Overview
In today’s global, fast-paced marketplace, employers face challenges on every front. McDermott’s employee benefits practice operates worldwide, with the geographic coverage and deep resources necessary to serve clients at every level: internationally, nationally, regionally and locally. We have deep industry experience, as well, and represent employers in virtually every sector, including manufacturing, financial services, health care, education and construction.
A key differentiator from other firms is that McDermott has traditionally invested heavily in the employee benefits practice area, unlike other firms where this practice exists as a secondary support function. For McDermott, employee benefits is a prominent practice that attracts clients directly to the Firm.
Several of our practice group lawyers have been recognized by various professional organizations as national leaders in this practice area. In fact, McDermott has received top rankings in all major ranking directories, including Chambers USA, Legal 500 USA, U.S. News – Best Lawyers and Law360. We regularly advocate for clients before the US Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service and the US Department of Labor on employee benefits matters.
We help clients maximize the value of and return on their investments in human capital while avoiding exposure to liability. We deliver strategic and day-to-day counsel on matters such as executive compensation, health/welfare plan compliance (including Affordable Care Act compliance and reporting), plan vendor contracting, qualified retirement plans, fringe benefits, privacy and data protection, reductions in force, executive employment and severance, cultural diversity, retirement programs, employment contracts and agreements, trade secret protections, development of employee manuals, wage-hour compliance, substance abuse programs and drug testing, as well as general employee-relations matters. Our employee benefits and executive compensation lawyers help clients ensure full compliance with relevant laws, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Internal Revenue Code, and state and local laws.
In Europe, we have extensive experience advising on European labor law, European works councils, the German Act against Unfair Dismissal and the German Shop Constitution Act. Our UK, French and German offices also coordinate pan-European employment and labor assignments. Together, we deliver effective solutions to issues that arise out of global, regional and local corporate mergers, acquisitions and restructurings.
Our litigators conduct a full range of labor and employment litigation, arbitration and mediation before US federal and state trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies, as well before European and Asian equivalents. We represent employers in collective bargaining negotiations, grievance arbitration, maintaining a union-free environment, and election and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.
