Littler Names Three Co-chairs to Government Contractors Industry Group

David Goldstein, Linda Jackson and Elizabeth Lalik to take the helm amid an influx of new compliance challenges and regulatory changes impacting government contractors

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 13, 2014) – Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has named shareholders David Goldstein (Minneapolis), Linda Jackson (Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia) and Elizabeth Lalik (Northern Virginia) as co-chairs of the firm’s Government Contractors Industry Group.

“David, Linda and Beth’s combined leadership skills and depth of experience both litigating on behalf of and counseling government contractors made them each a natural fit to lead our Government Contractors Industry Group,” said Tom Bender and Jeremy Roth, co-managing directors of Littler, in a joint statement. “As government contractors continue to grapple with an ever-changing regulatory environment and new compliance obligations, particularly following this year’s White House executive orders, this group is a critical resource for our clients in navigating employment related issues.”

Littler has a longstanding reputation serving government contractors. The firm represents many of the country’s largest government contractors, as well as small and mid-size public and private firms. Attorneys counsel government contractors on such matters as compliance with the non-discrimination and affirmative action requirements enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), wage requirements of the McNamara-O-Hara Service Contract Act and the Davis-Bacon Act, workers’ compensation benefits provided under the Defense Base Act, reemployment rights of service members under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and whistleblowing cases under the False Claims Act.

With nearly 40 employment and labor law-related practice groups, Littler also counsels government contractors on matters that impact all employers, but that are unique in how they apply to the industry. The group works closely with government contractors on matters including wage and hour classification, unfair business competition in the government bid procurement process, and joint employer liability in the context of government clients and partners. The Government Contractors Industry Group also works in conjunction with Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute® (WPI™) to bridge the gap between contractors and any legislative and regulatory developments that impact the industry.

About David Goldstein

Goldstein focuses a significant portion of his practice on representing government contractors in a range of industries in connection with OFCCP, state and local compliance reviews. He also regularly counsels government contractors and other employers on a variety of labor and employment matters, including compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, resolving internal and external disputes, wage and hour law, employee selection procedures, test validation, and enforcement of non-compete agreements. Goldstein also has substantial experience defending employers in complex litigation and class actions, as well as using mediation and other dispute-resolution techniques to efficiently resolve disputes.

An active member of the legal community, Goldstein is co-chair of the Minnesota Affirmative Action Compliance Council, an OFCCP recognized industry liaison group, and a member of the Minnesota State Bar Association, American Bar Association, and National Association of College and University Attorneys. He is an elected member of the Edina School Board (serving a public school district with over 8,000 students and nearly 50,000 residents), serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota Twins Community Fund and previously served on the board of directors of Twin Cities RISE! Goldstein received his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.A. from Haverford College.

About Linda Jackson

Jackson is a seasoned litigator representing clients before federal, state and appellate courts, as well as before administrative agencies and in arbitration settings. Jackson’s practice includes advising government contractors and employers in a range of industries on employment discrimination and wrongful discharge matters, whistleblowing investigations, non-compete and trade secret disputes, and executive compensation.

Jackson previously served as a major in the U. S. Air Force Judge Advocate General Reserve Corps. Active in several professional and charitable organizations, she has served on the board of directors of the Women’s Bar Association Foundation in Washington, D.C. and as a member of the Judicial Screening Committee of the Fairfax Bar Association. Jackson previously served on the board of directors for the Arlington County Temporary Shelter and Volunteer Fairfax. She received her J.D. from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law and her B.A. from Amherst College.

About Elizabeth Lalik

An experienced litigator, Lalik specializes in cases involving executive discrimination and harassment claims, executive compensation and contract matters, non-compete and trade secret claims, and reductions-in-force. In addition to her work as a litigator, Lalik regularly counsels her government contractor clients on all facets of the employer-employee relationship, including revolving door issues, the application of Executive Orders, and complex leave and disability matters.

Lalik is an active member of Littler’s Associates Committee, Plaintiffs/Individual Representation Committee and Women’s Leadership Initiative. She is also a member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Washington, D.C and previously served as president of the Employment Law Section of the Fairfax Bar Association. Lalik earned her J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law and her B.S. from Cornell University.

About Littler

Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, with more than 1,000 attorneys in over 60 offices worldwide.  Littler represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serves as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for over 70 years. Littler Global is the collective trade name for an international legal practice, the practicing entities of which are separate and distinct professional firms.