Jackson Lewis Adds Experienced ERISA Litigator to Growing Benefits Group

NEW ORLEANS, LA (February 25, 2013) - Jackson Lewis LLP, one of the country’s largest and fastest-growing workplace law firms, is pleased to announce that benefits litigator Charles F. Seemann, III has joined the firm’s New Orleans office as Partner.  Mr. Seemann’s primary area of practice is the defense of complex ERISA fiduciary actions.  Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Mr. Seemann was a member of the ERISA Litigation practice group at Proskauer Rose LLP.  

Mr. Seemann has broad experience defending plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, both individual and institutional, financial institutions, directed trustees and other service providers in ERISA actions.  He also has significant  experience as defense counsel in matters such as stock-option disputes and executive compensation litigation; wage and hour advice and litigation; and private litigation and regulatory investigations in discrimination, hostile-environment and similar matters.

Michael Jacobster, Chair of Jackson Lewis’ Employee Benefits Counseling and Litigation Group, said, “Charles is formidable and creative in the defense of complex ERISA matters.  With him as a colleague, we can better strive together to bring the firm's ERISA litigation practice, already excellent, to the pinnacle of the profession.  Our Group’s national bench of almost 50 professionals is deeply experienced in all facets of employee benefits law and litigation.” 

“Charles is a welcome addition to our practice group,” added David R. Johanson, a nationally recognized ESOP/ERISA attorney based in California who heads the firm’s ESOP fiduciary/U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) defense litigation team.  “Charles is a sophisticated, knowledgeable attorney who will contribute greatly to our ability to serve national and regional clients with complex employee benefits, ERISA and ESOP transactions, compliance, and litigation needs. Jackson Lewis has built a rapidly-growing team that defends ERISA fiduciary litigation, ESOP valuation class actions, DOL fiduciary enforcement proceedings and suits, and other complex fiduciary and benefit matters.  Charles will bring his extraordinary experience and depth of practice to Jackson Lewis’ strong ERISA practice group. “

René Thorne, Managing Partner of the New Orleans office of Jackson Lewis and a former colleague of Mr. Seemann, said “I’m thrilled to be working again with an ERISA litigator of Charles’ caliber and to add him to Jackson Lewis' New Orleans office.”

Among numerous professional accolades, Mr. Seemann is listed in the 2012 edition of Chambers USA and has been recognized since 2008 in The Best Lawyers in America for his labor and employment expertise.  In 2012, he was appointed to serve on the Pension & Benefits Advisory Board at the Bureau of National Affairs.  He also has been AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell since 2000. 

Mr. Seemann received his law degree from the law school at Louisiana State University in 1995, where he was Articles Editor of the Law Review, and his undergraduate degree from Emory University in 1992.  While he has represented clients in dozens of jurisdictions nationwide, Mr. Seemann is admitted to practice in Louisiana; the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fifth and Sixth Circuits; and the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana and the District of Colorado.  

The New Orleans office can be reached at (504) 208-5483.

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 750 attorneys practicing in 52 locations 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 Counseling and Litigation; Immigration; Labor, including Preventive Practices; General Employment Litigation, including Class Actions, Complex Litigation and e-Discovery; Non-Competes and Protection Against Unfair Competition; Wage and Hour Compliance; Workplace Safety and Health 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; Alternative Dispute Resolution; Public Sector Representation; Government Relations; Collegiate and Professional Sports; and Privacy, Social Media and Information Management.

For the 11th consecutive year, Jackson Lewis has been recognized for delivering client service excellence to the world’s largest corporations, once again earning a spot on the BTI Client Service A-Team. Jackson Lewis has also been recognized by in-house counsel in a comprehensive survey by BTI Consulting Group as both a “Powerhouse” and “Standout” in employment litigation. In addition, Jackson Lewis is ranked in the First Tier nationally in the category of Labor and Employment Litigation, as well as in both Employment Law and Labor Law on behalf of Management in the U.S. News – Best Lawyers ® “Best Law Firms,” and is recognized by Chambers and Legal 500. As an “AmLaw 100” firm, Jackson Lewis has one of the most active employment litigation practices in the United States, with a current caseload of over 6,500 litigations and approximately 415 class actions. And finally, Jackson Lewis is a charter member of L & E Global Employers’ Counsel Worldwide, an alliance currently of 14 workplace law firms in 14 countries.

For more information, please contact:

Lara Hamm, Public Relations Manager

T: (703) 483-8373

Email: hamml@jacksonlewis.com