DENVER, Col., (October 16, 2008) – Jackson Lewis LLP -- one of the country’s largest and fastest growing workplace law firms – has named Mickey Silberman, Managing Partner of the firm’s Denver office, as the National Chair of Jackson Lewis’s Affirmative Action/Diversity practice. Mickey assumed the leadership of the group after the untimely passing of longtime Jackson Lewis partner and friend Matthew Halpern.
“As I take on this role, I look forward to honoring Matt’s legacy of vigorous advocacy on behalf of our clients and Matt’s practical approach to helping clients achieve their goals” says Mickey. “Matt was a most valued mentor to me during our many years together at Jackson Lewis; over the years we developed the same way of thinking about and dealing with affirmative action, OFCCP and diversity matters. I intend to continue Matt’s strong emphasis on creative, practical thinking and fostering close, ongoing relationships with clients.”
During his more than twelve years at Jackson Lewis, Mickey has represented management exclusively in all areas of employment law with an emphasis on affirmative action/OFCCP compliance and diversity initiatives. He oversees the annual preparation of more than 1,500 affirmative action plans and has directed the successful defense of hundreds of OFCCP audits around the country. Mickey spends much of his time counseling employers on complex, "real world" issues relating to affirmative action and diversity and he is a frequent speaker at national and regional conferences on those topics. He has also helped many employers develop lawful diversity and affirmative action procedures relating to all aspects of the employment process including recruitment, applicant tracking, pre-employment testing, compensation systems, performance assessment and succession planning.
In addition to his multiple roles at Jackson Lewis, Mickey is Legal Counsel to and serves on the Executive Committee of the National Industry Liaison Group (NILG), a premier national association of affirmative action employers. In his leadership role with the NILG, he frequently meets with top OFCCP and EEOC officials to discuss the agencies’ regulatory initiatives and enforcement trends and presents the employer community’s feedback on these developments.
“I have great confidence that Mickey will lead the Affirmative Action/Diversity Practice Group effectively,” says Patrick L Vaccaro, firm-wide managing partner of Jackson Lewis. “Although we will never be able to replace our friend and colleague Matt Halpern, in Mickey, we are fortunate to have a very senior leader to carry on what Matt started and developed. This is an extremely busy practice group with more than 30 professionals working closely with our clients in a wide range of industries across the country. Mickey has proven himself ready for the challenge.”
Mickey received his J.D. from the St. John’s University School of Law with a concentration in the study of labor and employment law. He graduated cum laude from the City University of New York and is admitted to the Bars of the States of Colorado and New York.
About Jackson Lewis LLP Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis LLP is dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law. With offices in 39 cities and more than 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