The Labor & Employment Department consists of five partners and five associates. We provide the full range of labor & employment-related services to a diverse client base, including employers in fields such as health care, financial services, government, high-tech, biomedical, education and manufacturing. To help you understand our practice, we present below the answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
FAQs
What do we do?
How are we organized?
How are work assignments distributed?
Do associates have an opportunity to work
with different partners?
How much partner contact and client contact
will I have as a first-year
associate?
What is the range of projects I can expect
in my first year?
Will I have the opportunity to participate in pro
bono projects
as a junior associate?
What sort of training will I get to supplement
the courses I took in law school?
What have we done lately?
When do we meet?
What do we do?
We work regularly with human resource professionals as well as chief executives, boards of directors and in-house counsel to provide a broad spectrum of labor and employment services. We represent clients in litigation proceedings in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies nationwide, including discrimination claims and disputes involving restrictive covenants. We assist our clients in drafting employment agreements and severance agreements, and counsel clients concerning the development and implementation of lawful employment policies. We provide advice on handling day-to-day employment matters such as discipline and discharge issues and leaves of absence. We conduct training sessions for our clients on topics such as sexual harassment and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Our lawyers have expertise in the field of immigration law and advise clients on various business immigration issues. We also help our unionized clients negotiate and administer collective bargaining agreements and provide advice to our non-unionized clients on responding to union organizing activity, with particular emphasis on training supervisors in effective employee relations. Our attorneys have extensive experience working with clients on affirmative action programs. We frequently collaborate with colleagues in other areas of the firm, such as the Corporate Department, Tax & Benefits Department, Litigation Department, College & University, Health Care and Sports Law Groups, on interdisciplinary issues such as the employment aspects of corporate transactions, executive compensation and negotiating employment contracts between colleges and athletic coaches.
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Megan Bisk (William & Mary School of Law '06) and partner Diane Patrick have recently worked together advising a large biotechnology company regarding its employment-related obligations in connection with a series of divestitures. |
How are we organized?
The Labor & Employment Department is led by a Department Head, Peter Ebb. The Department is not separated into distinct practice groups. While attorneys typically begin to “specialize” as they become more senior, all associates have practices that include elements of both traditional labor law and employment law.
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Peter Ebb heads the Labor & Employment Department. Peter represents a wide range of clients, including many hospitals, public school districts and private schools, in labor relations and employment matters. He appears frequently before the National Labor Relations Board and the Massachusetts Division of Labor Relations, as well as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. |
How are work assignments distributed?
The Department Head, Peter Ebb, is responsible for coordinating work assignments for associates. In general, when a partner requires assistance on a substantial matter, he or she will discuss the project with Peter, who works with the partner to identify the associate(s) who will work on the project. Peter tries to ensure that the workload is distributed evenly among associates; that all associates have an opportunity to work with a variety of partners; and that each associate is exposed to the full range of work assignments that arise in the Department. Peter meets regularly with associates to discuss the types of work to which the associate has been exposed and identify opportunities for future professional growth.
Do associates have an opportunity to work with different partners?
Yes. We encourage partners to work with as many different associates as possible. The opportunity to observe various styles helps associates to develop their own unique approach to lawyering at the same time as they are learning technical legal skills.
How much partner contact and client contact will I have as a first-year
associate?
First-year associates have extensive partner and client contact. Almost all matters are staffed with one partner and one associate, which provides unparalleled opportunities to gain experience and develop practical skills from the very beginning. Junior associates play significant roles in the Department's cases and have the opportunity, among other things, to appear at administrative agency proceedings, examine witnesses, and participate in client meetings. Associates are encouraged early on to assume responsibility for maintaining client relationships, often serving as the key liaison in the Department for our clients.
What is the range of projects I can expect in my first year?
First-year associates are assigned to projects spanning the full range of matters handled by the Department. By way of example, first year associates might be assigned to defend a charge of discrimination filed at an administrative agency, including fact investigation, drafting our client's response to the charge, and representing the client throughout the administrative investigation. In litigation matters pending in federal or state court, first year associates could be responsible for conducting various aspects of discovery, as well as for drafting substantive pleadings. First-year associates might also work with clients to draft employment policies such as employee handbooks and affirmative action plans. They could be assigned to assist in all aspects of representation or unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board. If associates express an interest in a particular type of assignment, the Department makes every effort to accommodate that interest.
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Chris Powell (Northeastern University School of Law '03) often confers with partner David Mandel on complex labor issues. Chris recently worked with a major Boston non-profit to transition out a long-term and well known employee, which included handling extensive negotiations, advising on public relations strategy and briefing the Board of Directors on its alternatives and responsibilities. For a description of a recent matter Chris was involved in please click here. |
Will I have the opportunity to participate in pro bono projects as a junior associate?
Yes. From the beginning, associates are encouraged to pursue pro bono opportunities of interest to them. Associates in the Department hone their advocacy skills through participation in the Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (“PAIR”) Project, which provides legal representation to indigent clients seeking political asylum. Associates have the opportunity to perform practice-specific pro bono work as well, including defending claims of discrimination filed at administrative agencies and representing clients in proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.
What sort of training will I get to supplement the courses I took
in law
school?
All partners and senior associates in the Department have an “open-door” policy which allows for meaningful informal mentoring and training on an ongoing basis. In addition, the Department conducts an extensive in-house training program for associates, consisting of seminars prepared and presented by senior associates and partners on topics specific to labor and employment law. Associates also participate in firm-wide training programs, which include offerings as diverse as time management, practice development, negotiation skills, and technology-oriented topics. Beyond the opportunities for training that are offered within the firm, associates are encouraged to attend specialized continuing legal education courses across the country on topics ranging from executive compensation to labor arbitration.
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David Noah (Yale Law School ’09) often works with partner Bob Gordon on employment litigation. In a recent non-compete case seeking a temporary injunction for our client, David helped prepare the reply to the defendant’s motion to dismiss. For a description of a recent matter David was involved in please click here. |
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