PHILADELPHIA – January 24, 2019 – Cozen O’Connor today announced veteran Labor & Employment attorney Daniel V. Johns — who has litigated employment-related matters in courtrooms throughout the country, including the Supreme Court and numerous Courts of Appeals — has joined its nationally recognized Labor & Employment practice. Johns comes to the firm from Ballard Spahr, where he was a partner in that firm’s Labor and Employment Group. He joins Cozen O’Connor as a partner and will reside in its Philadelphia office.
Throughout his 25-year career, Johns has represented and advised employers and their management in an array of labor and employment issues, including discrimination, harassment, and other civil rights litigation; interest and grievance arbitrations; at-will litigation; restrictive covenant/trade secret claims; benefits litigation; independent contractor classification issues; collective bargaining; union avoidance; and unfair labor practice litigation before the National Labor Relations Board and various state agencies.
“A key attribute of our Labor & Employment practice is the depth of our trial and courtroom experience,” says Michael J. Heller, Cozen O’Connor’s executive chairman and chief executive officer. “Dan has spent 25 years representing clients in court, agency, and arbitration proceedings, all of which gives him tremendous insight into how employment disputes are likely to play out in a litigation setting. That hard-earned knowledge will serve our clients well and I’m thrilled to welcome him to Cozen O’Connor.”
Johns will also play an important role in expanding the firm’s Higher Education Industry team — he regularly handles cases involving faculty and undergraduate student issues, including denial of tenure claims.
"Educational institutions face many of the same business and legal challenges as other corporate entities and, like corporations, they rely on full-service law firms with deep transactional, corporate, and regulatory capabilities,” says Thomas S. Giotto, co-chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Department. “But these institutions are very different from other corporations in terms of culture, mission, priorities, and structure. Schools need legal counsel who understand that too. With Dan’s track record, he’ll play an important role in helping us focus on and expand that practice area further.”
Recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business, labor and employment law, 2012-2018; and The Best Lawyers in America, employment law, labor and employment litigation, 2012-2019, Johns has served as lead trial counsel in litigation matters around the country, including claims brought under: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), as well as various other federal, state, and local employment laws.
“I’ve known Dan professionally for 10 years and I’m thrilled he’s chosen to join us,” says David L. Hackett, a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment practice. “Dan has served as chief spokesperson and lead negotiator in collective bargaining negotiations for employers in many different industries and he regularly handles labor arbitrations on disciplinary and contract issues. Adding an attorney with that depth of experience is a major win for the firm. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
“I’ve always admired the passion and creativity Cozen O’Connor’s Labor and Employment attorneys exhibit when serving their clients,” Johns says. “The firm’s approach to labor and employment law — including clients in the higher education space — is a seamless match with my background. I’m looking forward to working with my fellow attorneys, both here in Philadelphia and around the country.”
Johns earned his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law and his B.A. at the University of Notre Dame.
Johns’ hiring reaffirms the continued and rapid growth of Cozen O’Connor’s Labor and Employment practice. In the past three years alone the practice has nearly doubled in size with more than labor and employment attorneys now working in every region of the country. Most recently the firm welcomed four attorneys from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney — Mariah L. Passarelli, Bethany C. Salvatore, Abigail M. Green, and Tiffany A. Jenca — to its Pittsburgh office.
“When a specific labor or employment issue arises, our clients immediately face the competing goals of vigorously refuting accusations or adverse precedents and restoring a sense of calm and unity of purpose to the workplace,” Heller says. “Our practice continues to grow because our attorneys are able to guide clients through these increasingly complex situations, enabling them to take decisive action without compromising operational effectiveness.”
About Cozen O’Connor
Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has more than 825 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor services its clients’ needs through 32 offices across two continents.
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