Overview

International: A recognized authority on international labor standards who has been part of the U.S. employer delegation to the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, Stefan advises multinational corporations on issues involving international labor standards. He also advises multinational enterprises in connection with the following:

  • The International Labor Organization and its Committee on Freedom of Association
  • The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and National Contact Points
  • The United Nations Global Compact
  • The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
  • Other international labor standard-setting organizations

He helps multinational corporations based in the United States and abroad formulate and implement strategies to respond to efforts by labor unions and nongovernmental organizations to discredit them through global campaigns.

His work includes:

  • Development of global labor relations and human rights strategies
  • Assisting companies build out and manage their global labor relations and human rights functions
  • Developing supply chain management systems and strategies related to labor standards for companies and multistakeholder initiatives
  • Establishing corporate codes of conduct, human rights policies, and modern slavery disclosure statements
  • Negotiating and administering international framework agreements with Global Union Federations

He has represented employers before the ILO and OECD National Contact Points in the United States and in other countries. 

In connection with the implementation of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA), Stefan was appointed by the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives to serve as a member of the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board, which is responsible for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of Mexico's labor reforms and compliance with its labor obligations under the USMCA.

Domestic: As a complement to his international practice, Stefan handles a wide range of issues related to labor management relations domestically, including:

  • Negotiating collective bargaining agreements for clients
  • Assisting employers in all aspects of their dealings with labor unions
  • Advising companies on corporate campaigns, and complex labor relations situations
  • Negotiating neutrality, access and labor peace agreements
  • Handling grievance arbitrations

Drawing on his experience as a trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board in its Baltimore and Fort Worth regional offices, Stefan regularly assists clients before the NLRB.  Stefan advises employers in connection with multiemployer benefit funds, particularly with respect to withdrawal liability, and has represented numerous companies on matters involving such plans.

Stefan also advises employers on many other aspects of labor and employment law, and with respect to that work, he regularly supervises and manages teams of attorneys throughout the firm that handle compliance and litigation of a wide variety of employment law matters. 

Stefan has testified before both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate on multiple occasions related to labor policy including the National Labor Relations Board, worker centers and the WARN Act. 

Professional & Community Affiliations

Chair and Founder

Task Force to Eradicate Human Trafficking

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Advisor

Labor Policy Committee

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Advisor

Corporate Reasonability and Labor Affairs Committee

U.S. Council for International Business

Member

Maryland State Bar Association

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2009-2024

Named, Super Lawyer

Washington DC

Super Lawyers

2013 and 2015

Awarded, AV® Peer Review Rating

Martindale-Hubbell

Named, Recommended Lawyer

Labor Management Relations, Workplace and Employment Counseling

Legal 500 United States

2016

News, Analysis & Press

Littler Global Guide - Hong Kong - Q2 2018

Global Guide Quarterly

July 20, 2018

House Committee Examines How to Modernize Labor Laws

Competitive Enterprise Institute

April 26, 2018

Does Federal Labor Law Need to be Modernized?

InsideSources

April 26, 2018

Union Petition Under US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Highlights Labor Violations in Oil and Sugar Industries in Colombia

ACC Docket

July/August 2016

Worker Centers, Union Allies Seeking New Representation Model, Chamber Says

Bloomberg BNA Daily Labor Report

April 17, 2014

Subverting Majority Rule

Washington Free Beacon

April 16, 2014

Worker Centers Are Center of Attention

Workforce

November 8, 2013

NLRB scrutinizes social media policies

InsideCounsel

September 1, 2011

Elimination of the Secret Ballot Union Election and Compulsory Arbitration Under the Employee Free Choice Act – A Violation of Fundamental Principles of International Labor Law

International Organisation of Employers Annual Labour and Social Policy Review

2009

Some Tough Questions for Pre-Employment Drug Testing

10 J. Contemp. Health L. & Pol'y 243

1994

Books & Book Chapters

  • The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Employment & Labour Law 2012, Global Legal Group, The Soft-Law Revolution – International Labour Standards and Human Rights, Chapter Author, 2012
  • International Corporate Practice: A Practitioner’s Guide to Global Success, Practising Law Institute, International Labor and Employment Law, Chapter 21, co-authors: Philip Berkowitz, Joseph Lazazzero, Trent Sutton, and Philip Gordon, 2012

Speaking Engagements

2023 Mid-Atlantic Regional Employer Conference

Washington, DC

June 16, 2023

Minority Unions - New and Renewed Alternative Organizing Tactics

March 17, 2021

Capital Briefing: Policy Changes in Federal Labor and Employment Law Under President Trump

2018 Mid-Atlantic Employer Conference, Washington, D.C.

June 5, 2018

Protests, Political Speech, and Public Relations

2017 Mid-Atlantic Employer Conference, Washington, D.C.

June 6, 2017

Second Annual Mexico Conference - Mexico City

Ciudad de México, CDMX

October 5, 2016

Segunda Conferencia Anual en México - Ciudad de México

Ciudad de México, CDMX

October 5, 2016

Second Annual Mexico Conference - Monterrey

San Pedro Garza García, NL

October 4, 2016

Segunda Conferencia Anual en México - Monterrey

San Pedro Garza García, NL

October 4, 2016

Second Annual Puerto Rico Conference

August 18, 2016

2016 Mid-Atlantic Employer Conference

Washington, DC

June 7, 2016

The Future of Union Organizing: Addressing Labor’s New Strategies in the Streets and the Emergence of UFOs

The 2016 Executive Employer® Conference

May 4, 2016

International Business & Human Rights: What the Corporate Legal Department Should Know

October 13, 2015

Littler Global Colombia Conference

Bogotá

September 10, 2015

Littler Global Puerto Rico Conference

San Juan, PR

August 20, 2015

First Regional Forum: Proper Use of Technology Under Labour Law

November 14, 2013

Human Resources Executives Summit 2013

Chicago, IL

October 15, 2013

Opportunities and Challenges in Implementing a Responsible Supply Chain Management Program

Global Employer Institute

Littler Mendelson, Washington D.C.

November 9, 2012

Protecting Your Operations in Latin America: Risks and Opportunities in the Region’s Current Legal Landscape

Global Employer Institute

Littler Mendelson, Washington D.C.

November 8, 2012

Doing Business South of the Border

The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference

Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ

May 10, 2012

Business and Human Rights – What American Companies Need to Know

January 11, 2012

What Retailers Need to Know About Labor Developments and Union Organizing Strategies

December 8, 2011

Expedited Elections and the Advice Rule: Tilting the Union Election Playing Field Further

September 13, 2011

Business and Human Rights: The UN Issues Draft Recommendations

December 22, 2010

Elimination of the Secret Ballot Union Election and Compulsory Arbitration Under the Employee Free Choice Act – A Violation of Fundamental Principles of International Labor Law

International Organisation of Employers Annual Labour and Social Policy Review

2009

Education

  • J.D., Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, 1993
  • B.A., Lawrence University of Wisconsin, 1988

Languages

  • Spanish

Bar Admission

District of Columbia
Maryland

Courts

  • U.S. Supreme Court