McDermott Will & Emery LLP, Labor & Employment

About

Provided by McDermott Will & Emery LLP

McDermott's Chicago practice handles everything connected with employee benefits: retirement plans, fringe benefits, ESOPs, executive compensation and fiduciary and plan investment matters.

McDermott has traditionally invested heavily in and attached a lot of importance to employee benefits. As a result, clients come directly to us for employee benefits advice. We have capability in several specialist areas of employee benefits, such as cash balance and pension equity plans, welfare benefits, wellness programs and alternative investments by pension plans.

McDermott has the best and largest healthcare and employee benefits practices in Chicago. We are, therefore, able to offer dedicated health benefits specialists who advise numerous health and welfare plans. Our client roster features a large number of hospital and medical provider clients. With continued government focus on health care reform/repeal, advising on employee and retiree medical plans remains a busy part of our practice.

As well as a large team handing non-contentious employee benefits planning, we have an additional team of partners specializing in employee benefits and ERISA litigation – one of the top national practices in this area.

Our team has a niche advising on same-sex partner benefits and the implementation of benefit programs for domestic partners of employees. Partner Todd Solomon works with businesses in Chicago in jointly advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in the workplace.

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded - Illinois

Band 1

What the Team is Known For

McDermott Will & Emery demonstrates standout expertise in contentious and advisory matters, including arbitration and litigation. The firm represents clients in wage and hour class actions, trade secret cases, and discrimination and harassment claims.

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Work Highlights

Provided by McDermott Will & Emery LLP

McDermott Will & Emery represented Haier Group in an international trade secrets and employee mobility case brought against it by Whirlpool regarding a former senior executive at that company who moved to Haier Group.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

"The team at McDermott Will & Emery is highly skilled at advising on employment law topics and complex personnel issues."

Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded respondent
USA

"The level of client service is very strong - they are responsive, clear and helpful."

Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded respondent
USA

"The team at McDermott Will & Emery is highly skilled at advising on employment law topics and complex personnel issues."

Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded respondent
USA

"The level of client service is very strong - they are responsive, clear and helpful."

Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded respondent
USA

Notable Practitioners

Provided by Chambers

Michael J Sheehan

Band 3

Michael Sheehan continues to serve as the global head of the employment group at McDermott Will & Emery. He focuses his employment practice on complex trade secret and unfair competition litigation.

"Michael is superbly qualified with a tremendous range of experience. He is extremely good at articulating issues and possible paths forward."

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Rachel B Cowen

Band 4

Rachel Cowen is experienced in a wide array of employment litigation, including discrimination, wrongful termination and restrictive covenant related disputes.

"Rachel is pragmatic in her approach to complex labor issues, which facilitates our ability to keep the small things small and more effectively manage potentially contentious issues in a way that also benefits our employees."

"She is awesome and gives great, practical legal advice."

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Brian Mead

Up and Coming

Brian Mead is a skilled lawyer in the employment space, advising employers on discrimination, wrongful termination and breach of contract claims. He also assists them with the employment aspects of M&A and other transactions.

"Brian is excellent. He's very responsive, pragmatic and very good about laying out risks associated with different courses of action. I know I can count on him to give me sound legal advice in a timely manner."

"He is super thoughtful and knows the industry. We have the utmost confidence in him."

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