New York | Labor & Employment |
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The Firm: Proskauer Rose’s impressive labor and employment group numbers nearly 100 attorneys. The team offers a range of services, from negotiating collective bargaining agreements and defending class actions and complex wage and hour litigation, to providing guidance to companies on the employment implications of M&A, bankruptcies and restructurings. The firm maintains its active presence in the US sports industry, as well as representing municipal, educational and cultural institutions throughout New York. Sources Say: “This is a great group of people who really understand our business culture. We can call the attorneys here whenever, and consider it a strategic move to have Proskauer on our side.” Key Individuals: Cochair of the practice, Paul Salvatore negotiates major collective bargaining agreements and handles arbitrations and litigation arising from these, in addition to advising on litigation avoidance. Observers hold him in high regard: “Salvatore is a terrific labor lawyer. He’s the one to go to.” “Wise counselor” Bettina Plevan is considered “one of the titans of the litigation Bar.” This year, she has defended class and individual actions relating to gender discrimination, retaliation and wrongful terminations. “Plevan is a real trial leader; she’s on everybody’s list,” remarked one source. Howard Ganz is a leader in providing labor and employment law guidance to sports organizations, serving as labor counsel to the NBA, where he provides guidance on collective bargaining negotiations and agreements. Additionally, Ganz represents the NFL and MBA in similar collective bargaining negotiations. Commentators enthuse about Ganz’s talents: “He’s a tremendous lawyer who provides insightful, senior judgment and is very detail-oriented.” Kathleen McKenna has represented ABC and ESPN in labor and employment matters, defending the last against allegations of sexual harassment and retaliation in a high-profile federal lawsuit. Correspondents point out that McKenna is “experienced, practical and extremely committed to achieving the best results. She is always on hand in an emergency.” Firm chairman Allen Fagin astounds onlookers as “a brilliant thinker and formidable adversary.” Fagin has litigated multiplaintiff, class actions and individual plaintiff cases relating to discrimination, wrongful discharge and breach of contract matters on behalf of clients in the healthcare, telecommunications, manufacturing, legal and financial industries. Sources hold Joseph Baumgarten in high esteem for his reliable advice on matters relating to both labor and employment law. His skills include managing labor relations, handling collective bargaining and unionization and defending single-plaintiff, multiplaintiff and class action litigation in a variety of matters. Bernard Plum is considered “a master negotiator and strategist.” Recent highlights have included representing The New York Times in major labor negotiations, as well as acting as general labor counsel to the New York City Ballet. Observers admire Plum’s “innovation and ability to quickly assess how best to achieve the objective at hand.” |
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