve their problems with the public sector. OGA unites the skills and experience of government relations professionals with the talent of the Firm’s lawyers to provide solutions to regulatory issues outside the courtroom.
Higher Education
Ogletree Deakins is an industry leader in higher education legal practice. Our attorneys have decades of experience advising and defending public and private, religious and secular colleges, universities, and vocational schools.
Immigration
Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest business immigration practices in the United States and provides a wide range of legal services for employers seeking temporary business visas and permanent residence on behalf of foreign national employees.
Leaves of Absence/Reasonable Accommodation
Managing leaves and reasonably accommodating employees can be complex, frustrating, and expose employers to legal peril. Employers must navigate a bewildering array of state and federal statutes, with seemingly contradictory mandates.
Litigation
Ogletree Deakins’ litigation practice continues to expand with each new employment right or legal obligation created by legislatures or the courts. Our litigators have significant experience handling complex employment cases, including class and collective actions.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Ogletree Deakins understands that corporate acquisitions and restructurings can be complex and challenging. Clients need a business partner that can help them structure the labor and employment aspects of a transaction in a way that will provide transparent information on the costs of compliance with applicable laws and regulations at every stage of the deal.
Multistate Advice and Counseling
Multistate compliance is a rising challenge for many employers as they expand their business footprints and remote workforces across state lines. Multistate employers are required to comply with various state and local laws that are constantly evolving while also maintaining their workplace culture and meeting their business goals.
OFCCP Compliance, Government Contracting, and Reporting
The experienced attorneys in our OFCCP Compliance, Government Contracting, and Reporting Practice Group advise and defend federal contractors and subcontractors on jurisdictional, compliance, and enforcement issues relevant to government contracting, including those involving the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
Pay Equity
Recent high-profile lawsuits and increased activity from state legislatures have thrust pay equity issues to the forefront for today’s employers. As the momentum of legislation, regulation, and corporate initiatives focused on identifying and correcting pay disparities continues to grow, our attorneys are ready to assist with the full spectrum of pay equity-related issues.
RIF/WARN
Whether it’s a change in a client’s existing business structure, the acquisition of another entity, or a downturn in an economic sector, the attorneys in the Ogletree Deakins’ RIF/WARN Practice Group have extensive experience working with businesses in almost every industry.
Technology
Ogletree Deakins is uniquely situated to provide tech employers and users (the “TECHPLACE™”) with labor and employment advice, compliance counseling, and litigation services that embrace innovation and mitigate legal risk. Through our Technology Practice Group, we support clients in the exploration, invention, and/or implementation of new and evolving technologies to navigate the unique and emerging labor and employment issues present in the workplace.
Traditional Labor Relations
The attorneys in Ogletree Deakins’ Traditional Labor Practice Group have vast experience in complex and sophisticated traditional labor law matters. This includes experience advising and representing employers of all sizes and across virtually all industries in connection with union representation campaigns, collective bargaining negotiations, strike preparations, labor arbitrations, and National Labor Relations Board proceedings.
Trial
We understand that only a fraction of lawsuits will ever make it to trial. That means that most companies—and their lawyers—have very little actual jury trial experience. So when your case is called to trial, you need a trial team with experience.
Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets
We know your business. We know what makes it valuable. We make it our business to protect your assets and goodwill. Every day, our Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Practice Group—comprised of more than 100 lawyers—leverages our deep bench, experience, and efficiency-built technology and litigation support to partner with companies of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies.
Wage and Hour
Ogletree Deakins’ Wage and Hour Practice Group features attorneys who are experienced in advising and representing employers in a wide range of wage and hour issues, and who are located in Ogletree Deakins’ offices across the country.
Workplace Investigations and Organizational Assessments
Our attorneys draw on investigation and litigation experience to navigate complex complaints. Knowing how issues will be evaluated by a trier of facts—a judge or jury—can be critical. Moreover, we assist employers in evaluating whether the attorney-client privilege applies to investigation communications.
Workplace Safety and Health
The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) practice of Ogletree Deakins is characterized by the knowledge and credibility of our attorneys, and the exceptional level of service that we provide to our clients.
