Crowell & Moring's Thomas P. Gies Testifies Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce

Washington, D.C. – February 14, 2013: Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce that Thomas P. Gies, a partner in the firm's Labor & Employment Law Group, testified today before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. The hearing, "Sequestration: Examining Employers' WARN Act Responsibilities," focused on clarifying guidelines surrounding the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), which requires large employers to send written notice to employees 60 days in advance of potential layoffs or plant closings.

Gies' testimony focused on the impact that sequestration will have on government contractors who are unable to give their workforce 60 days notice of termination, the ambiguities inherent with the WARN based on state statutes and union labor requirements, and the resulting costs of non-compliance.

According to Gies' testimony, the complexities of WARN compliance suggests that there will be "numerous lawsuits filed around the country against contractors accused of guessing wrong on a variety of WARN issues," and that "the central question in the inevitable litigation will be the latest version of the old question of "what did they know and when did they know it."

Gies' oral statement can be found here.

Gies has over 30 years experience practicing labor and employment law, including arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court twice. He has extensive experience in litigating class actions, collective actions and individual claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act and various state wage/hour laws. In addition, Gies has litigated cases involving a wide range of ERISA issues, with particular emphasis on fiduciary breach claims. He has experience in counseling and litigating disputes arising under employment agreements, including trade secret theft and non-compete issues. Gies is an adjunct scholar with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. He is also a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Labor Relations Committee.

Additional testimony at the hearing was received from: Diana Furchtogtt-Roth, senior fellow, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL); Kerry E. Notestine, shareholder, Littler Mendelson; Jane Oates, assistant secretary of DOL Employment and Training Administration; and Ross Eisenbrey, vice president, Economic Policy Institute.

Gies' full, written testimony, which was included in the hearing record, can be found here.

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Anchorage, London, and Brussels.