John P. Mahoney, Esq.

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Leaders in Law endorses John Mahoney as our exclusively recommended Federal Employment Law  expert in Washington, USA. If you wish to get in touch with John please use the contact information provided above.

Founding and Managing Partner

John Mahoney is a Washington, DC Attorney at Law and the Founding and Managing Partner of the Firm, who specializes in the practice of federal sector employment, labor, and national security clearance law. Attorneys Mahoney is rated as a “Preeminent Lawyer™”, a “Distinguished Lawyer™”, and is registered by Martindale-AVVO® in the 2022 Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers™. John was selected as a “2022 Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment,” and a “2022 Top Rated DC Metro Lawyer in Labor & Employment Law” by The National Law Journal, Corporate Counsel Magazine, American Lawyer Magazine, and Martindale-AVVO™. He has also achieved a 9.6 AVVO Rating.

His 2013 Attorneys performance was rated by his last law firm as a perfect 10 or “Outstanding” based upon the Attorneys performance standards of: John Patrick Mahoney

Interpersonal Relationships-Clients

  1. Interpersonal Relationships- Colleagues and Staff
  2. Communication: The ability to communicate ideas in both individual and group situations
  3. Judgment- Legal
  4. Reliability
  5. Productivity and Dedication
  6. Organization (efficiency)

Attorneys Mahoney provides legal representation, expertise, advice, and counseling to federal employees,​contractors, agencies, unions, and employee associations in federal sector labor, employment, and national ​security clearance law matters, throughout the USA and around the world. He has over 25 years of experience effectively representing the federal sector community and hasserved as an expert witness on federal employment law. He recently served on the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board’s (MSPB or “the Board”) stakeholder working group that substantially revised the MSPB regulations at 5 C.F.R. Part 1201. As Co-Chair of the DC Bar’s Labor & Employment Law Section, John previously served on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC or “the Commission”) stakeholder working group that substantially revised the EEOC’s federal sector regulations at 29 C.F.R. Part 1614, as well as EEOC’s Management Directive (MD)-110.

Attorneys Mahoney’s Work in Federal Courts

John has represented federal employees, contractors, unions, employee associations, agencies, and/or private businesses before various federal courts such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, various U.S. district courts, as well as before such federal agencies as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals (DOHA). In one victory before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, John successfully argued an appeal of first impression resulting in the creation of new due process rights for a class of disabled federal employees and the reversal of several MSPB decisions and an OPM regulation. See VanWersch v. Department of Health and Human Servs., 197 F.3d 1144 (Fed. Cir. 1999).

Attorneys Mahoney was previously appointed to serve as the statutory Vice Chair and an administrative judge (ES-IV) of the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Personnel Appeals Board (PAB), where he adjudicated employee disciplinary, discrimination, whistleblower reprisal, and labor law cases. He has served as General Counsel to various unions, as Senior Associate to the General Counsel of the Senior Executives Association (SEA), outside employment or national security law counsel to a number of federal agencies, private federal contractors, and/or other corporations, as well as a member of the AFL-CIO’s national Lawyers Coordinating Committee.

Accolades & Recognitions

John received the highest Attorneys recognition by Martindale-AVVO™ including being named “Preeminent AV Rated™” & “Distinguished law Firm™” in the 2019 Bar Registry of Preeminent Lawyers. As such, he is considered by the DC legal community to be a lawyer with “preeminent legal ability; expertise, experience, integrity and overall professional excellence” and that he “clearly demonstrates the highest professional and ethical standards.” The quality legal services that Attorneys Mahoney regularly provides to his clients has also earned him and our firm distinctions such as selection by The National Law Journal, Corporate Counsel Magazine, and American Lawyer Magazine as a “2019 Top Rated DC Metro Lawyers in Labor & Employment Law™.”Attorneys Mahoney has also been a member of the Metropolitan Washington Employment Lawyers Association (MWELA), and is a current member of the American Bar Association (ABA) the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. He is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Maryland.

John was elected by the nearly 2,000 DC labor and employment law Attorneys members of the D.C. Bar’s Labor and Employment Law Section to serve two terms as that Section’s Co-Chair, in which position he led that Section to its only “Best Section of the DC Bar Award.” Subsequently, he was elected to serve as the Chair of the D.C. Bar’s Council on Sections, in which position he oversaw the development of continuing legal education and community outreach programs for the 26,000 Attorneys members of the Bar’s 23 practice area sections.As a former candidate for the Maryland State Senate, member of the Maryland Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, and as the former Young Democrats President of Maryland, Attorneys Mahoney has worked with the Speaker and Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the former Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as well as with U.S. Senators Kennedy, Mikulski, Cardin, and Van Hollen. In 2004, John had the honor of addressing the Maryland Delegation at the Democratic National Convention, where he had the pleasure of meeting for the first time Barack Obama, former President of the United States of America. That year, he also led the Young Democrats of Montgomery County, Maryland to its award as Democrats of the Year.

