NEW YORK, NY, (October 29, 2007) Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the country's largest and fastest growing workplace law firms, announced today that Ren? E. Thorne, a nationally recognized employee benefits and employment law litigator formerly with Proskauer Rose, will become resident manager of its newly-established New Orleans office. Jason Stein, a senior associate also formerly with Proskauer Rose, will join Ms. Thorne at Jackson Lewis.
The New Orleans office is the 31st office for Jackson Lewis and the 10th office the firm has opened in the past 18 months.
Ms. Thorne is an outstanding litigator whose primary focus is on complex ERISA class and collective actions. She also has considerable experience defending employment law class and collective actions. She has defended several major ERISA class actions and will continue handling these types of matters at Jackson Lewis for national and regional clients.
"Ren? has well-honed skills managing complex litigations including ERISA cases," said Patrick Vaccaro, firm-wide Managing Partner of Jackson Lewis. "She is part of our continuing strategy to use our national footprint to assure the future prominence of our already robust labor, employment and benefits litigation practices."
Chambers USA ? America's Leading Business Lawyers in 2007 listed Ms. Thorne as one of the leading employment lawyers in Louisiana, reporting on its website that "[c]lients unanimously praised Thorne as a 'user-friendly lawyer who cuts to the chase.'" She has been published in the Louisiana Bar Journal and Louisiana Law Review, is a regular contributor to Employee Benefits Law and serves as an instructor for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She is also active on the Employee Benefits Subcommittee of the Labor and Employment section of the American Bar Association as well as the ABA/EEO Liaison Committee of the ABA.
Commenting about her decision to join Jackson Lewis Ms. Thorne added, "From meeting Pat Vaccaro and other partners at the firm, I became convinced that the firm's inclusive culture, dynamism, and national presence create a fertile environment for a satisfying practice and personal development. From that point, the choice became obvious."
Ms. Thorne received her J.D. in 1993 from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law where she was a member of the Loyola Law Review. She also received her bachelor's degree from Loyola University.
Mr. Stein graduated magna cum laude, ranked first in his class, from Southern University Law Center in 2001, whereupon he was appointed Junior Honorary Member to the Louisiana Law Institute.
Jackson Lewis's New Orleans office is located at: 650 Poydras Street, Suite 1900 New Orleans, LA 70130 T: (504) 208-1755 F: (504) 208-1759
For more information, please contact:
Clare Grossman Marketing Director Jackson Lewis T: (212) 545-4068 E: grossmac@jacksonlewis.com
Elizabeth Coxe the bounce agency T: (864) 351-2720 E: elizabeth.coxe@thebounceagency.com