The Firm: This firm dominates the New York labor and employment landscape by virtue of its size and expertise. The team attracts praise for the caliber of lawyers throughout its ranks with sources highlighting both its vertical and horizontal strength. The team's prowess in traditional labor matters is the jewel in the practice's crown. Its combined strength in labor law and sport law ensures that the team is the destination practice for a number of sports associations including the NBA, NHL and the NFL, which it advises on collective bargaining with players' unions. On the employment side the group advises on the full spectrum of matters including litigation, workplace safety and workforce reductions. The firm's impressive ERISA litigation practice is another bonus for clients.

Sources Say:"It's the largest team in town with some of the best lawyers around."

Key Individuals: Bettina Plevan is "a national legend." She has long been heralded as one of the top-flight labor and employment lawyers and maintains an active practice. She recently successfully settled a claim brought against BMS under the FLSA alleging misclassification of sales representatives. Kathleen McKenna is experienced in litigating a wide range of employment-related claims including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour and wrongful discharge matters. Peers describe her as "one of the most intelligent people out there," explaining: "There is nothing that flummoxes her." Firm chair Allen Fagin is one of the key figures of the labor and employment practice. He has built up a loyal client following and is highly valued for his "well thought-out and tactical approach" to litigation. Howard Ganz combines labor and employment expertise with a deep understanding of sports law. He is famed for his representation of the NFL and the NBA. Recent highlights include representing the Tampa Bay Rays in a salary arbitration involving one of its star players. Practice cochair Paul Salvatore has a towering reputation in the labor and employment field, which has been furthered by his recent success in the Supreme Court in 14 Penn Plaza v Pyett. Bernard Plum is co-head of the labor management relations group and one of the firm's foremost experts in collective bargaining. Clients praise his strategic approach, reporting: "He is able to assess the labor relationships landscape and provides a far-reaching plan of action." Joseph Baumgarten has a broad practice and is "perfectly comfortable handling both employment litigation and labor law matters." He is the team's go-to lawyer for its financial services clients, which include Citi and Bank of America.