From 2009 through 2014, Attorneys Mahoney was a Partner with and the Chairman of the Labor & Employment Law Practice Group at the law firm of Tully Rinckey, PLLC in Washington, DC, in which position he represented the Federal Administrative Law Judges Conference (FALJC), which was granted “Friend of the Court” status by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in the federal employee furlough case of Berlin et al. v. Department of Labor. From 2003 to 2008, John was the Founding Partner and the Director of Litigation at Mahoney & Mahoney, LLP, at that time another leading, AV®Rated, Washington, D.C. federal employment law firm specializing in representing federal government agencies, businesses, unions, employee associations, and individual federal employees in labor and employment law matters. From 2000 to 2003, John was a Senior Associate at the law firm of Shaw, Bransford, Veilleux & Roth, which, at that time, was General Counsel to the Senior Executives Association (SEA). From 1992 to 1999, John was a Law Clerk, an Associate, and then a Senior Associate with the AV®Rated federal employment law firm of Passman & Kaplan, PC.

John is an oft-published author and frequent public speaker on federal employment and labor law issues. His article, “What Rights to Privacy Do Federal Employees Have?” was published in THE NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL (Jan. 2011). John also Co-authored nine chapters of the 1st Edition of the book “THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE’S LEGAL SURVIVAL GUIDE”.

Educational Background

Attorneys Mahoney earned his Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law in 1993. While there, he was chosen as an Editor of the Year of THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW® and interned for the D.C. Government’s Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining. In 1990, John obtained his bachelor’s degree with honors from Assumption College in his hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts, where he co-founded the college’s Law Society.

In over 25 years of law practice, John has effectively represented thousands of federal employees in EEO complaints, OSC complaints, as well as EEOC cases, DOHA appeals, MSPB appeals, and federal court cases.

Attorneys Mahoney has won cases before the EEOC in which his federal employee clients have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in back pay, benefits, interest, compensatory damages, and attorneys’ fees, in addition to equitable relief including the reversal of termination decisions and the award of retroactive promotion to the Senior Executive Service. He has won MSPB appeals, reversing or mitigating removals, demotions, and indefinite suspensions, involving backpay, benefits, interest, and awards of

attorneys fees. See, e.g., Cohen v. Department of Homeland Security, (ICE), MSPB Docket No. SF-0752-12-0427-I-1 (Jun. 19, 2014) (nonprecedential). He has successfully negotiated hundreds if not thousands of settlement agreements in federal sector EEO complaints and MSPB appeals, including a recent EEOC Case settlement awarding his disabled federal employee client retroactive reinstatement to a Criminal Investigator, GS-1811-14, position with awards of $275,000 in compensatory damages, over $193,000 in attorneys’ fees, as well as back pay, benefits, and interest in excess of $250,000.

Attorneys Mahoney frequently addresses the EEOC Excel and the Federal Dispute Resolution (FDR) Conferences, among others. John has successfully litigated and/or negotiated settlements in numerous EEOC sanctions cases, including obtaining default judgment sanctions, one of which resulted in full relief for a federal employee in a then-novel race and national origin by association and “regarded as” disability discrimination case that resulted in the reversal of a termination decision. See Johnson v. Johanns, Sec’y, USDA, EEOC Case No. 520-2006-00120X, Agency No. FSA 2005-00711 (EEOC New York District Office, Boston Area Office, Sanctions Order Issued Jan. 22, 2007).

Firm Description:

Nationwide Federal Employment Attorneys

Federal Employment Attorney Serving Washington, D.C., the Nation and the World.

John P. Mahoney, Esq., Attorneys at Law, is a top-rated Washington, D.C.-based federal employee lawyer, former federal government executive, and administrative judge, devoting his entire legal practice to representing federal employees, unions, employee associations, contractors, and agencies in federal employment law cases. He has garnered the top rating of AV Preeminent® from Martindale-Hubbell® due to his recognised ethics and legal talent, and he has been named in The Wall Street Journal as a “Top Rated Labour & Employment Lawyer.”

Federal employment attorney John Mahoney stands ready to protect and defend your rights and your career. Whether you are under investigation, facing allegations of misconduct, or need to litigate a union grievance or appeal a security clearance case, our federal employment lawyer offers the experienced legal counsel and advocacy you need.

If you are a federal employee who needs legal representation to fight back against employment discrimination through an EEOC complaint or EEOC Case, whistle-blower retaliation, reversing an MSPB decision, or other prohibited personnel practice (PPP) through an OSC complaint, we would be honoured to represent you and assert your rights. Get help from a federal employment lawyer who cares.

 

Paul Weidenfeld

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Leaders in Law endorses Paul Weidenfeld as our exclusively recommended Healthcare Law expert in Washington, USA. If you wish to get in touch with Paul please use the contact information provided above.

Paul Weidenfeld is a former Federal Prosecutor and National Health Care Fraud Coordinator for the United States Department of Justice. His litigation resume includes over 50 trials, 25 appellate arguments, and appearances before virtually every court in the US – including the United States Supreme Court where he argued the case of Ankenbrandt v. Richards, 504 US 689 (1992). He has earned numerous awards throughout his legal career including the prestigious Attorney General Award for Fraud Prevention and Nightingale Outstanding Healthcare Litigator and is a frequent speaker and lecturer.

