Littler Expands New England Presence in Maine

Portland, ME (February 2, 2015)- Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has opened an office in Portland, Maine with five new attorneys from Fisher & Phillips LLP. The group of attorneys include shareholder Jonathan Shapiro, who previously served as regional managing partner of Fisher & Phillips’ Portland office, shareholders Melinda J. Caterine and David Strock, and associates Shiloh D. Theberge and Peter F. Herzog.
 
“We are excited to expand our footprint in New England building off the success of our offices in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler, in a joint statement. “Following the recent addition of four prestigious shareholders in our Atlanta office, bringing on this talented team further supports our strategy of attracting lateral groups that strengthen our position as the dominant single source solution provider for the domestic and global employer community.”
 
The attorneys joining Littler’s Portland, Maine office bring significant experience in a range of labor and employment matters and will counsel clients throughout the New England region and across the country. Their addition closely follows a group of seasoned employment litigators – Daniel Turner, Tracey Barbaree, Beth Moeller and Lauren Zeldin – who joined Littler’s Atlanta office as shareholders earlier this month.
 
Jonathan Shapiro has significant experience in employment, labor and employee benefits law and litigation. He regularly represents employers before state and federal courts across the U.S. in complex wage and hour misclassification and off-the-clock class and collective actions, as well as cases involving discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, among other employment matters. Shapiro also provides counsel on a broad range of issues related to employment law compliance and managing a workforce, such as wage and hour compliance, exemption classification, payroll practices, personnel policies and practices, hiring and termination of employees, severance packages for executives, audits and investigations.
 
“Littler’s strong presence in the Northeast, across the U.S. and globally, combined with the deep subject matter knowledge of its network of attorneys, has given the firm an impressive ability to serve the wide-ranging needs of employers,” said Shapiro. “Our team was also drawn to Littler’s commitment to developing technologies and innovative products that provide clients with more cost-effective and efficient legal services. We were particularly impressed with the success of the Littler CaseSmart® platform in streamlining and improving the process of defending against Equal Employment Opportunity charges and single-plaintiff employment litigation as companies continue to face an onslaught of employment-related claims and litigation.”
 
Shapiro has been recognized as a leading employment lawyer for multiple consecutive years byWho's Who Legal USA, Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America and New England Super Lawyers. He received his J.D., with honors, from Duke University School of Law and his B.A.,with distinction, from McGill University.
 
Melinda Caterine focuses her practice on employment litigation before state and federal courts and agencies throughout New England. She has successfully defended employers in matters involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and employment contract disputes. Caterine has also provided training on a number of issues impacting employers, including discipline and discharge, harassment, wage and hour compliance, reductions in force, and leaves of absence.
 
“The efficient, cutting-edge and sophisticated legal services that Littler is able to provide to its clients was very appealing to our team,” said Caterine. “The firm’s well-deserved reputation for client service excellence and innovation in the delivery of legal services will undoubtedly enhance our service offerings to clients.  We look forward to being a part of such a visionary firm.”
 
In addition to her legal practice, Caterine has served as Adjunct Professor for a course on employment discrimination at the University of Maine, School of Law. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of the ABA/BNA treatise “Employment At Will:  A State-By-State Survey” and serves as Management Co-Chair of the Publications Committee for the ABA’s Section of Labor and Employment Law. In 2013 and 2014, Caterine was the only Maine-based attorney to receive a Client Choice Award from Lexology for providing excellence in client service. She has also been recognized by Who’s Who Legal USA, Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, and New England Super Lawyers. Caterine received her J.D. from Notre Dame Law School and her B.A.,with honors, from Bowdoin College.
 
David Strock maintains a traditional labor practice in which he advises employers on union-related matters and provides guidance with the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements.  He regularly represents employers in labor-related arbitrations and other forms of alternative dispute resolution, and in matters in connection with the National Labor Relations Board. Strock also defends clients against employment claims in state and federal courts, as well as before state agencies and human rights commissions. His experience also includes defending against discrimination, civil rights, and wage and hour claims, as well as the development of employment policies and procedures.
 
Strock frequently lectures and conducts training for employers and human resources professionals. Recognized by Best Lawyers in America and New England Super Lawyers, he received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Washington.
 
Shiloh Theberge litigates cases involving employment discrimination and harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour claims, disability and reasonable accommodations, and family and medical leave laws in federal and state courts and agencies.  She was named a Rising Star byNew England Super Lawyers in 2014, and received her J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School and her B.A., magna cum laude, from Dickinson College.
 
Peter Herzog focuses his practice on employment litigation and represents clients against claims involving wrongful termination, harassment, family and medical leave, and wage and hour violations, among other matters. He was named a Rising Star by New England Super Lawyers in 2013 and 2014, and received his J.D., cum laude, from Boston University School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from George Washington University.
 
About Littler
 
Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, with more than 1,000 attorneys in over 60 offices worldwide. Littler represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serves as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for over 70 years. Littler Global is the collective trade name for an international legal practice, the practicing entities of which are separate and distinct professional firms. For more information visit: www.littler.com.