SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 25, 2012) – Human Resource Executive® magazine, in conjunction with the leading legal website Lawdragon, have named a number of attorneys from Littler Mendelson, P.C. (Littler), the nation’s largest employment and labor law firm representing management attorneys, to its list of the Top 100 Most Powerful Employment Lawyers. Shareholders Barry A. Hartstein, Patrick H. Hicks, Garry G. Mathiason, Marko J. Mrkonich and Robert M. Wolff were all ranked on this year’s prestigious list in addition to Steve McCown, who was recognized in the Top 20 Labor and Management list. Several firm attorneys were also recognized in the “Up and Comers” category.
For the fifth consecutive year, Human Resource Executive magazine and Lawdragon, a website that facilitates networking among attorneys and clients, have collaborated on the guide to compile the leading employment lawyers in the U.S. Attorneys are selected based on a rigorous nomination and research process in which thousands of employment and labor lawyers were considered for inclusion based on curriculum-vitae analyses, evaluations by clients and peers and reporting by the Lawdragon staff.
Hartstein is a shareholder based in Littler’s Chicago office and is co-chair of the firm’s Hiring and Background Checks Practice Group. He has earned a national reputation for his work, a career that includes more than 30 years of counseling and representing employers in a broad range of employment law matters. He also has extensive experience as a litigator and has defended employers around the country in individual and class action claims, as well as wage and hour collective actions. Hartstein is a frequent writer, commentator and lecturer on workplace issues.
A highly-experienced employment law litigator and trial attorney in Nevada, Hicks is the founding shareholder of Littler’s Reno and Las Vegas offices and the former office-managing shareholder of both offices. He has successfully defended scores of jury trials and has handled numerous arbitrations and mediations and regularly appears in all state and federal courts in Nevada and represents clients before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Nevada Equal Rights Commission and various other states administrative agencies. As one of the firm’s premier speakers, he trains and presents on a wide range of employment law topics.
Mathiason is Littler’s chairman of the board and oversees the firm’s Corporate Compliance Practice Group. Based in Littler’s San Francisco office, he defends employers in complex wage and hour discrimination class action cases and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on employment law trends. He has originated several of Littler’s preventive employment law programs, developed the firm’s alternative dispute resolution program, structured in-house employment law training programs and drafted model legislation on workplace violence. Mathiason has written extensively on workplace issues, and has been interviewed and quoted by numerous top-tier media outlets. Over the course of his career, Garry has argued before the United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and other district, superior, circuit and appellate courts.
As president and managing director of Littler, Mrkonich practices in the firm’s Minneapolis office and has guided the firm’s growth and success over the last eight years. In addition to his firm leadership responsibilities, Mrkonich’s practice focuses on employment litigation, client counseling and traditional labor law issues. He has represented clients in federal and state trial and appellate courts, federal and state administrative agencies and labor arbitration. Additionally, he has experience in mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. Mrkonich speaks regularly on a wide variety of employment topics to legal, human resources and other business audiences.
Wolff is co-chair of Littler’s Healthcare practice group and is located in the firm’s Cleveland office. A seasoned civil trial attorney with nearly 30 years of experience, he has represented large and small companies throughout the United States in employment and trade secret litigation. His clients include employers in the healthcare, energy, transportation and retail industries.
Recognized in the Top 20 Labor and Management category, McCown is a shareholder based in Littler’s Dallas office and is a nationally-recognized expert on the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). With more than 25 years of experience, McCown has represented and counseled employers and industry associations on various OSHA matters. He also has experience in traditional labor law and has represented employers in numerous employment law jury trials in state and federal court. He is a regular speaker before business and professional associations throughout the country, and is a contributing author to several treatises and publications on Occupational Safety and Health Law.
Firm shareholders Fermin H. Llaguno, Susan A.P. Woodhouse and Robert F. Friedman were named to the publication’s Top 40 Up and Comers list, which recognizes accomplished employment and labor law star attorneys most likely to take their place on the top 100 or one of the top 20 specialists’ lists in the years ahead.
About Human Resource Executive® Magazine
Human Resource Executive® was established in 1987 and continues today as the premier publication focused on strategic issues in HR. Written primarily for vice presidents and directors of human resources, the magazine provides these key decision-makers with news, profiles of HR visionaries and success stories of human resource innovators. Stories cover all areas of human resource management, including personnel, benefits, training and development, HR information systems, relocation, retirement planning, workplace security and health care.
About Littler Mendelson
With over 900 attorneys and 56 offices, Littler Mendelson is the largest U.S.-based law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. As the only U.S. member of the Ius Laboris global alliance, Littler has extensive resources to address the needs of multi-national clients, from navigating international employment laws and labor relations issues to applying corporate policies worldwide. Established in 1942, the firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record.
