Q: What were some of the department's most satisfying successes of the past year and why?

A: Our clients placed their trust in our team to work with them on their most important and high-risk employment litigation matters. It was tremendously satisfying to reward that trust with victories and overwhelmingly successful outcomes.

Q: A prospective client in crisis calls and asks why your team should be retained. What is your answer?

A: No matter the issue, or the direction the crisis takes, we have the resources to provide the most effective representation. Our 31-lawyer New York labor and employment (L&E) team is integrated into a global L&E team of more than 250 lawyers who regularly carry out sophisticated, business-critical work across specialties. Beyond that, our global L&E team is integrated into a global law firm with difference-making know-how in the full range of practice areas. A crisis often involves more than one practice area. For example, if an employee is threatening to file a retaliation claim and in the course of that claim we learn that the employee intends to allege regulatory failures and disclose confidential or privileged documents, that is a matter that requires proficiency across multiple practice areas, including employment law; the regulatory area at issue and crisis management. Morgan Lewis has the ability to bring one integrated team with the experience and acumen from all of those areas that allows us to successfully navigate our clients through any crisis.

Q: What traits do you respect most in opposing firms and lawyers?

A: Honesty, integrity and civility.

Q: What sorts of trends are you seeing in litigation, and what do you think will be the most important development in the law/legal business that will impact your field in the next 10 years?

A: Important changes being brought about by empowerment movements such as #MeToo and Time's Up have activated a culture shift and an elevated level of consciousness that will forever alter workplace dynamics. Our L&E team is focused on helping our clients navigate their way through these changes. Our workplace culture consulting and training team is composed of experts who work alongside our clients to assess their cultures, identify risks and develop concrete solutions that promote a positive, diverse, inclusive workplace, mitigate the possibility of litigation and preserve a company's brand and image. The focus on pay equity issues will continue, and we expect that government entities and regulators will develop more refined disclosure requirements. We are likely to see an increased use of arbitration to resolve disputes in the wake of the Supreme Court's Epic Systems decision, which will play to the L&E team's strength of having a deep lineup of trial-ready lawyers.

Q: What is the firm doing to ensure that future generations of litigators are ready to take the helm?

A: Teamwork is the foundational philosophy of the L&E group and animates everything we do. Doing great work for our clients takes a team effort. Our success has been built on a relatively simple formula: we hire really smart people, we give them exceptional, best-in-class skills training and we provide a supportive and collaborative environment in which they can learn and develop. Time and time again, partners are able to step back and allow our associates to shine and deliver the highest quality of service and results to our clients. On a more detailed level, our firm has a monthly training program that covers a variety of substantive litigation topics. We also have a four-day trial skills program that focuses on the legal framework, rules of evidence and courtroom techniques associated with trial presentation. We then provide a seven-day trial academy that focuses on all aspects of a trial, including opening and closing arguments, rules of evidence, direct and cross-examination of witnesses and the use of demonstratives. These in-depth programs enhance the day-to-day training that all of our lawyers receive and help ensure that the firm's tradition of litigation excellence continues forward.