Littler Mendelson PC - The Who's Who Legal 100 2013

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

The firm consists of 900 lawyers in more than 55 offices and is devoted to representing management in employment, employee benefits and labour law matters. From its roots in Northern California, the firm has expanded nationally and internationally with an office in Caracas, Venezuela, as well as two new offices in Mexico which opened in 2012. Furthermore, to service clients in the Far East, the firm formed a strategic alliance with TransAsia Lawyers in 2011, one of the leading employment firms in the People’s Republic of China.

The San Francisco office is the firm’s stronghold with six practitioners featuring in our research. Chairman of the board Garry Mathiason has a long-standing reputation in the field. Co-chair of the corporate compliance practice, he specialises in wage and hour and discrimination class action cases. He is a “superb” litigator and heavily invested in alternative dispute resolution. Margaret Hart Edwards focuses her practice on the defence of discrimination, retaliation and wrongful discharge claims, discrimination and wage-and-hour class actions. John Kloosterman’s practice emphasises international employment issues, class and collective actions, restrictive covenants and trade secrets and wage-hour issues. He is “a source of great knowledge” according to our respondents.

Three lawyers are based in the firm’s Chicago office including Barry A Hartstein, who is considered “one of the greats”. Hartstein enjoys an impressive reputation for representing employers in a wide range of employment and labour matters including class actions.

The New York office also fields three lawyers. Johan Lubbe is “highly valued” by his clients and provides strategic advice on global employment law, labour relations, human resources and data privacy matters. Alongside him, Philip Berkowitz, the US practice co-chair of Littler’s international employment law practice group, receives high praise for his expertise in executive compensation.

DC-based Peter Susser is “fantastic” according to clients and has a broad practice covering traditional labour law matters, compliance counselling, defence of discrimination and harassment claims and disability discrimination and protected leave matters.

The “sensational” Charles Powell in Alabama represents employers against employment discrimination and harassments, non-competition and wage-and-hour litigation suits and has more than 18 years’ experience in the field.

The Mexico office is a hub of talent with three practitioners featuring prominently in our research. Managing shareholder Oscar de la Vega Gomez is “internationally renowned” for his expertise in the field. He is praised for his “strategic thinking” and specialises in labour consulting and social security law. Enrique García Conde is “top notch” and has extensive experience in assisting clients with restructurings including employer replacement, union negotiations and internal communication with employees. Completing the trio, Mónica Schiaffino is a “talented litigator” with strong expertise in the field of pensions, employee handbooks, contracts, incentive plans and confidentiality agreements.

Littler actively engages with its community and its lawyers take pride in helping those who cannot afford legal assistance. The lawyers at the firm are involved in a variety of not-for-profit organisations and bar associations including The Alliance for Children’s Rights, which provides free legal services and advocacy to protect the rights of impoverished and abused children and youths so they have safe, stable homes, health care and education, and Neighborhood Legal Services, which aims to meet the civil legal needs of the poor and vulnerable in communities through effective legal representation and education.

Littler Mendelson’s commitment to representing management on labour and employment issues is unparalleled. The firm has grown from strength to strength in the past 70 years and looks set to continue doing so.