PITTSBURGH, PA (January 23, 2011) - Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms, announced Douglas G. Smith has assumed the role of Pittsburgh office Managing Partner, succeeding Lynn C. Outwater. Ms. Outwater, who has served in the role since 1990, will continue to be an active Partner in the firm, devoting significant time to clients, client development and marketing, and coordinating the firm’s national Management Education Practice Group.
Mr. Smith has been an integral part of building the office since joining the firm in 1992. As Managing Partner, he will draw upon his leadership experience within the firm as the national Pro Bono Coordinator and, for the last two years, the national Chair of the firm’s Partnership Admission Committee.
“We want to thank Lynn for her 21-year tenure as Pittsburgh Managing Partner,” said Patrick L. Vaccaro, Firm-wide Managing Partner. “Lynn did a magnificent job establishing Jackson Lewis in Pennsylvania and developing the office with a group of first-rate Partners and Associates. Doug is well-respected throughout the firm, the profession and the Pittsburgh community. He shares Lynn’s commitment to the success of our Pittsburgh office, and we are fully confident he will apply his considerable leadership skills to further strengthen our presence in Pittsburgh.”
“I am honored to assume the role as Office Managing Partner and personally want to acknowledge Lynn for the extraordinary accomplishments we have achieved as an office and a firm under her leadership,” said Mr. Smith. “Leading the office takes a team, and I am fortunate to have the support of strong leaders in Pittsburgh, including Lynn, to help guide our strategy and to ensure I remain committed to my first priority: client service.”
In addition to counseling employers in matters such as union campaigns, Mr. Smith focuses his practice in the area of employment law litigation before agencies and courts on the state and federal level. Mr. Smith has successfully litigated matters in state and federal court under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and various state tort theories. He also regularly represents employers in all industries in collective bargaining with an emphasis assisting acute care and long term health care employers.
Prior to commencing the practice of law, Mr. Smith was employed in a management human resources position for a major Pittsburgh health system where he was responsible for handling discrimination charges, unemployment compensation matters, day-to-day administration of personnel policies and grievance processing. Prior to that, he was employed as a labor organizer for a state-wide healthcare union.
Mr. Smith has been named to the 2010, 2011 and 2012 editions of the Best Lawyers in America in Labor and Employment Law. He is a sought after speaker on a wide variety of employment related topics and has been an adjunct faculty member in the Industrial Relations Master’s Degree program of a Pittsburgh college.
Mr. Smith has been active as a board member of several Pittsburgh not-for-profit organizations, including AC-ACLD, an Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities, and Christ Community Church of the South Hills.
He obtained his law degree with honors at the Duquesne University School of Law, and he also earned a Master's Degree in Labor and Employee Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. During that time, he co-authored the Instructor's Manual to accompany Resolving Grievances: A Practical Approach (Reston, 1983).
Jackson Lewis’ Pittsburgh office can be reached by calling (412) 232-0404.
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About Jackson Lewis
Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis, dedicated to representing management exclusively in workplace law, is one of the fastest growing workplace law firms in the U.S., with almost 700 attorneys practicing in 48 cities nationwide. We have a wide-range of specialized practice areas, including: Affirmative Action and OFCCP Planning and Counseling; Disability, Leave and Health Management; Employee Benefits, including Complex ERISA Litigation 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; Workplace Safety Compliance and Corporate Diversity Counseling. 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 Employment Issues; Management Education, including e-Based Training; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Public Sector Issues; Government Relations; Collegiate and Professional Sports; and Privacy, Social Media and Information Management.
For the 10th consecutive year, Jackson Lewis has been recognized for delivering client service excellence to the world’s largest corporations. Representing a decade of excellence, we have once again earned a spot on the BTI Client Service A-Team. Jackson Lewis has also been recognized by in-house counsel of Fortune 1000 companies after a comprehensive survey, as “the single highest-ranked firm clients want by their side in employment battles.” In addition, Jackson Lewis is ranked in the First Tier nationally in the categories of both Employment Law and Labor Law on behalf of Management in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers ® “Best Law Firms.” Jackson Lewis has one of the most active employment litigation practices in the United States, with a current caseload of over 5000 litigations and approximately 300 class actions; over 2100 litigations were brought to the firm in 2010 alone. And finally, Jackson Lewis is affiliated with L & E Global Employers’ Counsel Worldwide.
Additional information about Jackson Lewis can be found at www.jacksonlewis.com.
For more information, please contact:
Lara Hamm
T: (703) 483-8373 Email: hamml@jacksonlewis.com