Cozen O'Connor is once again adding to its growing labor and employment department, this time tapping a lawyer fresh off more than four decades with the National Labor Relations Board.

The firm's latest addition is Barry Kearney, former associate general counsel of the NLRB, where he worked for 46 years. He will serve as of counsel in the firm's Washington, D.C., office.

Kearney had worked with Joe Tilson, the firm's labor and employment co-chairman, and others from Cozen O'Connor on the American Bar Association's developing labor law committee. When they learned he was planning to retire from the NLRB, the firm approached him about joining in Washington, labor and employment co-chairman Tom Giotto said.