Background

After completing Law School in 1980 and accepted the position of Law Clerk to the United States District Court Judge, Hon. Peter H. Beer upon graduation. After his clerkship, Mr. Weidenfeld began a legal career that focused involved in litigation and trial work in a wide range of practice areas including: criminal defense, personal injury work (both plaintiff and defense), and the representation of government agencies in administrative matters. By the time he became an Assistant United States Attorney in 1994, his litigation resume included 50 trials, 25 appellate arguments, and appearances before virtually every court in the US – including the United States Supreme Court where he made the oral argument the matter of Ankenbrandt v. Richards, 504 US 689 (1992).

As an Assistant United States Attorney, a large number of Mr. Weidenfeld’s litigation cases involved the prosecution of civil and criminal health care fraud but he was also involved in a substantial number of fraud litigation matters involving non-healthcare agencies. These included matters involving the Department of Defense, the Naval and the Defense Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS and DCIS), NASA and the Postal Service (to just a few).

Since leaving the Department of Justice in 2007, Paul’s practice has focused on representing providers and individuals. He is also a frequent speaker and panel participant on health care issues, and he also has extensive training in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution and mediation.

Education

JD, Loyola University of New Orleans, 1980
BA, Tulane University, 1974

Bar Admissions

United States Supreme Court, 1991
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, 1985
United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1980
United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 1993
Louisiana, all courts, 1980

Professional Associations

Louisiana State Bar Association, Health Law Section, ADR Section
American Health Law Association, American Society for Health Risk Management

Honors

• Nightingale Outstanding Healthcare Litigator
• Department of Justice Attorney General Award for Fraud Prevention
• Office of Inspector General Cooperative Achievement Award
• National Healthcare Anti-Fraud Association, Investigation of the Year
• Office of Inspector General Integrity Award
• Department of Labor Exceptional Contributions Award
• Defense Criminal Investigative Service Recognition of Service
• Defense Contract Audit Agency Recognition of Exceptional Contribution
• FBI Recognition of Outstanding Prosecution
• NASA Office of Inspector General, Outstanding Prosecution
• Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Outstanding Prosecution

Recent Publications:

• Nursing Home Litigation – Failure of Care: United States v. Melville Borne, White Collar Case Strategies: Leading Lawyers on Developing Winning Strategies, Aspatore Books
• Five Things You Should Know about the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009
• Allison Engine: A “less friendly” environment for qui tam plaintiffs – but how much so?
• “Anatomy of a Nursing Home Case”

 

Erich Ferrari

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Leaders in Law endorses Erich Ferrari as our exclusively recommended Economic Sanctions Law expert in the USA – Washington. If you wish to get in touch with Erich please use the contact information provided above.

As the Founder and Principal Attorney of Ferrari & Associates, P.C., Mr. Ferrari represents U.S. and foreign corporations, financial institutions, exporters, insurers, as well as private individuals in trade compliance, regulatory licensing matters, and federal investigations and prosecutions. He frequently represents clients before the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and in federal courts around the country. With over 13 years of experience in national security law, exports control, and U.S. economic sanctions, he counsels across industry sectors representing parties in a wide range of matters from ensuring compliance to defending against federal prosecutions and pursuing federal appeals.

Mr. Ferrari’s representations before OFAC frequently involve matters involving the Iran, Ukraine-/Russia-related, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Counter-Terrorism, and the Counter Narcotics sanctions programs. As part of these representations, he has worked to have names removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), respond to OFAC administrative subpoenas issued during the course of an OFAC investigation, procure OFAC specific licenses to engage in transactions prohibited by OFAC, draft OFAC voluntary self-disclosures, develop and implement OFAC compliance programs for financial institutions and multi-national companies, and provide general counseling on OFAC related matters to a variety of client.

Mr. Ferrari has served as lead trial counsel on a number of complex federal criminal matters. He is a seasoned litigator that has obtained mistrials and acquittals for his clients in various matters including prosecutions for smuggling, and International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) based export control charges. He has also successfully handled mail and wire fraud cases, tax fraud cases, money laundering cases, espionage cases, economic sanctions criminal cases, and federal criminal appeals. These representations have occurred in various courts across the United States and involved both U.S. and international clientele.

Mr. Ferrari’s litigation experience includes numerous lawsuits against OFAC arising from blocking both of assets, as well as those targeting parties under various sanctions authorities. In addition, he has extensive experience representing parties in federal criminal prosecutions, including those involving export control and sanctions violations. He has also represented clients in other litigation including, for instance, federal civil forfeiture proceedings.

Mr. Ferrari actively writes on OFAC-administered trade sanctions on his blog at sanctionlaw.com as well as for publication. In addition, he is often called upon by media outlets to speak on U.S. trade sanctions issues and has been interviewed on OFAC-related issues by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington, Post, Forbes Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal.

Firm Description:

At Ferrari & Associates, we are known for providing well-versed legal representation for federal and international criminal offenses, and for matters that fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), including U.S. economic and trade sanctions. This area of law is very specific and requires the guidance of lawyers who possesses a clear understanding of the policies behind the laws and how OFAC operates. Our team of experienced OFAC attorneys has the resources and legal insight necessary to represent clients across the nation and around the world with any OFAC-related matter.

Providing Skilled & Passionate OFAC Representation on a global scale.

Our firm is located in Washington D.C.-directly across the street from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, home to OFAC- but we are able to engage in all OFAC matters on a national and international scale. As a boutique firm with a high success rate, we have achieved favorable outcomes for 80% of the people that we represented from the OFAC SDN List. We have successfully unblocked millions of dollars within the sanctions program, and we have had IEEPA charges dropped against high-profile clients.

