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Press Release

Jackson Lewis Attorneys Honored with 2019 Client Choice Awards

WHITE PLAINS, NY (March 6, 2019) Jackson Lewis P.C., one of the country’s preeminent workplace law firms, is pleased to announce Principals Kelvin C. Berens, Joseph G. Galagaza and Gillian P. Yee have been named winners of the 2019 Client Choice Awards. The Client Choice Awards, in conjunction with International Law Office and Lexology, recognizes law firms and partners around the world that stand apart for the excellent client care they provide and the quality of their service. The criteria for this recognition focuses on the ability to add real value to clients' business above and beyond the other players in the market. Uniquely, law firms and partners can only be nominated by corporate counsel.

Kelvin “Kelly” C. Berens is a Principal in the Omaha office of Jackson Lewis, where he focuses his practice on complex labor relations issues, such as alternative dispute resolutions, class actions and workplace safety. His extensive work with clients on such issues as purchases, relocations, sales and shutdowns helps businesses avert problems and develop long-term labor-related strategies and goals. Mr. Berens spends a significant portion of every year negotiating collective bargaining agreements with unions across the country, and addressing the complex issues of pension plans, unfunded liability, and the options available to employers that are parties to these plans. He works with a wide array of employers, from Fortune 500 companies to single-location enterprises, and in locations ranging from small rural communities to the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Mr. Berens has represented employers in a wide range of industries from health care and telecommunications to traditional blue-collar industries, such as trucking and meatpacking. He has a 95 percent success rate advising employers in union election cases.

Mr. Berens earned his B.A. from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and his J.D. from Duke University.

Joseph “Chip” G. Galagaza is a Principal in the Houston office of Jackson Lewis, where he represents employers in a wide variety of labor and employment law matters before both administrative agencies and in state and federal courts. His experience includes matters involving discrimination claims, wrongful discharge, employment law torts, ERISA litigation, workers’ compensation retaliation cases, federal wage and hour claims (including collective action lawsuits), and matters arising under OSHA. In the traditional labor area, Mr. Galagaza has experience in union elections, unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining, and arbitration. In addition, he has long counseled and advised clients in their "preventive maintenance" efforts, has conducted supervisory training seminars and has conducted employee handbook and personnel policy reviews for them. Mr. Galagaza has participated in 14 employment law trials to verdict, seven to juries and seven to the bench, and he has represented employers in several cases before both state and federal appellate courts. 

Mr. Galagaza earned his A.B. from Kenyon College and his J.D. from Southern Methodist University.

Gillian P. Yee is a Principal in the Detroit office of Jackson Lewis. She has extensive experience providing employment-related counseling and litigation services to management in a wide range of areas, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; non-compete, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements; medical leaves and accommodations; and wage and hour laws. Ms. Yee focuses her practice on protecting her clients’ interests in state and federal courts and arbitration; however, she also regularly represents employers in pre-litigation matters and routinely provides advice and counsel on both the legal issues and the practical considerations confronting employers to avoid litigation. She regularly advises management on employee issues, the strategic implementation of policies and procedures and litigation avoidance. Ms. Yee is particularly experienced in legal nuances and business constraints as they relate to enforcing and invalidating restrictive covenants.

Ms. Yee received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her J.D. from Wayne State University.

About Jackson Lewis
Jackson Lewis P.C. is a law firm with more than 900 attorneys in major cities nationwide serving clients across a wide range of practices and industries. Having built its reputation on providing premier workplace law representation to management, the firm has grown to include leading practices in the areas of government relations, healthcare and sports law. Named the "Innovative Law Firm of the Year" by the International Legal Technology Association, the firm’s commitment to client service and depth of expertise draws clients to Jackson Lewis for excellent value-driven legal advice. 

Additional information about the firm can be found at jacksonlewis.com.

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