Baker McKenzie has hired a trio of employment litigators from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius' New York and Philadelphia offices, as demand for work in the sector is red-hot amid coronavirus concerns and mass layoffs.

Blair Robinson, Paul Evans and Jeff Sturgeon have all departed Morgan Lewis' 375-attorney-strong labor, employment and benefits group for Baker McKenzie's New York office. Their new firm has over 700 employment attorneys in its global practice and over 130 U.S. attorneys focused on employment issues, but only had two employment partners based solely in New York before the new additions.

"Our clients have both domestic and international needs, and having an increase in subject-matter experts around the globe will make it easier for them to get advice quicker and faster," Sturgeon said. 

Robinson spent the last 15 years with Morgan Lewis. He has defended numerous companies in the pharmaceutical, financial services, and entertainment industries in nationwide employment discrimination class actions, and wage-and-hour class and collective actions.

Evans, who worked in Morgan Lewis' Philadelphia office for the past 20 years, also represents employers in discrimination class actions and wage-and-hour class and collective actions, while also defending challenges to pre-employment selection procedures such as employer testing and background check programs.

Sturgeon also worked in the firm's Philadelphia office. He has 15 years of trial experience, litigating employment, whistleblower, benefits, securities and commercial and fiduciary liability issues in state and federal courts throughout the country.

"We view this as an opportunity to expand Baker McKenzie's employment capabilities in New York and across the East Coast," Evans said.

Neither Sturgeon nor Evans is currently licensed in New York, but both intend to waive into the state's bar. In addition to being resident in New York City, they intend to secure office space in Philadelphia.

The attorneys said they were not in a position to disclose the names of any clients who would be joining them, but they expect to be busy in the coming months. 

"Unfortunately, employment litigation and counseling tends to be countercyclical," Sturgeon said.

In February, Morgan Lewis announced the hire of the former global head of Sidley Austin's labor and employment practice, pointing to surging demand for #MeToo investigations and cases.

"We are focused on our clients in this time of unprecedented turmoil for them," a spokesperson for the firm said Monday. "We anticipate no impact at all on our client service or business from these departures."