We also provide compliance counsel for large companies, including foreign businesses and insurance companies. As a sophisticated practice at the forefront of OFAC law, we understand the system from an operational perspective and we know how to use this knowledge to the advantage of our clients.

The legal insight of our firm’s founding OFAC attorney has been sought by various media outlets and featured in publications such as:

  • NPR
  • The New York Times
  • Bloomberg News
  • The Huffington Post
  • PBS Tehran Bureau

If you are currently dealing with a complex legal matter or need legal guidance with an OFAC-related issue, please do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. We will do everything possible to help you resolve your imposed sanctions so you can continue working towards achieving your business goals.

We’re not just OFAC lawyers- we strive to be thought leaders in the field of U.S. economic sanctions.

 

James Savitt

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Jim specializes in the trial and creative resolution of substantial disputes for a diverse client base, including Fortune 500 companies and major e-commerce firms.  While much of his practice has focused on intellectual property, corporate, and commercial matters, Jim believes that knowing how to win a case–developing and executing a strategy to prevail by motion if possible and by trial if not–is the most important skill of a lawyer handling complex litigation.

Jim teamed with David Bruce to establish Savitt Bruce & Willey in 1999, after a nine-year tenure as a partner at Perkins Coie.  Jim began his career with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York City before finding his way to the Great Northwest.  He is a graduate, magna cum laude, of the Georgetown University Law Center.

Outside of the office, Jim recently completed service as the Chairperson of the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (which owns and operates Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market) and is a past President of the Federal Bar Association of the Western District of Washington.  Jim enjoys skiing in winter, playing infield on the firm’s softball team in summer (when we can field one with enough young guns to do serious harm), his morning workout, reading novels that his partner Steve Willey sneers at and, not least, time with his family, including two teenage sons who, depending on the day, are either keeping him young or making him old.

AREAS OF PRACTICE

PRIOR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Perkins Coie LLP, Seattle WA, 1987-1999
    • Partner, 1991-1999
    • Associate, 1987-1990
  • Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York City NY, 1983-1986

EDUCATION

  • Georgetown University Law Center, J.D. magna cum laude, 1983
    • The Georgetown Law Journal, 1981-1983
  • Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, B.A., 1980

BAR ADMISSIONS

  • Washington
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court, Western District of Washington
  • United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington
  • United States District Court, Southern District of New York
  • United States Court of Federal Claims

FIRM DESCRIPTION

We’re litigators and trial counsel.  We know that cases are won and lost on their “story”: who is right and who is wrong in the eyes of the judge and jury.  Our expertise is in developing and telling that story by drawing out the key facts, players, and themes, defining the legal framework in which they operate, and weaving them into a compelling narrative.  While our SUBJECT-MATTER EXPERTISE is both deep and broad, our RECORD OF SUCCESS demonstrates our skill in crafting and presenting a winning argument.

Our skill as litigators informs every step along the way.  Understanding the facts requires not only an eye for detail but a strategy that identifies the right detail, combined with the tenacity to obtain and marshal complex facts and develop a record that completes the picture.  Defining the legal framework means not merely understanding what the law “is” but a creative process of identifying and describing the legal principles and authorities that—when applied to the facts of a particular case—lead to the just result for our clients.  Weaving these elements together effectively requires more than just proficiency with legal subject matter: it requires articulating clearly to a judge, arbitrator, or jury, who may have no familiarity with the subject matter or even the law, not only that our client should win but why.

We believe in the power of what can be achieved in the courtroom, but one size does not fit all.  Our successes demonstrate the ability to develop winning strategies that meet the unique needs of each case.  We know when a major investment of people and time will yield results and when it just means a big bill, and we’re committed to identifying cost-effective solutions to our clients’ problems.  If there is a way to resolve a dispute successfully short of trial, we find it.

Our skill as legal writers gives our clients a unique advantage in litigation.  Increasingly, cases are decided on written motions.  For a client, winning on a motion is the best possible result—it avoids both the cost of trial and the compromise of settlement.  Even if a motion does not decide a case, it may resolve a key issue so as to tip the scales decidedly in a client’s favor at trial or drive a favorable settlement.  This places a premium on lawyers who can synthesize complex facts and legal issues and distill them into an easy-to-follow explanation as to why their clients should win.

When trial is necessary, success requires not only the skills of the courtroom—examinations of witnesses and arguments to jury and judge—but also the use of those skills in the presentation of a winning story developed strategically from the outset. That is what we do.

Cathryn Dammel

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Leaders in Law endorses Cathryn Dammel as our exclusively recommended Employment Law expert in the USA – Washington. If you wish to get in touch with Cathryn, please use the contact information provided above.

A few weeks before the overthrow of a Middle Eastern government, Cathryn was in the capital city’s bombed-out airport. A low-seniority union employee, she traveled there several times a month because it was her job. Finally, she and some colleagues said, “no more,” and the saga that followed introduced a front-line worker to the world of labor relations. It also sparked Cathryn’s interest in the law. She left Pan American World Airways for Stanford Law School.

