Albuquerque, NM (June 1, 2008) — Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the country's leading workplace law firms, announced today it has opened an office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Four attorneys from the Noeding & Jarrett law firm have joined the firm to establish its 37th office. Albuquerque is the fifth new office opened by Jackson Lewis in 2008.
Danny W. Jarrett will be the managing partner of the new office in Albuquerque. Joining as of counsel are George Cherpelis and James L. Cook, as well as associate Samantha Jarrett. All four attorneys practiced together at Noeding & Jarrett, a workplace law firm founded by Nicholas J. Noeding in 1998. Mr. Noeding, a well known member of the New Mexico Bar, passed away in 2004.
Patrick L. Vaccaro, firm-wide managing partner of Jackson Lewis said, "We are very excited to be the first national workplace law firm to plant a flag in New Mexico and delighted that Danny and his entire team have decided to become a part of our national organization. From the moment we met Danny, we began to understand why his firm is so highly regarded in the employment community. New Mexico has an exciting future and we want to be a part of it. In addition, the Albuquerque office will help us expand our presence in the Southwest, an area of vital importance for Jackson Lewis."
Danny W. Jarrett added, "All of us were very familiar with Jackson Lewis and were impressed by the expansion of their national footprint, especially in the last two years. We jumped at the chance to open the first New Mexico office for a national workplace law firm. We are excited to now be part of a truly national network of offices that gives us a chance to expand our client base throughout the Southwest and elsewhere. "
Danny Jarrett is a New Mexico native and a 1996 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law where he served as a staff editor of The New Mexico Law Review. He received a Bachelor of Science from the University of New Mexico in 1989, where he attended as the recipient of a Presidential Scholarship.
Mr. Jarrett's practice focuses on counseling and representing employers, government entities and Tribal organizations regarding labor and employment disputes. He has successfully represented clients before the NLRB, the EEOC, and the WCA. He has negotiated many collective bargaining agreements with various unions and has represented management's interests in union organizational campaigns and in response to Unfair Labor Practice charges. Mr. Jarrett represented the New Mexico State Bar and set national precedent when the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C. ruled that it did not have jurisdiction to oversee a representation election involving State Bar employees.
Mr. Jarrett also serves as Board Secretary for the Indian Law Section of the State Bar and is serving his second term as an elected board member of the Bar's Employment and Labor Section and is currently Chair-elect. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of New Mexico.
George Cherpelis has over fifty years of experience representing both private and public sector companies in the entire spectrum of employment and labor relations matters. He served as the management member of the City of Albuquerque Labor Relations Board for twenty years and as the management member of the Bernalillo County Labor Relations Board for five years.
Mr. Cherpelis received both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan. He was the former president of the USA National Group and International Vice-President of the Asia Pacific Lawyers Association, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, an organization of attorneys from virtually all Pacific Rim and numerous European nations. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean Conflict, 1951 –1953 and was Honorably Discharged with the rank of Captain in 1959.
James Cook received his J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2005 and an EMBA from the University of Washington in 1996. His practice focuses on counseling and representing employers regarding labor and employment issues and related business matters. Mr. Cook is a member of DRI's Electronic Discovery Committee and the State Bar of New Mexico's Technology and Law Office Management Committees. Mr. Cook served in the United States Navy from 1969 to 1975 and served in the reactor controls division on the nuclear submarines SSBN Henry Clay, SSN Los Angeles, and SSN Flying Fish.
Samantha Jarrett is a New Mexico native and a 2005 graduate of the University of New Mexico School of Law. While in law school, she was awarded the Peggy Browning Fellowship Fund Award in 2003 to work at the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles. She also received the University of New Mexico's Association of Public Law Grant in 2004. Ms. Jarrett participated in the Hispanic National Bar Moot Court Competition in 2004, where she placed second in the nation.
Ms. Jarrett's practice focuses on counseling and representing employers regarding labor and employment issues and related business matters. Ms. Jarrett also has a background in Health Care Law, civil litigation and practice before administrative agencies. Ms. Jarrett is admitted to practice before all state courts in the State of New Mexico. __________________________
About Jackson Lewis LLPFounded in 1958, Jackson Lewis LLP is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law. With offices in 37 cities and 500 attorneys, Jackson Lewis has developed a specialized expertise in every aspect of employment, labor, benefits and immigration law. Additional information about Jackson Lewis LLP can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com.
For more information, please contact:Lara Minch-Klass, Jackson Lewis T: (212) 545-4031 E: klassl@jacksonlewis.com Kara Dullea, the bounce agency T: (864) 351-2736 E: kara.dullea@thebounceagency.com