Labor & Employment

Washington, D.C.-based Labor & Employment Group partner, Thomas P. Gies, discusses with The Wall Street Journal the new ruling by the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on corporate whistle blowers. The ruling allows corporate whistleblowers to be protected by retaliation provisions when they initially report the possible wrongdoing to their employer and not the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. However, "some companies have been reluctant to go along with the SEC's view for fear that it would lead to more retaliation claims," Gies said.

Thomas P. Gies, a Washington, D.C.-based partner in Crowell & Moring's Labor & Employment Group discusses with CBS Sports the possible arguments Judge Richard Berman may hear from the NFL and Tom Brady in the Deflategate legal battle. Gies said, "There is enough law on both sides of the issue to support a decision for either the union or the league" and that "either way it goes, an appeal to the Second Circuit seems likely."

Orange County-based Labor & Employment Group partner, Mark A. Romeo, speaks with Law360 about the California Supreme Court's decision to hear the class action brought by ABM Industries Inc. security guards who claim they were illegally forced to be on call during their breaks. The case is significant because it gives the court an opportunity to address an issue that was left unresolved in its high-profile Brinker decision. "In large part, Brinker held employers are not obligated to police meal breaks to ensure no work is done, and if the court [in the ABM case] upholds that on-call rest breaks are permitted, it would be another ruling in favor of employers and would go a long way toward eliminating another potential type of claim," Romeo said.

Washington, D.C.-based counsel and member of the firm's Labor & Employment Group, Christopher Calsyn, contributes his knowledge to the Wall Street Journal article that explores the issue as to whether or not companies like McDonald's share responsibility for the actions of their franchisees, particularly regarding complaints about low wages paid to fast-food workers. Calsyn provides that traditionally a parent company would need to have direct and immediate control over personnel matters like hiring and firing, but this case could decide whether the franchiser has sufficient control over employees to be considered a joint employer.

Edwin M. Baum, managing partner in Crowell & Moring’s New York office and member of the firm's Litigation Group, speaks with Law360 about a New York federal judge’s recent rebuke of two Big Law firms over pleadings the judge found overly long and redundant, which experts say can lead to risking an entire case by not keeping pleadings short and sweet. Baum points out that not only are gargantuan filings burdensome for all involved, but having more pages also means more opportunities for an attorney to make a mistake. "One risk in unduly lengthy pleadings that include extraneous matters is that there is a greater chance the lawyer will get something wrong, or include something they may have thought was an accurate statement but is not," said Baum.

Newly elected Crowell & Moring chair Angela B. Styles, partner and co-chair of the Government Contracts Group, is profiled by The National Law Journal. Styles discusses her childhood, past experience in both the federal government and private practice, and how she arrived at Crowell & Moring. When referring to the firm's visions for the firm's future, Styles notes that she plans "not growing for growth's sake," and hopes to strengthen practices such as cybersecurity and health care while maintaining the firm's government contracts, regulatory, and litigation reputation.  

Newly-elected chair of Crowell & Moring, Angela B. Styles, is featured in The Washington Post's "Capital Business" section after assuming her new role. The article notes that Styles, who joined the firm in 2007, is the second woman to serve as chair in firm history. "I am honored to serve as chair of Crowell & Moring and to be part of a long tradition of firm leaders who have helped to build a truly unique firm over the past 35 years," Styles said.