Cathryn spent several years with Bogle & Gates, then Seattle’s largest law firm, before rejoining the airline industry, this time on the management side. Ultimately Deputy General Counsel/Staff Vice President, she was Alaska Airlines’ chief legal officer responsible for labor and employment law and labor relations.

Now back in private practice, Cathryn is a nationally recognized Best Lawyer (U.S. News & World Report). She has litigated hundreds of employment, labor, and administrative cases over her three-decade career. She has conducted dozens of complex workplace investigations and cultural assessments, developed company-wide labor strategy, and led multiple rounds of union negotiations.

From a small Idaho mining town, Cathryn moved to Honolulu, then London, New York, and California. A Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude graduate of the University of Idaho, she also studied as a Rotary International scholar in Besançon, France.

Cathryn likes to garden, decorate, and meet interesting people. She also cherishes time with friends and family – including the Alsatian and northern Italian relatives she connected with in her college days, her son in the San Francisco Bay Area, and her 87-something dad who still lives in the house where she grew up on Cathryn Avenue, the street named after her.

“Cathryn knows how to translate the law into what matters in business.”

“Cathryn wasn’t just our trusted legal advisor, but a true partner. She is analytical and detail-oriented, recognizing very quickly our unique challenges and was fiercely loyal. Cathryn is a caring professional with extraordinary standards of performance. Nice mix.”

“I’ve worked side by side with Cathryn on intensive labor matters and can honestly say she totally ‘gets it.’ She’s incredibly bright and very practical.”

FIRM DESCRIPTION

DammelLaw PLLC is dedicated exclusively to workplace law and investigations, serving family businesses, Fortune 500 companies, public employers, and executives.  With over thirty years’ experience, Cathryn V. Dammel brings a unique perspective having been a big firm attorney, in-house counsel, frontline worker, and corporate executive.

The Practice

  • Workplace investigations and cultural assessments
  • Litigation, arbitrations, administrative charges
  • Labor relations
  • Advice and counseling
  • Handbooks, severance, employment, related agreements
  • Audits
  • Training

Representative Work

  • Dozens of workplace investigations into allegations of discrimination, harassment, failure to accommodate, retaliation, bullying, ethics violations, fraud, workplace violence, other misconduct
  • Workplace cultural assessments for private and public employers in union and non-union environments such as a large, multi-national, multi-lingual health care facility and a culturally diverse, multi-union school district
  • Summary judgment in federal court for large health care provider on race discrimination and failure to accommodate claims
  • Jury verdict in state court for grocery retailer on disability discrimination claim
  • Railroad’s chief regional counsel for a dozen employment lawsuits alleging race, age, sex and disability discrimination and retaliation. 70% dismissed on summary judgment; others favorably settled
  • Race, color, national origin, age discrimination, whistleblower, failure to accommodate, retaliation claims dismissed by federal and state administrative agencies
  • Dozens of complex labor arbitrations involving contract interpretation and discharges with 100 percent win rate for twenty-five years
  • Led team of attorneys, economists, accountants and industry experts in the strategy, preparation, presentation, appeal and implementation of three interest arbitrations, one resulting in $90 million dollars in annual cost savings
  • Exclusive outside employment and labor counsel to a dozen companies, providing day-to-day advice, drafting policies, procedures and agreements, conducting investigations and training, handling grievances, presenting arbitrations, defending administrative complaints and lawsuits
  • Primary legal advisor through major corporate downsizings and restructurings and led strategy/negotiation of multiple rounds of collective bargaining for six union contracts

For more information about who she is and what she does, please visit Cathryn at WWW.DAMMELLAW.COM.

Jennifer S. Divine

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Jennifer S. Divine joined Miller Nash Graham & Dunn as a partner in December 2012. Jennifer has over twenty years experience defending and advising public and private employers in a wide range of cases, including discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful discharge, whistleblower/retaliation, and wage-and-hour claims. She counsels clients on a variety of employment law issues, such as executive contracts and compensation, severance agreements, noncompetition and nonsolicitation restrictions, disability accommodations, FMLA and other leave rights, and misconduct investigations.

Jennifer regularly speaks to client and professional groups on employment issues and best personnel practices, and provides individualized training to managers, supervisors, and other employees to help avoid problems that lead to litigation, and reduce the time and expense of resolving employee lawsuits.

Jennifer focuses a large part of her practice on educational institutions, advising on staff and student employment, faculty tenure, grievances, student conduct and discipline, Title IX policies and investigations, threat assessment and behavior intervention, FERPA, public-records, accreditation, regulatory and nonprofit compliance, bylaws, policy handbooks, and other shared governance issues. Jennifer understands the public relations aspects of an institution’s decisions and is adept at assisting boards and administrators in balancing the needs and interests of the various constituencies they serve.

The Employment Law Practice:

Miller Nash Graham & Dunn represents local, regional, and national companies in the Pacific Northwest in all facets of labor and employment law. We defend employers in cases dealing with wage and hour, discrimination, covenants not to compete, employment contracts, and organized labor in federal, state, and tribal courts, including class-action lawsuits. We advise our clients and appear on their behalf before the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, state employment agencies, and other federal agencies. We negotiate collective bargaining agreements and individual employment contracts, and draft employee handbooks and employment policies for our clients. We advise and counsel employers on resolving employment disputes before they become lawsuits.

