Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart PC (abbreviated as Ogletree Deakins) is an American multinational

law firm A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise consumer, clients (individuals or corporations) about their legal rights and Obligation, respon ...

specializing in labor and employment law. Founded on February 14, 1977, Ogletree Deakins is one of the largest law firms in the world by revenue. Ogletree Deakins is the second-largest labor and employment firm in the United States.

History and practice

Founded in 1977, the firm began as a regional firm operating in the Southeastern United States before gradually expanding domestically. The firm opened its first international office in

Berlin, Germany Berlin ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the states of ...

in 2012.

Trade unions

Eastern Air Lines

The firm advised the now-defunct

Eastern Air Lines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...

on negotiations with trade unions during strikes by the

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is an AFL–CIO/ CLC trade union representing over 600,000 workers as of 2024 in more than 200 industries with most of its membership in the United States and Canada. Orig ...

Transport Workers Union of America Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) is a United States labor union that was founded in 1934 by subway workers in New York City, then expanded to represent transit employees in other cities, primarily in the eastern U.S. This article disc ...

, and the

Airline Pilots Association The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) is the largest pilot union in the world, representing more than 79,000 pilots from 42 US and Canadian airlines. ALPA was founded on 27 July 1931 and is a member of the AFL-CIO and the Canadian ...

. Eastern Airlines didn't follow the advice, cracking down on the unions and ultimately leading to the bankruptcy and liquidation of Eastern Airlines.

Nissan

Ogletree Deakins advised

Nissan is a Japanese multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. The company sells its vehicles under the ''Nissan'' and ''Infiniti'' brands, and formerly the ''Datsun'' brand, with in-house ...

during prolonged unionization efforts by

United Auto Workers The United Auto Workers (UAW), fully named International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and sou ...

from 1989 to 2001.

Racial discrimination

Ogletree Deakins represents Hillcrest Country Club in an ongoing lawsuit alleging racial discrimination. Matthew Winnick, son of deceased billionaire

Gary Winnick Gary Winnick (October 13, 1947 – November 4, 2023) was an American billionaire businessman, industrialist, and investment banker. He served as the chairman and CEO of Winnick & Company, a private equity firm that he originally established a ...

, alleges he was denied entrance to the club due to his wife's Hispanic heritage. Ogletree attorney Lyne Richardson, representing Hillcrest, denies the allegations, calling them "entirely without merit."

Controversies

Union busting

The firm has been accused of

union busting Union busting is a range of activities undertaken to disrupt or weaken the power of trade unions or their attempts to grow their membership in a workplace. Union busting tactics can refer to both legal and illegal activities, and can range anywhe ...

on behalf of its multinational clients. The

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

hired Ogletree Deakins in 2020 to advise when its Kansas affiliate attempted to

unionize Unionization is the creation and growth of modern trade unions. Trade unions were often seen as a left-wing, socialist concept, whose popularity has increased during the 19th century when a rise in industrial capitalism saw a decrease in motives ...

, causing uproar among the advocacy group's supporters. Ogletree denies that the firm busts unions. Controversial longtime Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona,

Joe Arpaio Joseph Michael Arpaio (; born June 14, 1932) is an American former law enforcement officer and politician. He was the Sheriffs in the United States, Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, Maricopa County, Arizona for 24 years, from 1993 to 2017, ...

has called Ogletree his "favorite law firm."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart 1977 establishments in the United States Privately held companies of the United States American companies established in 1977