The McDermott Will & Emery LLP US employment practice has a strong focus on M&A and private equity, regularly advising significant corporate clients on the employment aspects of major deals. In Chicago, Michael Sheehan leads the practice, while Rachel Cowen has a track record of work on cases concerning gender and pay equity and sensitive internal investigations, among other employment matters. Meanwhile, in New York, Linsay Ditlow has deep experience of employment matters relating to corporate restructurings workforce reductions. The Los Angeles team contains individuals including Maria Rodriguez and Yesenia Gallegos. Rodriguez focuses her practice on clients in the media, entertainment, and sports industries; while Gallegos recently led the team which advised CVS Health on its acquisition of Signify Health.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

'The firm's depth of knowledge in many areas of employment law is impressive. This knowledge translates to innovative strategies, both substantive and procedural, that lead to effective results.'
'We work with Jim Nicholas - we can rely on his legal expertise, analytical and communication skills, ability to problem-solve, and his ethical and client-focused conduct.'

Key clients

Amazon
Brewers Association
Baxter International
Circle K Stores
Dotdash Meredith
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Proofpoint
SeaWorld
San Francisco Symphony
Trufood

Work highlights

Advised CVS Health on the employment aspects of its $8 billion agreement to acquire publicly-traded Signify Health, a leader in health risk assessments, value-based care and provider enablement.
Providing extensive advice and counsel to companies in light of landmark SFFA (Students for Fair Admissions) v Harvard Supreme Court ruling which held that race-based affirmative action programs were unlawful, and the impact on their own diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Michael Sheehan

Other key lawyers

Rachel Cowen, Lindsay Ditlow, Maria Rodriguez, Yesenia Gallegos, Jim Nicholas