- Adds Labor & Employment Attorneys in Richmond and Norfolk
- Jackson Lewis has Three Offices in Commonwealth of Virginia
- National Law Firm with Largest Labor & Employment Practice in Virginia
WHITE PLAINS, NY, March 1, 2010 – Jackson Lewis (www.jacksonlewis.com), one of the largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms in the United States with 600 attorneys in 45 offices, announced John M. Barr, former Commissioner for the Virginia Department of Labor, has joined the Firm in Richmond, and Kelvin L. Newsome and Thomas M. Lucas have joined the Firm in Norfolk, all as Partners. With offices in Norfolk, Northern Virginia, and Richmond, Jackson Lewis has 37 labor and employment lawyers in Virginia—more than any other firm in the Commonwealth.
“Getting John, Kelvin and Tom on board at the same time is a tremendous coup for us at Jackson Lewis,” said David E. Nagle, Resident Manager of the Richmond and Norfolk offices. “They bring strength to our team in this part of the state, bringing a combined 70+ years of practical advice and representation of employers in Central and Tidewater Virginia. They allow us to better serve existing Jackson Lewis clients in this region, and they now have the ability to bring to their clients the depth and breadth of labor and employment law expertise that only a national firm dedicated to workplace law can offer. Their arrival represents an exciting opportunity to expand our presence in Richmond and Hampton Roads.”
John M. Barr has nearly 20 years experience focusing his practice on all aspects of employment relations including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, workplace safety, breach of contract, unfair labor practice charges, benefits and other statutory and contract claims. He has vast experience representing employers before the U.S. Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as various state administrative agencies. As Commissioner of Virginia’s Department of Labor and Industry, Mr. Barr was responsible for administering and enforcing Virginia’s OSHA program, wage payment law, and child labor laws.
As an adjunct professor at the University of Richmond, Mr. Barr teaches courses on Employment Law and Ethical Action. He has received numerous distinctions throughout his career, including the Patrick Henry Award for Service to the Commonwealth. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Virginia Super Lawyers and Virginia Business magazine’s Legal Elite.
Mr. Barr earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School where he graduated cum laude in 1987 and earned his undergraduate at Wabash College where he graduated summa cum laude in 1984. He comes to Jackson Lewis from LeClair Ryan.
With close to 20 years of litigation experience, Kelvin L. Newsome represents employers in a wide variety of employment matters, including claims of discrimination, defamation, wrongful discharge, harassment and retaliation. He has first chair experience in more than 40 jury trials and several bench trials in state and federal courts.
Mr. Newsome earned his B.S. from Washington & Lee University in 1986, and his J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1992, where he was the Editor of The North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation. From 1992-1993, he clerked for the Honorable Burley B. Mitchell, Jr. of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Mr. Newsome also comes to Jackson Lewis from LeClair Ryan, where he was on the firm’s Executive Committee.
Thomas M. Lucas comes to Jackson Lewis with 30 years experience representing and advising clients in all aspects of traditional labor law as well as employment law. An experienced trial attorney, he defends clients before administrative and regulatory agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Justice and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
As a former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Trial Specialist and Deputy Assistant General Counsel, Mr. Lucas trains managers in union avoidance techniques and often counsels and defends corporate clients in union campaigns, collective bargaining and related litigation.
For 17 years Mr. Lucas has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for Labor and Employment Law, has been named to “Virginia’s Legal Elite” by Virginia Business magazine, and is a Fellow of the College of Labor & Employment Law. He earned his J.D. from Catholic University of America in 1981, his M.S. in Labor Relations from Cornell University in 1978, and a B.S. from Hobart College in 1970. Mr. Lucas came to Jackson Lewis from Wilcox & Savage.
“Our client needs in Virginia have grown significantly over the past few years,” said John M. Remy, Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. Region Office. “And in that time we’ve been able to secure some of the Commonwealth’s most skilled and highly-regarded labor and employment law counsel. In fact, five of our firm’s National Practice Heads are based in Virginia. They include: Paul DeCamp, Practice Head for Wage and Hour; Bradford T. Hammock, Practice Head for OSHA; Mark A. de Bernardo, Practice Head for ADR & Drug Testing/Substance Abuse; Garen E. Dodge, Co-Chair of our Government Relations Practice; and Weldon A. Latham, Practice Head for Corporate Diversity Counseling.”
Jackson Lewis’ three Virginia offices are located as follows:
Norfolk: 999 Waterside Drive, Suite 515, Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 648-1448
Northern Virginia: 10701 Parkridge Blvd., Suite 300, Reston, VA 20191 (703) 483-8300
Richmond: 321 W. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 649-0404
About Jackson Lewis
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law with more than 600 attorneys practicing in 45 cities nationwide. Jackson Lewis has 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, Workplace Privacy 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; and Workplace Safety Compliance. 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 Issues; Management Education, including e-Based Training; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Public Sector Issues; Government Relations; Corporate Diversity Counseling, and College and University Employment Law and Compliance Issues.
# # #
Contact: Roger Ardan/Christina Cozzi
rardan@gibbs-soell.com
ccozzi@gibbs-soell.com
212-697-2600