Articles

Debunking the Mystique of the Top 20 Law Schools (PDF)

Associates Diversity Report Card (PDF)

Driving Diversity in Large Law Firms (PDF)

Legal Recruiters find Growth Zone Selling Diversity (PDF)

Agents of Change (PDF)

The Big White Apple (PDF)

Taking the express lane to diversity (PDF)

An unprecedented push for diversity (PDF)

Press Releases as of December 1, 2007

Complex commercial litigation and employment matters

Clara Saafir has broad experience in complex commercial litigation, unfair competition matters, and other business disputes involving issues such as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, misrepresentation, and commercial torts. Ms. Saafir has represented a variety of clients in labor and employment law matters involving age discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower claims. She also advises clients on matters of employer liability in various contexts.

Following graduation from law school, Ms. Saafir served as a law clerk to the Honorable Ivan L.R. Lemelle of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

          Major distributor – litigation involving age discrimination and retaliation claims

          Manufacturer/distributor – litigation involving Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower claims

          Regional hospital system – litigation involving the Lanham Act, antitrust claims, and other business torts

          International airport system – claims involving RICO, unfair competition, and breach of contract

          National lender – extensive representation in matters involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of bailment, DTPA, collections, sequestration, the Home Equity Amendment Act, and post judgment relief, including settlement negotiations and mediation

          National securities broker – representation in state and federal court and before the MDL panel in a matter involving arbitration rights

          National securities broker – representation before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on appeal of an arbitration award

          National securities broker – representation before the NASD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Three Prominent Labor and Employment Partners Join Thelen in Washington, DC

Edmund Cooke, Jr., Darlene H. Smith, and O'Kelly E. McWilliams, III from Mintz Levin Will Take the Lead in DC for the Firm's National Labor and Employment Practice

WASHINGTON, DC (November 15, 2007)—Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP announced today that three new partners have joined the firm's national Labor and Employment (L&E) practice in Washington, DC.

This team of highly respected L&E attorneys joins Thelen from Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C. The group includes partners Edmund Cooke, Jr., the former head of the Corporate Diversity and Risk Management practice at Mintz Levin, Darlene Smith, and O’Kelly E. McWilliams, III.

Ed, Darlene, and O’Kelly bring years of experience, having represented Fortune 500 clients, in virtually every aspect of labor and employment law, including defense of class actions and single plaintiff employment suits, OFCCP and DOL audits, traditional labor matters, wage and hour litigation, and advice and counsel.

The group has also distinguished itself as the go-to team for corporate diversity and risk management counseling, a specialty niche major corporations are clamoring for as they strive to achieve EEO best practices and avoid potential liability. Their wealth of talent and unique expertise in diversity risk management and counseling includes the design and implementation of employment audits and compliance, crisis communications and management, corporate counseling, and diversity supplier programs. Considered one of the elite experts in the field, Edmund Cooke, Jr., for example, served by court appointment on the Oversight Task Force assigned to monitor Coca-Cola, Inc.'s compliance with the terms of a $192.5 million race discrimination class action settlement.

Mr. Cooke said he was attracted to Thelen because of the firm's nationally recognized L&E practice and national platform. “Thelen has one of the top labor and employment groups in the country, which makes it a perfect fit for cross-selling the services this group specializes in and provides,” Mr. Cooke said. “The partners we met with immediately understood the value of corporate diversity and risk management counseling as a way to enhance and grow the overall practice.”

Linda Husar, National Chair of Thelen's Labor and Employment practice, said having an attorney of Mr. Cooke's caliber leading the practice in a key market like Washington, DC would add immediate cachet to the practice as a whole. “Ed, Darlene, and O’Kelly are extremely impressive labor and employment attorneys with experience covering all aspects of the field,” Ms. Husar said. “But what distinguishes them from other employment lawyers is their unsurpassed expertise and experience in providing sophisticated diversity risk management and counseling services. No one else does what they do at the level at which they do it.”

Andrew Ness, Managing Partner of Thelen's Washington, DC office, said the partners are a major addition to Thelen's growing presence in that market. “The Cooke group provides this office, and the L&E group as a whole, with an opportunity to immediately achieve a critical mass of exceptional experts in a highly-specialized practice area that has expanding needs and a limited number of truly qualified experts capable of meeting those needs,” Ness said.

For more information, contact:

Kevin Livingston
National Manager of Public Relations
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP
415.369.7224
klivingston@thelen.com

About Thelen
Thelen is an international law firm with approximately 600 attorneys and is widely known for its premier practices in the areas of Construction; Corporate/Finance; Technology, Media, and Communications; Energy; and Complex Litigation. Other premier practice areas of the firm include Real Estate, Labor and Employment, Intellectual Property, Bankruptcy, Domestic and International Tax, and Employee Benefits.

