Labor Management Relations

Littler was founded in 1942 as a labor law firm, exclusively representing employers. Strategic labor relations counsel remains at the core of who we are today.

While we take pride in being the largest management-side labor law group in the world, we take even more pride in being trusted partners to companies that range from top global brands to those newer to complex labor relations issues.

Our depth of experience and ability to relate to leaders at every level of a company—from the factory or retail floor to the C-suite—is what distinguishes our offering.

Your Strategic Partner

Navigating today’s evolving labor laws can feel like being on a seesaw for employers, as increasingly fragmented and frequently changing legal precedent and administrative rules create significant uncertainty. Our team of over 250 labor attorneys understands current (and impending) legal, political, and industry trends—and is dedicated to helping employers achieve their business goals while mitigating legal and operational risks.

What’s more, our team—co-chaired by two leading women in labor law—reflects the diversity of today’s multicultural, multigenerational workforce. Our lawyers span all generations and comprise a variety of races, ethnicities, and genders, giving us a unique ability to serve our clients and their workforces.

What We Do

Today’s society is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation amid a resurgent interest in social activism, new technologies that connect employees around the globe, and evolving employee expectations and behaviors. These shifts, alongside changes in how the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is being interpreted and enforced, have prompted many companies to take a fresh look at labor readiness plans, employee engagement, and workplace policies.

That’s where we come in. Whether a workforce is unionized, non-union or somewhere in between, Littler provides employers with forward-thinking, holistic labor relations counsel to effectively engage employees, achieve business goals, and manage risk.

In addition to helping companies understand their legal rights and obligations, we assist in:

• Aligning company leaders—including boards and C-suite executives—on their labor relations strategy.
• Responding to unconventional corporate campaigns and seeking remedies for illegal strike activities.
• Understanding trends within their specific industries and geographic areas.
• Developing change management and contingency plans, including how to keep operations running amid strikes or other labor actions.
• Assisting with legally compliant communications and strategies.
• Navigating all aspects of labor contract administration and collective bargaining negotiations, including modernizing legacy contracts.
• Training leaders, including election campaign simulations and how to manage lawfully and effectively in a union-represented workplace.
• Updating employee engagement strategies and fostering positive employee relations.

We also provide legal counsel on the rights of both the employer and employees under the NLRA when it comes to organizing. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and federal courts (including the U.S. Supreme Court) have long held that the right of employees to make an informed choice is best served when employers can share information. To that end, we counsel clients on to how to share relevant information with employees. Similarly, we routinely advise clients on how to lawfully communicate and educate employees during negotiations and work stoppages.

Our Experience

• A deep understanding of the NLRB. Our team—which includes a number of former NLRB attorneys—has vast knowledge of how the Board operates and strong relationships with regional NLRB offices throughout the country.
   
• Wide-ranging subject matter knowledge. Our attorneys practice in nearly 60 areas of employment and labor law, allowing us to manage nuanced labor issues and emerging issues, like managing multigenerational workforces and the labor relations implications of the rise of artificial intelligence.
    
• Industry-specific capabilities. In today’s landscape, labor management relations often requires a tailored approach for each industry. We bring experience in sectors spanning healthcare, transportation and logistics, technology, hospitality, food service, retail, e-commerce, higher education, manufacturing, financial services, cannabis, energy, and companies on every part of the supply chain—enabling us to be true strategic partners.
    
• A vast international footprint. With over 100 offices around the world, we are well-positioned to help multinational organizations navigate the various labor laws across their operations and uncover how international labor relations may fit into a company’s broader strategy.
    
• The backing of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute^®. Through our government relations and public policy arm, we advocate for the interests of our clients to help shape the future of workplace policy—engaging with policymakers, testifying before Congress, and collaborating with companies whose executives are called to testify at Congressional hearings.

Key Capabilities

We guide employers through the full lifecycle of labor management relations, including:

• Corporate campaign response. We can quickly mobilize a cross-country team to respond to multilayered campaigns directed at your business.
    
• NLRB and related litigation. We have defended thousands of matters before the Board and have handled more unfair labor practice charges and representation petitions than any other law firm, according to NLRB data from 2020-2022. We also have a leading team that has been involved in numerous 10(j) and 10(l) labor injunction proceedings in U.S. federal courts across the country.
    
• Appellate practice. We have represented employers in appeals of some of the nation’s most influential labor and employment law cases. In the last five years alone, Littler has prevailed in over 100 federal and state appellate cases that have helped define employment laws and shape workplace practices in a direction that is favorable to employers.
    
• Amicus practice. We are regularly called upon by employer associations to challenge laws/changes in laws via amicus briefs filed in appellate courts.
    
• Global labor relations. We advise multinational corporations on issues involving international labor standards and implement strategies to respond to these campaigns. We also provide legal representation in proceedings before the International Labor Organization and National Contact Points for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
    
• Business restructuring and M&A. Labor issues can lead to unexpected disruptions when a company goes through a major structural change. That’s why we provide due diligence investigations to review and assess all union contracts; help employers structure buy-sell agreements to minimize exposure to labor issues; and help preserve existing contracts that benefit the ongoing success of the business.
    
• Pension withdrawal liabilities. We regularly counsel and represent employers with issues involving the interplay between collective bargaining, multiemployer pension plan obligations, and withdrawal liability touching on such laws as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Taft-Hartley Act, the Pension Protection Act, and the Multiemployer Pension Plan Amendments Act.