Littler Adds Seasoned Team of 11 Employment Litigators

BOSTON/NEWARK/PROVIDENCE (August 1, 2016) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has expanded its attorney ranks with the addition of 11 employment litigators throughout three of its Northeast offices. The group, which joined Littler from Locke Lord, includes shareholder Todd M. Reed in the Providence, Rhode Island office and shareholders Gary J. Lieberman and Siobhan M. Sweeney in the Boston office, as well as eight counsel spread across the Providence, Boston and Newark, New Jersey, offices.
 
“Adding a team of talented litigators with deep experience defending claims arising under a range of laws impacting the workplace will be a significant asset to our litigation practice,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler, in a joint statement. “Our success in helping clients resolve litigation matters is driven by our ability to draw on a team of more than 1,000 attorneys with experience in virtually every industry and substantive area of the law. We are excited to add this group’s knowledge and distinct strengths to further enhance our service to clients.”
 
Littler also bolstered its Northeast presence in recent months with the addition of shareholders Gary Glaser in Long Island and Jeanine Conley in Philadelphia and New York. As part of the firm’s continued global expansion, Littler opened offices in Germany and Canada late last year and, in June, added Stephan Swinkels to its International Employment and Labor Law Practice in Europe.
 
“Littler has built an impressive platform that leverages the firm’s geographic reach and the subject matter knowledge of its vast network of attorneys to serve clients in an effective and efficient manner,” Reed said. “Our team was also drawn to Littler’s commitment to new and innovative ways of delivering legal services that provide clients with greater value. Proactively developing new approaches to managing legal matters has long been a focus of our group and we are excited to collaborate with our new colleagues at Littler to provide employers with cutting-edge solutions for navigating the complexities of an ever-evolving workforce.”
 
About the Attorneys
 
Todd M. Reed (Shareholder, Providence) has extensive experience defending employers in a variety of litigation matters, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, defamation and wrongful termination. He also represents employers in wage and hour matters, claims related to employee benefits, and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and disability accommodation disputes. Reed counsels clients in a range of industries, including financial services, retail and consumer products, and also defends governmental entities and officials against constitutional and civil rights claims. He earned his J.D. from Duke University School of Law and his B.A., summa cum laude, from St. Anselm College. 
 
Gary J. Lieberman (Shareholder, Boston) focuses his employment litigation practice on discrimination, harassment, retaliation, defamation, employee discipline, and wrongful discharge claims and has extensive experience arbitrating claims before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).  He has tried cases in both state and federal courts and also has significant experience in conflict resolution, mediation of disputes, wage and hour compliance, breach of contract disputes and collective bargaining matters. Lieberman represents employers across the nation, including leading financial institutions in a range of employment-related claims. Earlier in his career, Lieberman prosecuted labor and employment violations on behalf of the federal government. He earned his J.D., with honors, from George Washington University Law School and his B.A. from Northwestern University.
 
Siobhan M. Sweeney (Shareholder, Boston) is a litigator who has defended clients in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies throughout the Northeast. She has represented employers in numerous industries in whistleblower and retaliation lawsuits, breach of contract disputes, and claims of discrimination, harassment, defamation and wrongful termination. Sweeney regularly serves as an outside investigator and advisor for clients in internal workplace claims and conducts risk assessment reviews, sensitive investigations and compliance training. She also provides counsel on restrictive covenants, employee benefits and wage and hour matters and serves as an appointed member of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission's Massachusetts State Advisory Committee. Sweeney earned her J.D. from Boston University School of Law and B.A. from University of Virginia.
 
Richard M. DeAgazio (Counsel, Newark) has 22 years of experience as a litigator handling claims involving employment discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, wrongful termination, restrictive covenants, and wage and hour laws. He has represented management across the country in such industries as retail, food service and restaurants, reinsurance/insurance, pharmaceutical marketing and advertising, private educational institutions, private equity management, and municipal police. He also regularly counsels employers in employment matters relating to terminations, reductions-in-force, disability accommodation and leaves of absence, FLSA audits, and the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN); and assists his clients in drafting employee handbooks and internal policies.  He earned his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from Rutgers University.
 
Marcy A. Gilroy (Counsel, Newark) has extensive experience representing employers in litigation involving claims of discrimination, harassment, whistleblowing, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations and various employment-related torts. She also provides counseling on a range of issues related to the employer-employee relationship, including employee discipline and terminations, executive employment and non-compete agreements, and family and medical leave. Gilroy has represented employers in such industries as retail, transportation and logistics and financial services. She earned her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law and her B.A. from Dickinson College.
 
Alice A. Kokodis (Counsel, Boston) focuses her practice on the representation of national employers in such industries as financial services and retail in multi-state employment litigation. She counsels clients before state and federal courts and administrative agencies on a variety of employment issues including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wage and hour, disability accommodation, family and medical leave, and tort claims related to common law. Kokodis also arbitrates matters before FINRA and conducts training sessions for employers on preventing harassment and discrimination in the workplace. A regular speaker on employment law matters, Kokodis earned her J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law, her M.P.H. from Boston University and her B.A. from Boston University.
 
John B. Moretta (Counsel, Providence) represents employers facing claims alleging discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, and breach of contract in various industries. He has handled employment litigation and wage and hour matters in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in arbitration and mediation. Moretta also has experience counseling employers with respect to a variety of workplace issues. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School and his B.S., magna cum laude, from Rhode Island College.
 
Heather A. Pierce (Counsel, Providence) has extensive experience representing companies in a variety of employment disputes, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation and breach of contract. She represents financial institutions and other national companies in federal and state courts across the country, in arbitration proceedings, including FINRA arbitrations, and at mediations. Pierce also has experience counseling clients on employment policies and procedures, providing training and conducting investigations of workplace harassment. She earned her J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston College Law School and her B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Connecticut.
 
Laura M. Raisty (Counsel, Boston) represents clients in a wide range of employment matters involving discrimination and wage and hour disputes, including class actions. She also counsels clients on leaves of absence, reasonable accommodation, and employment policies and procedures, among other issues related to the employer-employee relationship. Raisty also provides training and conducts investigations on workplace harassment. She earned her J.D., cum laude, from Fordham University School of Law and her A.B. from Harvard College.
 
Raymond M. Ripple (Counsel, Providence) focuses his practice on the representation of employers in a wide range of litigation matters, including discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, defamation, and breach of contract. He also has significant experience representing employers in alternative dispute resolution, including arbitration and matters pending before FINRA. He earned his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and his B.A. from Providence College.
 
Caroline Turcotte (Counsel, Boston) represents employers in state and federal courts, as well as before various administrative agencies. She focuses her practice on the defense of claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, defamation, wrongful termination, breach of contract, reasonable accommodation, and family and medical leave disputes. Turcotte also has represented clients in arbitrations before FINRA and in commercial litigation disputes, tort actions and land use matters. She earned her J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law and her B.A., cum laude, from Harvard College.