LeClairRyan is pleased to announce that Government Relations Industry Leaders Singleton B. McAllister and Weldon J. Rougeau have joined the Firm and will establish the Federal Government Relations Practice. Ms. McAllister and Mr. Rougeau will establish a bi-partisan federal government relations practice that will include professional lobbyists and lawyers experienced in public policy development in the legislative and executive branches of the government.     Ms. McAllister comes to the Firm from Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo where she was a member of ML Strategies, the lobbying component of the firm and was also a part of the Corporate Diversity Risk Management practice. She has been practicing government relations and public policy law for nearly twenty years. She has served in numerous positions within the U.S. House of Representatives and served as senior counsel to the House Budget Committee. Ms. McAllister was appointed by former President Clinton as the General Counsel to the United States Agency for International Development. She also was a former Chair of the National Women Business Center and a past President of Women in Government Relations. She is a graduate of Howard Law School and the University of Maryland. Singleton B. McAllister 202.659.6729 direct singleton.mcallister@leclairryan.com     Mr. Rougeau is a former counsel with the Government Relations Group at the Washington, D.C. law firm, Arent Fox. He is a past president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and has served in senior executive positions at American Express, the Loyola University Medical Center, and the National Urban League. His government experience includes service in the United States Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, and the U.S. Department of Labor during the Carter administration. Mr. Rougeau is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Loyola University Chicago. Weldon J. Rougeau 202.659.6728 direct weldon.rougeau@leclairryan.com Brian K. Telfair  LeClairRyan 951 East Byrd Street Eighth Floor Richmond, Virginia 23219 Phone: (804) 783-7539 Fax: (804) 783-7639   Practice Areas Products Liability & Mass Tort Automotive Defense Tort Defense   Experience   Mr. Telfair is a shareholder in the Firm’s Tort Defense Group. His practice is principally devoted to defending product designers, manufacturers and sellers against damage claims arising out of alleged product defects, malfunctions or failures. He has defended insurance companies, automobile manufacturers, chemical companies, pharmaceutical companies, fast food companies and gas appliance manufacturers in a variety of matters. He has first or second chaired approximately 32 jury trials. He has served as in-house counsel to The Dow Chemical Company from 1990-1992. He represented Dow in tort related matters involving asbestos, methylene chloride, dioxin, Agent Orange and other phenoxy herbicides.   Legal Experience   LeClairRyan, Richmond, Virginia, June 2007-Present Womble Carlyle, Tysons Corner, Virginia, 2006-June 2007 Law Offices of Brian K. Telfair, Richmond, VA, 2006 Adorno & Yoss, LLC, Richmond, Virginia, 2005-2006 Bowman and Brooke LLP, Richmond, Virginia, 1999-2005 Wilder & Gregory, Richmond, Virginia, 1996-1999 Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone, PLC, Detroit, Michigan, 1992-1996 The Dow Chemical Company, Counsel, Midland, Michigan, 1990-1992   Education College of William & Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law, J.D., 1990 University of Massachusetts, M.Ed, 1985 Virginia State University, B.S., Chemistry, 1983   Extended Information   Representative Matters §  Represented an American automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging manufacturing and design defects in an automobile’s airbag system. Defense verdict. §  Represented an American automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging manufacturing defects in a truck’s rear axle. Defense verdict. §  Represented a Japanese automobile manufacturer in a Virginia Lemon Law matter alleging inadequate fuel consumption. Defense verdict. Plaintiff’s Petition for appeal denied. §  Represented a Japanese automobile manufacturer in a North Carolina Lemon Law matter alleging various defects in a sports utility vehicle. Motion for Summary Judgment granted. §  Represented an American automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging manufacturing and design defects in an automobile’s airbag system. Motion for Summary Judgment granted. §  Represented a Japanese automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging manufacturing and design defects in a sport utility vehicle’s electrical system. Defense verdict. §  Represented an American automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging design defects in an automobile’s airbag system. Plaintiff non-suit during trial and subsequent voluntary dismissal with prejudice. §  Represented an American automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging design defects in an automobile’s primary restraint system. Motion for Summary Judgment granted. §  Represented an American automobile manufacturer in a product liability matter alleging defects in a sport utility vehicle’s steering system. Motion to Strike granted. Speaking Engagements §  The Impact of Brown v. Board of Education on American Society, 2002, RACA Professional Memberships §  National Bar Association §  American Bar Association §  Old Dominion Bar Association §  Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys: Board of Directors (2005-Present); Chair, Products Liability Committee (2003-2004); Vice-Chair, Products Liability Committee (2002-2003) §  Greater Richmond Urban League: Board of Directors (1996-2001); Vice Chair of Programs (1998-2001); Chairperson, Legislative/Social Action Committee (1998-2001) §  William & Mary Law School Association: Board of Directors (1997-Present) Fraternity/Sorority Memberships §  Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. (Life Member) Admissions §  Michigan, 1990 §  U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1993 §  Virginia, 1996 §  U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Virginia, 1996 §  U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia, 1999 §  U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit, 2005 Place of Birth §  Jacksonville, Florida   Newsroom  SHOW Newsroom items are hidden by default. Click the SHOW link above to view.   Speaking Engagements and Seminars Telfair to Present at Thurgood Marshall College Fund Leadership Institute Weldon H. Latham Senior Partner Practice Areas: Corporate Diversity Counseling Government Contracts: Introduction White Collar Defense and Corporate Compliance

Weldon H. Latham is a senior partner concentrating in the areas of Corporate Diversity Counseling, Government Relations, Corporate Law, and Government Contracts. He also serves as the Practice Leader of the Corporate Diversity Counseling Group and represents a wide range of Fortune 500 companies, minority and women-owned businesses, and municipalities in legal matters involving crisis management and diversity representation, acquisitions, mergers, financial transactions, Federal grants and procurement, as well as Federal executive, legislative and regulatory matters. Mr. Latham advises a number of Fortune 200 CEO's whose companies are confronted with highly publicized charges of racial discrimination or related disputes with Federal agencies and often directs confidential corporate diversity compliance reviews. Moreover, he has assisted clients in developing a wide range of "best practice" diversity initiatives and plans, ranging from executive management and workforce diversity to minority business procurement, diversity-related government/community relations, and targeted philanthropic efforts.

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