Miller Nash Graham & Dunn is the exclusive Oregon and Washington representative of the Employment Law Alliance (ELA), a global network of 3,000 labor and employment lawyers in all 50 states and 300 cities around the globe. The ELA is made up of established independent firms, linked together to provide quick responses to clients’ needs and innovative solutions to labor and employment issues.

Miller Nash Graham & Dunn:

At Miller Nash Graham & Dunn, we like to think of ourselves as an established firm with strong traditions and fresh ideas. Although our roots in the Pacific Northwest go back more than a century, we pride ourselves on being creative thinkers who are committed to serving our clients, our community and each other in smart and innovative ways.

The clients we work with represent a diverse group of businesses, non-profits, public entities and individuals. The lawyers who serve them are known not only for their unparalleled expertise in business law and commercial litigation, but also for their dedication, innovation and tenacity. And behind it all is a cohesive team of paralegals, librarians, accountants and administrative staff members who add value at every point of contact.

Whether you’re working with our Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, or Long Beach office, you can be confident that you’re in the hands of a team of experts whose primary goal is your success.

Deborah P. Kelly

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Leaders in Law endorses Deborah P. Kelly as our exclusively recommended Employment Law expert in the USA – Washington. If you wish to get in touch with Deborah please use the contact information provided above.

Known for her straightforward, “cut-to-the-chase” approach to lawyering, Deborah P. Kelly represents employers in virtually all areas, from multibillion-dollar high tech and financial services companies to nonprofit associations and other law firms.

Deborah helps her clients adopt best practices that minimize the risk of litigation. She designs and leads in-person training for boards of directors, managers, human resources professionals and other employees. While these trainings focus on the importance of understanding and preventing discrimination, they are peppered with enough war stories, memorable visuals and humor to make attendees both learn and enjoy the process(!). Her popular workshops address topics such as antidiscrimination (including state-compliant sexual harassment training), wage and hour, and how to handle professional versus private issues around social media. She also counsels boards of directors, including publicly traded companies, about complex C-suite employment matters in a way that deals with the matter without bad publicity or ripple effects on stock value.

In litigation, Deborah handles the full gamut of employment matters, including non-competes, trade secret litigation, breach of contract, wage and hour, and all forms of discrimination. Deborah has tried cases to jury verdicts in federal and state courts as well as in arbitration forums.

Before joining Manatt, Deborah practiced at two prominent national law firms, including one where she headed its employment practice, was chosen for two four-year terms on its executive committee and served as the firm’s deputy general counsel.

Deborah teaches Employment and Labor Law at American University Washington College of Law and spent almost a decade in academia before becoming a lawyer, serving on the political science faculty at American University and the University of Maryland. Deborah also worked at The Brookings Institution, where she researched perspectives of the criminal justice system for a book on congressional oversight of federal administrative practices.

In recognition of her professional contributions, Deborah is a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and has regularly been recognized as a top employment lawyer in publications ranging from U.S. News to Chambers Leading Guide for Businesses.

The Employment Law Practice:

Technology, new regulations and globalization are fundamentally changing the workplace—and presenting companies with more challenging decisions than ever regarding their workforce.

Given the complexities of today’s labor climate, building a relationship with a legal team that can guide you through new developments, explain your options clearly and help you make thoughtful, informed decisions is key. Our team works closely with you, often serving as an extension of your in-house human resources and legal departments.

Manatt is focused on where your business needs to go and what it takes to get there.

Our lawyers put to work years of experience and extensive employment law skills to:

  • Help you prevent problems by creating the best workplace policies and procedures, as well as designing training and auditing programs.
  • Guide you through the maze of federal and state regulatory employment and labor laws.
  • Provide you with aggressive and goal-oriented representation before courts, administrative agencies, arbitrators and mediators.
  • Handle the collective bargaining process and advance your interests in interactions with labor unions.

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt is a multidisciplinary, integrated national professional services firm known for quality and an extraordinary commitment to clients. We are keenly focused on specific industry sectors, providing legal and consulting capabilities at the very highest levels to achieve our clients’ business objectives.

Our groundbreaking approach—bringing together legal services, advocacy and business strategy—differentiates us from our competitors and positions us to provide a unique and compelling value proposition. We strive to be essential to our clients.

From our roots in banking, entertainment and government, our clients are from industries as diverse as healthcare, financial services, media, technology, retail and consumer products, real estate, and energy. Our practice mix and deep understanding of the industries that drive the U.S. and global economies benefit clients as we resolve complex and potentially enterprise-threatening disputes, help finance their operations and expand their businesses, and navigate the maze of law and regulation governing virtually all commercial activity.

Our strong presence in America’s most important business markets enables us to address and exceed client expectations. Our largest offices are strategically located in Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Orange County, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Our offices in Sacramento and Albany—the capitals of California and New York—provide connections to government decision makers and to solutions that are unavailable from our competitors.

Beyond this energizing work, we are deeply committed to diversity, to public service, to involvement in the communities we serve and to excellence in all we do.

 

Erich Ferrari

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Leaders in Law endorses Erich Ferrari as our exclusively recommended Economic Sanctions Law expert in the USA – Washington. If you wish to get in touch with Erich please use the contact information provided above.

