ERIC J. CONN is a Member of the Firm in the Labor and Employment practice, in the firm’s Washington, DC, office. Eric is the Head of the firm’s national OSHA Practice Group and leads the firm’s efforts to provide occupational safety and health services to its clients. He focuses his practice on all aspects of occupational safety and health law. For example, Eric:
- Represents clients in inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions involving the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Has extensive experience responding to catastrophic industrial, construction, and manufacturing workplace accidents, including explosions and chemical releases
- Manages internal and agency investigations, including investigations by OSHA, CSB, EPA, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), and by state and local regulatory and law enforcement agencies
- Handles the full range of OSHA litigation, including appeals of citations and negotiating settlement agreements with an eye towards minimizing the impact of agency actions on wrongful death and personal injury civil cases
- Counsels lawyers representing clients in civil litigation arising out of workplace accidents
- Conducts workplace safety training and provides compliance counseling for employers in the chemical, petrochemical, manufacturing, and construction industries
AMANDA R. STRAINIS-WALKER is an Associate in the Labor and Employment practice, in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. She focuses on occupational safety and health law. For example, Amanda:
- Represents employers and trade associations in all matters regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSH Act”)
- Manages inspections conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) and the Chemical Safety Board
- Handles the full range of litigation related to contesting citations issued by OSHA
- Counsels clients on compliance with all standards set by OSHA, including ones for process safety management, grain handling, lockout/tagout, fall protection, flammable and combustible liquids, machine guarding, and hazard communication
- Conducts workplace safety and health training presentations
CASEY M. COSENTINO is an Associate in the Labor and Employment practice, in the firm’s Washington, DC, office. (Not admitted in the District of Columbia.) For example, Casey:
- Represents management in employment litigation regarding all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and harassment
- Advises employers on federal and state wage and hour laws and the classification of job positions in overtime analyses
- Drafts and modifies employee handbooks and manuals
- Counsels employers on employment policies and contracts, including employment agreements, restrictive covenants, and separation agreements
- Represents employers on labor-management relations issues and in collective bargaining negotiations
ALEXIS M. DOWNS is an Associate in the Labor and Employment practice in the firm’s Atlanta office. She focuses on representing management in state and federal employment matters. Alexis’ experience includes the following:
- Advises management and human resources personnel on employment-related matters under federal and state law including unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation, employment policies and handbooks, hiring, discipline and discharge, documentation and training.
- Reviews and drafts employment agreements and represents employers in contract disputes, separation agreements, and the enforcement of non-competition and confidentiality agreements
- Represents employers in matters before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), and advises on matters related to OSHA compliance, inspections, training, and citation contests
- Represents management in litigation in state and federal courts, and in matters before the EEOC and OSHA.
PAUL H. BURMEISTER is an Associate in the Labor and Employment practice, in the firm’s Chicago office. For example, Paul:
- Represents management in all aspects of labor and employment law
- Advises clients on OSHA-related issues and litigates OSHA complaints
- Represents public and private sector employers in collective bargaining, grievance handling, and arbitrations
- Advises employers in union-avoidance techniques and strike management
- Advises and counsels management and human resources personnel on employment-related matters, such as unlawful discrimination and harassment; employment policies and handbooks; hiring, discipline, leave, and discharge issues; reductions in force, and wage and hour issues; and documentation and record retention
- Provides supervisor training, sexual harassment training, and other anti-harassment training for businesses and their employees
- Advises businesses interested in federal contracting under the OFCCP
- Handles cases involving employment discrimination, sexual and racial harassment, breach of contract, retaliatory discharge, and the enforcement of non-competition and confidentiality agreements
- Defends charges of discrimination and retaliation before various administrative agencies, including the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Human Rights Commission, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as in state and federal courts