Kris D. Meade is a partner and co-chair of Crowell & Moring's Labor and Employment Group. He counsels and represents employers in the full range of employment and traditional labor law matters, including individual and class action lawsuits filed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, ERISA, and companion state statutes. Kris represents employers in connection with union organizing campaigns, collective bargaining, labor arbitrations, and unfair labor practice litigation.

Kris also counsels and represents employers in connection with affirmative action compliance matters, including the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs' corporate management (or "glass ceiling") reviews and affirmative action compliance audits. He represents and counsels employers in business tort cases, Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower retaliation matters, matters involving the protection of trade secrets, and litigation over non-competition agreements and other restrictive covenants.

Kris has particular expertise in conducting sophisticated statistical analyses in connection with employment class action litigation, compensation audits conducted by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and self-audits conducted by employers to ensure compliance with federal regulations, Title VII, and the Equal Pay Act. He frequently teams with statisticians who serve as consulting or testifying experts in private litigation or government enforcement actions. In addition, Kris has substantial expertise in managing and coordinating large-scale discovery in nationwide, serial litigation.

Kris is a member of the Firm's Privacy and Data Protection team. In that capacity, he teams with lawyers from our European offices to assist clients with their implementation of global privacy programs, compliance with the "Safe Harbor" scheme administered by the US Department of Commerce, and compliance with the expanding patchwork of state laws implicating privacy concerns, including state security breach notification laws. Kris regularly advises clients regarding possible cross-border data transfer solutions, including the use of model transborder data flow agreements, Safe Harbor registration, and binding corporate rules, taking into account the client's data flows and corporate structure. He has likewise assisted clients in their efforts to comply with state security breach notification laws, both in the context of actual security breaches and in implementing appropriate pre-breach measures to ensure compliance with those laws that require pre-breach measures.

Kris received a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from the University of Michigan, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated with honors from The George Washington University Law School. He is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars.

Education
George Washington University Law School, J.D. - Honors
University of Michigan, B.A. - summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa

Affiliations
Admitted to Practice:  District of Columbia, Maryland

Publications
"Courts Apply the Doctrine of Equitable Estoppel to Prevent Employers from Skirting Liability for their Actions Toward Otherwise Ineligible Employees," Bloomberg Law Reports, Labor & Employment, Vol. 3, No. 33 (2009). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade and Christopher P. Calsyn.

"The debate is over; Massachusetts issues its final regulations for personal information security," World Data Protection Report, Vol. 9, No. 4, BNA International (April 2009). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade and Robin B. Campbell.

"Ledbetter Legislation Enacted - Now What?," Employment Law360 (January 30, 2009). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade, Ursula Kubal Guzman and Christopher Calsyn.

"Revisit Independent Contractor Classifications," Society for Human Resource Management’s Legal Report (October – November 2007). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade, Jeffrey Pagano, Ira M. Saxe and Jonathan A. Moskowitz.

"Country Q&A: United States Information Technology," Practical Law Company, Information Technology Handbook, 2nd Edition (2007-08). Co-Authors: Gaela Bailey, Benjamin T. Butler, Christopher Calsyn, Robin B. Campbell, Charles C. Hwang, Kris D. Meade and John I. Stewart, Jr.

"Traps for the Unwary: LM-10 Reporting Requirements," ACC Docket (March 2007). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade, Rebecca L. Springer and Laura H. Huggett.

"When Homeland Security Goes Abroad: The Global Collision of Privacy & Anti-Terrorism Laws," BNA's Federal Contracts Report, Vol. 85, No. 16 (April 25, 2006). Co-Authors: David Z. Bodenheimer and Kris D. Meade.

"Country Q&A: United States Data Protection," Practical Law Company, Vol. 2: Data Protection (2006-07). Co-Authors: Gaela Bailey, David Z. Bodenheimer, Benjamin T. Butler, Christopher Calsyn, Robin B. Campbell, Charles C. Hwang, Kris D. Meade, Jeremy Rhyne and John Stewart.

"OFCCP Loses Bid to Extend 'Subcontractor' Status to Hospital," (2003). Co-Authors: J. Catherine Kunz and Kris Meade.

"OFCCP Finalizes Rule Governing AAPs, Effective December 13, 2000: Ambiguous And Substantial New Requirements Face Contractors," Crowell & Moring Employment Law Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 15 (November 2000). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade and Rosemary M. Collyer.

"Beat The Clock: OFCCP Moves Swiftly To Finalize Regulatory Reforms Before 2000 Elections," Labor & Employment Law Update (April 2000). Co-Author: Kris D. Meade and Kimberly K. Hartwell.

"Labor Law Roundup: Disabilities Act, Punitive Damages Highlight Supreme Court Term," Crowell & Moring Mining Law Monitor, (July 1999). Co-Authors: Kris D. Meade, Terry Flynn and Andrew Bagley.

"'New News' From The Labor Department: Increased Enforcement Activity Presents New Compliance Challenges," Crowell & Moring Labor and Employment Law Update (January 1999). Co-Authors: Thomas P. Gies and Kris D. Meade.

"EEOC Issues New Retaliation Guidance and Final Rule on Waivers," Crowell & Moring Labor and Employment Law Update, (July 1998). Co-Authors: Ellen M. Dwyer and Kris D. Meade.

"The Supreme Court Saddles Employers With Liability For the Sexual Harassment of Their Supervisors," Crowell & Moring Labor and Employment Law Update (July 1998). Co-Authors: Ellen M. Dwyer and Kris D. Meade.

Speeches & Presentations
"Labor and Employment Developments in President Obama's First 100 Days," Crowell & Moring Webinar Presentation (April 2009). Co-Presenters: Trina L. Fairley, William J. Flanagan, Thomas P. Gies and Kris D. Meade.

"Unique Employment Law Obligations Imposed on Government Contractors: Tips for Compliance," Crowell & Moring's Labor Ounce of Prevention Seminar, Irvine, CA (April 8, 2009). Presenter: Kris D. Meade.

"Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Preparing For and Defending Against Pay Discrimination Claims," Crowell & Moring's Labor Ounce of Prevention Seminar, Irvine, CA (April 8, 2009). Presenters: Kris D. Meade and Dani T. Nguyen.

"The Top Five Things You Would Not Believe About Employment Law," Crowell & Moring's 2008 Healthcare Ounce of Prevention Conference (October 2008). Co-Presenters: Trina L. Fairley and Kris D. Meade.

"Emerging Labor and Employment Law Issues Impacting the Healthcare Industry," Crowell & Moring's 2007 Healthcare Ounce of Prevention Seminar (HOOPS) (October 2007). Co-Presenters: Keith J. Harrison and Kris D. Meade.