Labor Relations

Increasing health and safety protocols, inflation, demands for fair pay, and scrutiny by regulatory bodies are just a few of the challenges employers face in today’s labor market. We’ll guide you through the full range of labor law matters and complexities that can arise.

This includes supporting you with all issues related to trade unions, works councils, collective bargaining, and industrial and strike action. In the UK and Europe, we regularly assist clients with European works councils issues. In the US, we advise on the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and Railway Labor Act (RLA) and litigate before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), having successfully handled novel cases and helped to set new NLRB precedent.

Clients turn to us to solve complex and sensitive labor issues involving integration, successor employer doctrine, joint employer status and conversion to private sector NLRB jurisdiction. And we’re experienced in union negotiation, strike contingency planning, and analyzing controversial proposed litigation that directly affects union workers.

We handle arbitrations, advise on union elections, act as chief spokespersons in collective bargaining negotiations, and help with managing a unionized workforce or maintaining non-union status.

The effective handling of a corporate campaign requires a coordinated, strategic response. We design national and global legal strategies that mitigate campaigns by identifying and evaluating campaign-related conduct, directing an appropriate response, engaging with shareholders and government policymakers, and developing effective media strategies. We advise on the application of international documents, conventions and guidelines and use local laws and negotiation to find resolution amongst all parties involved.

We’re particularly renowned for our deep transactional experience. If you’re planning for a domestic or cross-border transaction, or other business restructuring, we work closely with our market-leading corporate practice to ensure you successfully manage the labor and employment aspects. These include advising on successor status under NLRB rulings and determining whether to adopt the predecessor’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or negotiate a new agreement. We also assist with notice and consent obligations, and other transactional labor issues.

• Advised a power company on labor strategy and planning in relation to its employees, who are represented by several public sector unions, including complex issues related to corporate integration, conversion to private sector NLRB jurisdiction, and union negotiations and strike contingency planning.
• Obtained an NLRB decision on behalf of an American gaming and casino company holding that employers have the right to challenge the certification of a union while also asserting confidentiality objections, a reversal of Board precedent.
• Advised a leading aerospace company on labor issues, including union activity, collective bargaining agreement negotiations, unfair labor practice charges, and a potential strike.
• Advising a global telecommunications business on all day-to-day employment matters relating, among other, to restrictive covenants, annual leave, working hours and European Works Council (EWC).
• Instructed by a Fortune 500 client to support with its approach to the re-negotiation of its European Works Council agreement which was due for renewal.
• Advising a leading international facilities management company on ongoing guidance and support in relation to industrial relations matters with the trade union and threatened strike action.