Jackson Lewis P.C. > Atlanta, United States > Firm Profile

Jackson Lewis P.C. > The Legal 500 Rankings

Labor and employment > ERISA litigation Tier 2

With an impressive national footprint, Jackson Lewis P.C.has a successful record defending high-value ERISA class action lawsuits in multiple jurisdictions. Aside from defending substantive class action litigation, the team are well-placed to advise on retiree rights, severance plans, benefit plans, and ESOPs. The firm’s extensive client portfolio of employers, plan sponsors, plan administrators, fiduciaries has recently expanded their client base to include food services and energy-related companies. Standout work includes a claims dismissal for MGM which amounted to over 1.6bn assets under management, high exposure ESOP cases, and a precedent-setting case for Nova Southeastern University. The ERISA Litigation Group is co-led by industry veteran Howard Shapiro and René Thorne, who is highly active in the healthcare space. Stacey C.S. Cerrone is a core member of the team focusing on the defense of complex ERISA class actions along with seasoned litigator, Lindsey H. Chopin. New Jersey-based Michael E. Holzapfel has considerable expertise in benefits administration, single-plaintiff lawsuits, federal and state insurance, whereas Robert W. Rachal focuses on ERISA fiduciary, benefits, and executive compensation litigation. Managing principal Charles F. Seemann boasts longstanding experience defending ERISA plans and plan fiduciaries, while Phillip C. Thompson in Kansas specializes on defending employers from ERISA class actions. All members of the team are based in the New Orleans office unless otherwise stated.    

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 2

Jackson Lewis P.C., which works in a multidisciplinary fashion with the firm’s employment and litigation teams, among others, fields a nationwide team with strong management experience in a range of industries. These are industries such as energy, retail, and distribution. An area of expertise for the group, which is led by Jonathan Spitz and Richard Vitarelli out of Atlanta and Hartford respectively, is assisting clients with effectively working with labor unions within their workforce. Unfair labor practice matters, both contentious and non-contentious, also form part of the team’s workload. Laura Pierson-Scheinberg is instrumental in this regard, dividing her time between the firm’s San Francisco and Baltimore offices.

Labor and employment > Immigration Tier 3

Jackson Lewis P.C. advises on state and local immigration, leveraging extensive experience in representing key executives facing immigration detention and fighting denials and removals at federal court. The team also provides counsel to a number of clients on regulatory compliance, for example I-9 employment eligibility and verification, and routinely represents clients and vendors in Department of Homeland Security and Department of Labor investigations. Michael H. Neifach, operating from Washington DC, focuses on compliancy issues, serving a broad clientele of high-net-worth individuals, private equity firms and multinational corporations. In Omaha, Amy Peck handles complex compliance and workplace immigration matters alongside chairing the National Verification Committee for the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Based in White Plains, Otieno Ombok specializes in the healthcare sector providing industry tailored advice to major pharma companies, healthcare providers, and manufacturers on their immigration policies. Nicola AI Ling Prall and Meredith Stewart are other key figures in the practice.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions) Tier 3

The team at Jackson Lewis P.C. is well-placed to represent clients involved in discrimination, sexual harassment, equal pay, and wrongful termination claims. Vaccine litigation is a particular area of focus for the group, and it has recently represented T-Mobile USA in a number of related claims. New York-based Kevin Lauri heads up the national group. Additional key practitioners include John K. Bennett in New Jersey, who handles litigation and arbitration in federal and state courts; Baltimore-based Donald English co-leads the firm’s trials and appeals group and specializes in the defense of discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, and wrongful termination claims. In Cincinnati, Patricia Anderson Pryor focuses on vaccine litigation mandates.

Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling Tier 3

Jackson Lewis P.C.‘s advice and counsel practice has a strong client base of US universities, such as the University of Arizona, Brandeis University, and the University of Massachusetts. Since the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. Harvard in June 2023, the firm is actively involved in providing their university clients advice and counsel concerning matters surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion related issues. The practice is jointly led by Richard Greenberg, Susan Groff, and Tasos Paindiris. Based in New York, Greenberg advises clients in collective bargaining negotiations, labor disputes, and arbitrations. Groff, located in Los Angeles, spends much of her time advising employers on federal and state requirements for disability accommodation and protected leaves of absence. Paindiris, operating from Orlando, offers a wide range of advice and litigation services for clients concerning workplace law.