Jackson Lewis to Expand Mid-Atlantic Footprint, Open Baltimore Office

WHITE PLAINS, NY, January 14, 2010 – Jackson Lewis (www.jacksonlewis.com), one of the largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms in the United States, announced that it will open its 45th office in Baltimore, MD next week with the move of nine attorneys from the Baltimore office of DLA Piper. Richard J. Hafets, Emmett F. McGee, Brooks R. Amiot and Larry R. Seegull will join the office as Partners.  Linda M. Boyd, Lynn A. Clements, Jill S. Distler, Clifton R. Gray and Paul Mallos will join as Associates.   This new office will mark the 12th Jackson Lewis office opened since 2008.  With existing offices in Richmond and Norfolk as well as the Washington, D.C. Region office in Northern Virginia, adding a Baltimore location further solidifies the firm’s position as a leading labor and employment law presence in the Mid-Atlantic region.  It allows the firm to better serve Maryland-based clients and will complement the other mid-Atlantic offices in offering clients in the region an expanded team and resources. “We are honored to have this group of distinguished attorneys join our firm and open our 45th office in Baltimore,” said Patrick L. Vaccaro, firm-wide Managing Partner.  “We are thrilled to have attracted exceptional professionals with the right experience, reputation and track record of success to establish an office while providing additional value to a greatly expanded roster of clients.  Together with our current team of seasoned attorneys and other recent lateral acquisitions in the Mid-Atlantic corridor, this group provides our firm with considerable depth and breadth of employment and labor law talent in these major markets.”   “In bringing Richard and his team on board, we have completed one of our largest lateral initiatives in firm history,” Vaccaro added. “But this is not about size alone.  It is about the quality of our representation and service to our clients.  To attract this type of talent from a firm such as DLA Piper speaks volumes about our firm and what it represents.” Richard J. Hafets, who will serve as Managing Partner of the new Baltimore office, is an accomplished practitioner in all areas of labor and employment law, including union avoidance, traditional labor-management relations, employment litigation, and EEO and affirmative action.  He brings to Jackson Lewis significant expertise representing many Fortune 500 companies, health-care institutions, charities, and municipalities.  Mr. Hafets is listed as one of America”s leading Labor and Employment lawyers in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, where he is ranked in the top tier of attorneys and described as “the dean of Maryland employment law.”  He has been repeatedly listed in The Best Lawyers in America for labor and employment law, named in Who’s Who Legal: USA—Management Labor & Employment as a leader for management-side labor attorneys in the state of Maryland, and listed in Who”s Who in American Law.  Among his numerous accolades, Mr. Hafets has also been named a Maryland Super Lawyer, and in 2009, listed in the 2010 Baltimore’s Best Lawyers by the Baltimore Sun.  In addition to numerous published cases, Mr. Hafets has contributed to many legal and business journals including the Employee Relations Law Journal, among others. Emmett F. McGee’s practice focuses on representing employers in all aspects of employment law and human resource management, including employment discrimination, wage and hour issues and affirmative action planning.  Mr. McGee’s practice also concentrates in litigation in both state and federal courts throughout the country, as well as before administrative agencies and arbitration panels.  He also has extensive experience in areas of employment contracts, trade secrets and restrictive covenants, and related litigation, as well as the litigation of ERISA claims and stock option claims.  Calling him a “major player in the employment field,” an “outstanding litigator,” and a “very smart attorney,” Mr. McGee is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as one of the country’s leading labor and employment lawyers.  In 2008, he was named a Maryland Super Lawyer, a recognition granted only to five percent of all lawyers in the state.  He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Maryland.  An A.V. rated attorney, Brooks R. Amiot represents employers on a broad spectrum of employment related issues including union avoidance issues, collective bargaining and matters before the National Labor Relations Board, labor arbitration, among others.  He regularly defends clients in all facets of employment-related litigation, and has extensive experience in every phase of litigation, from discovery to trial to appeal.  He has also conducted a number of internal investigations for both publicly traded and private entities and has been actively involved in advising both domestic and international corporate clients regarding the employment implications of proposed mergers and acquisitions.  In 2009, he was selected for inclusion on the Maryland Super Lawyers list, and named to SmartCEO magazine’s Legal Elite as a “go-to” attorney in business law.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for Everyman Theatre and on the Board of Trustees at Maryland Art Place. Larry R. Seegull represents both private and public sector employers in all areas of workplace law.  Mr. Seegull advises clients on numerous employment related issues; including federal and state employment discrimination, ADA and FMLA workplace harassment lawsuits, wage and hour claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act, National Labor Board proceeding hearings, among others. Chambers & Partners cites him as a leading lawyer in the field of Labor and Employment in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, and is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America.  A frequent lecturer and writer on labor and management issues, Mr. Seegull has been quoted in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal.  He is also a Member of the Board of Directors of the Jewish Big Brothers and Big Sisters League. “Needless to say we are excited to join Jackson Lewis, one of the premier workplace law boutiques in the nation, and help raise their profile in the greater Baltimore area and beyond,” said Richard Hafets.  “Being part of Jackson Lewis will allow us to market our labor and employment practice on both a regional and national basis and service clients like never before.  We look forward to collaborating with our new colleagues in Washington, D.C., Virginia, and throughout the country.” The new Baltimore office is located at 2800 Quarry Lake Drive, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21209. The main phone number is 410-415-2000, and the main fax line is 410-415-2001.

About Jackson Lewis

Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law with more than 600 attor