As the Founder and Principal of Ferrari & Associates, P.C., Mr. Ferrari represents U.S. and foreign corporations, financial institutions, exporters, insurers, as well as private individuals in trade compliance, regulatory licensing matters, and federal investigations and prosecutions. He frequently represents clients before the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), and in federal courts around the country. With over 12 years of experience in national security law, exports control, and U.S. economic sanctions, he counsels across industry sectors representing parties in a wide range of matters from ensuring compliance to defending against federal prosecutions and pursuing federal appeals.

Mr. Ferrari’s representations before OFAC frequently involve investigations concerning violations of the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations, the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, and the Counter Narcotics Trafficking Sanctions Regulations. As part of these representations, he has worked to have names removed from OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), and OFAC administrative subpoenas issued during the course of an OFAC investigation, procure OFAC specific licenses to engage in transactions prohibited by OFAC, draft OFAC voluntary self-disclosures, develop and implement OFAC compliance programs for international import-export companies, and provide general counseling on OFAC related matters.

Mr. Ferrari has served as lead trial counsel on a number of complex federal criminal matters. He is a seasoned litigator that has obtained mistrials and acquittals for his clients in various matters including in prosecutions for smuggling, and International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) based export control charges. He has also successfully handled mail and wire fraud cases, tax fraud cases, money laundering cases, espionage case, economic sanctions criminal cases, and federal criminal appeals. These representations have occurred in various courts across the United States and involved by U.S. and international clientele. He maintains a security clearance and has served as cleared counsel in national security cases.

Mr. Ferrari’s civil litigation experience includes multiple lawsuits against OFAC arising from blocking both of assets, as well as those targeting parties under the Foreign Narcotics Trafficking Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). He has also represented clients in other contexts including in securities matters arising before the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and litigated in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and in civil forfeiture proceedings.

Mr. Ferrari actively writes on OFAC administered trade sanctions and has been published on the matter. In addition, he is often called upon by media outlets to speak on U.S. trade sanctions issues. He has been interviewed on OFAC related issues by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington, Post, Forbes Magazine, and the Wall Street Journal. He is also the founder and Executive Editor of the U.S. economic sanctions blog and research site: www.sanctionlaw.com

Ferrari & Associates, P.C.

At Ferrari & Associates, we are known for providing well-versed legal representation for federal and international criminal offenses, and for matters that fall under the jurisdiction of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), including U.S. economic and trade sanctions. This area of law is very specific and requires the guidance of lawyers who possesses a clear understanding of the policies behind the laws and how OFAC operates. Our team of experienced OFAC attorneys has the resources and legal insight necessary to represent clients across the nation and around the world with any OFAC-related matter.

Providing Skilled & Passionate OFAC Representation on a Global Scale

Our firm is located in Washington D.C.-directly across the street from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, home to OFAC- but we are able to engage in all OFAC matters on a national and international scale. As a boutique firm with a high success rate, we have achieved favorable outcomes for 80% of the people that we represented from the OFAC SDN List. We have successfully unblocked millions of dollars within the sanctions program, and we have had IEEPA charges dropped against high-profile clients.

We also provide compliance counsel for large companies, including foreign businesses and insurance companies. As a sophisticated practice at the forefront of OFAC law, we understand the system from an operational perspective and we know how to use this knowledge to the advantage of our clients.

The legal insight of our firm’s founding OFAC attorney has been sought by various media outlets and featured in publications such as:

  • NPR
  • The New York Times
  • Bloomberg News
  • The Huffington Post
  • PBS Tehran Bureau

If you are currently dealing with a complex legal matter or need legal guidance with an OFAC-related issue, please do not hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. We will do everything possible to help you resolve your imposed sanctions so you can continue working towards achieving your business goals.

We’re not just OFAC lawyers- we strive to be thought leaders in the field of U.S. economic sanctions.

 

Adam K. Levin

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Leaders in Law endorses Adam K. Levin as our exclusively recommended Commercial Litigation Law expert in the USA – Washington. If you wish to get in touch with Adam please use the contact information provided above.

Serving on the Global Leadership Team for our Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice, Adam Levin handles civil litigation and government investigations across the United States.

Adam has represented some of the country’s most well-known companies in complex commercial matters, ranging from multibillion-dollar lawsuits to high-stakes investigations. With a focus on life sciences, pharmaceutical, and consumer disputes, Adam applies experience, practical solutions, and a team-oriented approach to our clients’ most challenging issues.

Adam’s class action work is of particular note. He is currently lead counsel in two nationwide multidistrict litigation (MDL) matters and counsel of record in a third. He has handled more than two dozen class actions in the last few years alone, including product matters and cases brought under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). He was trial counsel and obtained a unanimous victory from the Connecticut Supreme Court to defeat a nationwide class action alleging nearly US$100 million in damages. He co-argued the response to a motion that led to denial of certification for a putative nationwide RICO class. And he has experience handling all aspects of class action discovery, settlement, and other proceedings.

