SEATTLE, WA. (April 21, 2011) – Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms, celebrates the passage of HB1432/SB5841, a piece of legislation designed to permit corporate employers to give veterans preference in the hiring process and other employment decisions.
The bill, originally drafted as “Permissive Veterans Preference: A New Act to Permit Private Employers to Voluntarily Exercise a Preference for Veterans in Employment," was written by David H. Black, Of Counsel in the firm’s Seattle, Washington office. Passage of HB1432/SB5841, which sailed through the Washington House by a vote of 94-4 in late February and the Senate on April 6, makes Washington the first state in the country to honor veterans with this kind of private sector employment preference.
“HB1432/SB5841 is modeled on the same laws that permit Federal and state agencies to prefer veterans in employment. However, it allows – but does not require – private employers to give employment preferences to military veterans and certain spouses and widows, without running afoul of Title VII, or state or local equal employment opportunity laws,” said Black, who also serves as Legislative Director for SHRM Washington State Council. “Passage of this bill is obviously a great boon for the many veterans in our state, but it also creates a legal shield for employers, who wish to take advantage of Work Opportunity Tax Credits by hiring qualifying veterans or who simply want to honor veterans with employment opportunities.”
Washington State Representative Jay Rodne championed the legislation for the State of Washington on Jan 21, 2011 and engaged a bi-partisan group of Washington State legislators to support him in his efforts.
“We are proud of David’s involvement with this bill, which benefits both veterans and employers,” said Firm-wide Managing Partner Patrick L. Vaccaro. “Establishing a permissive preference in private employment for veterans returning from overseas duties helps them reintegrate into communities and assists in creating a level playing field. At the same time, it is good for business, as those employers who hire veterans qualifying for public assistance will receive a federal tax credit. It’s a win-win situation.”
“This is a perfect example of Jackson Lewis attorneys helping to shape today’s laws,” said Garen E. Dodge, Co-Chair of the firm’s Government Relations Practice Group. “David is one of many attorneys in the firm who are uniquely positioned to advocate for fair and appropriate policy-making in the employment law area at the legislative, regulatory and judicial levels.”
The veterans’ employment preference legislation is an initiative of Hire America’s Heroes with the support of the Washington State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management, the Association of Washington Business, the Washington Lodging Association, the Washington Retail Association, Washington Veterans' Legislative Coalition, Washington Military Department, Helmets to Hardhats, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, Boeing, Allied Waste, a Republic Services Company, and Setracon, Inc.
To learn more about Jackson Lewis’ Government Relations group, please visit www.jacksonlewis.com.
About Jackson Lewis
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis, dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law, is one of the fastest growing workplace law firms in the U.S., with over 650 attorneys practicing in 46 cities nationwide. We have a wide-range of specialized practice areas, including: Affirmative Action and OFCCP Diversity Planning; Disability, Leave and Health Management; Employee Benefits, including Complex ERISA Litigation and Executive Compensation; Global Immigration; Labor, including Preventive Practices; Litigation, including Class Actions, Complex Litigation and e-Discovery; Trade Secrets, Non-Competes and Workplace Technology; Wage and Hour Compliance; Workplace Safety Compliance and Corporate Diversity Counseling. In addition, Jackson Lewis provides advice nationally in other workplace law areas, including: Reductions in Force, WARN Act; Corporate Governance and Internal Investigations; Drug Testing and Substance Abuse Management; International Employment Issues; Management Education, including e-Based Training; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Public Sector Issues; Government Relations; Collegiate and Professional Sports; and Privacy, Social Media and Information Management.
For the 10th consecutive year, Jackson Lewis has been recognized for delivering client service excellence to the world’s largest corporations. Representing a decade of excellence, Jackson Lewis has once again earned a spot on the BTI Client Service A-Team. Jackson Lewis has also been recognized by in-house counsel of Fortune 1000 companies in a survey conducted by BTI Consulting Group as “the single highest-ranked firm clients want by their side in employment battles.” In addition, Jackson Lewis is ranked in the First Tier nationally in the categories of both Employment Law and Labor Law on behalf of Management in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers ® “Best Law Firms.” Jackson Lewis has one of the most active employment litigation practices in the United States, with a current caseload of over 5000 litigations and approximately 300 class actions; with over 2100 litigations brought to the firm in 2010 alone. Also, Jackson Lewis is affiliated with L & E Global employers’ counsel worldwide.
Additional information about Jackson Lewis can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com.
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For more information, please contact:
Lara Hamm, Jackson Lewis
T: (703) 483-8373, E: hamml@jacksonlewis.com