Adam is also a trial lawyer with a commitment to public service. His trial victories include successfully defending and prosecuting a US$90 million dispute, and he served as trial counsel for one of the most high-profile civil rights matters in recent years: the landmark Tulia, Texas case that led to the release of 12 persons from jail, pardons for 35 persons, and a US$6 million settlement. For these efforts and others, Adam and the firm have been honored by the NAACP LDF and the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

Before joining Hogan Lovells, Adam clerked for the Honorable Marjorie O. Rendell on both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Practice Areas

  • Litigation
  • Arbitration
  • Employment

Education

  • J.D., New York University School of Law, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1997
  • B.A., University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1994

Memberships

  • Former President, Washington Council of Lawyers
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, District of Columbia Bar

Firm Description:

Change is happening faster than ever, and to stay ahead, you need to anticipate what’s next. Legal challenges come from all directions. We understand and work together with you to solve the toughest legal issues in major industries and commercial centers around the world. Whether you’re expanding into new markets, considering capital from new sources, or dealing with increasingly complex regulation or disputes, we can help. Whether change brings opportunity, risk, or disruption, be ready by working with Hogan Lovells.

Check out our at-a-glance, key facts and figures; learn why we’re the clear choice.

Straight talking. Understanding and solving the problem before it becomes one. Delivering clear and practical advice that gets your job done. Hogan Lovells offers extensive experience and insights gained from working in some of the world’s most complex legal environments and markets for corporations, financial institutions, and governments. We help you identify and mitigate risk and make the most of opportunities. Our 2,800 lawyers on six continents provide practical legal solutions wherever your work takes you.

A fast-changing and inter-connected world requires fresh thinking combined with proven experience. That’s what we provide. Progress starts with ideas. And while imagination helps at every level, our legal solutions are aligned with your business strategy. Our experience in cross-border and emerging economies gives us the market perspective to be your global partner. We believe that when knowledge travels, opportunities arise.

Our team has a wide range of backgrounds. Diversity of backgrounds and experience delivers a broader perspective. Perspectives which ultimately make for more rounded thinking and better answers for you.

Giving back to communities and society is fundamental to good business. And, it’s part of our core. We are advocates of justice, equality, and opportunity. Everyone at Hogan Lovells is asked to volunteer at least 25 hours a year as part of their normal work duties. Around the world, our people are making a difference through pro bono activities, community investment, and social justice.

Why choose Hogan Lovells?

  • Deep understanding of your issues
  • Straight talking and practical problem solving
  • Strong relationships and a collaborative approach

Robert Odawi Porter

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Robert Odawi Porter is an expert in the field of American Indian law and has dedicated his 20-year legal career to protecting and expanding the rights of indigenous nations and peoples. He joined the firm on January 1, 2013, following the completion of his term as the 67th president of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Robert also served the Seneca Nation for nine years as its chief legal counsel, holding the position of attorney general and later acting as senior policy advisor and counsel.

During his career, Robert has represented both private Indian-owned businesses and Fortune 500 corporations. Focusing on complex legal and policy matters, his practice at the firm represents Indian nations, individual Indians and Indian-owned businesses, as well as companies doing business in Indian Country. Robert is a recognized expert in federal Indian law and has worked to protect Indian treaty rights throughout his career as a practicing attorney.

Before serving as Seneca Nation president, Robert spent more than 10 years as a tenured law professor at the University of Kansas, the University of Iowa and Syracuse University. He is the author of numerous scholarly publications focusing on indigenous law and governance, tribal sovereignty, and the cultural, political and legal impacts of Euro-American colonization on indigenous peoples. Robert has lectured widely at universities, professional conferences and tribal events. He has also been an active media contributor, and served as a consulting expert and expert witness in matters pending before US and Indian tribal courts.

Robert is a graduate of Syracuse University and Harvard Law School. He started his legal career working at the global law firms of Dickstein Shapiro in Washington, DC, and Baker & Hostetler in Cleveland. He is a member of the Heron Clan of the Seneca Nation and was raised on the Nation’s Allegany Territory.

Constitutional Law, including Aboriginal and Native Law Practice:

The Constitution is the source of all legal and governmental authority. The laws that govern the affairs of businesses, institutions, governments and individuals must be consistent with its overarching principles. As a business owner, sorting through all of the provisions set forth in this guiding document can be cumbersome. You require a partner with expertise in this field.

Gain a deeper understanding of the Constitution with the lawyers at Dentons. Our Constitutional Law practice has acted as counsel in many of the leading constitutional cases brought before Supreme Courts, as well as lower courts. Whether defending laws from constitutional attack or challenging conduct that infringes upon your constitutional rights, we offer a unique blend of experience, knowledge and skill.

Dentons US LLP:

Dentons is a global firm driven to provide you with the competitive edge in an increasingly complex and interconnected marketplace. We were formed by the March 2013 combination of international law firm Salans LLP, Canadian law firm Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP (FMC) and international law firm SNR Denton.

Dentons is built on the solid foundations of three highly regarded law firms. Each built its outstanding reputation and valued clientele by responding to the local, regional and national needs of a broad spectrum of clients of all sizes – individuals; entrepreneurs; small businesses and start-ups; local, regional and national governments and government agencies; and mid-sized and larger private and public corporations, including international and global entities.

Now clients benefit from approximately 2,600 lawyers and professionals in more than 75 locations spanning 50-plus countries across Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Russia, CIS and the Caucasus, the UK and the US who are committed to challenging the status quo to offer creative business and legal solutions.

With exceptional global practices in Energy, Banking and Finance, Real Estate and Insurance, Dentons provides access to top tier legal talents with experience in 24 sectors and 36 practices.