Seyfarth Shaw Welcomes the Honorable Leon R. Sequeira to the Labor & Employment Department in the D.C. Office

Washington, D.C. (February 2, 2010)—Seyfarth Shaw LLP, one of America’s leading full-service law firms, today announced that the Honorable Leon R. Sequeira has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Sequeira served as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) from 2007–2009. He joins Seyfarth as of counsel in the Labor & Employment Department.

In his role at the Department of Labor, Sequeira advised the Secretary on the wide range of policy issues affecting the American workforce. He also oversaw more than 80 regulations annually under development by the Department’s agencies, and served as the principal point of contact with the White House and Office of Management and Budget for policy and regulatory matters. He was involved with rulemakings relating to OSHA standards, ERISA, immigration, union financial transparency under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), the Fair Labor Standards Act  (FLSA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and mine safety and health. Sequeira has extensive experience with the federal regulatory process and the Department’s enforcement agencies.

Additionally, Sequeira has particular strengths in business-related immigration matters, and immigration policy in general. He was a principal architect of the Department of Labor’s regulatory overhaul of the H-2A and H-2B visa programs and provided advice to Members of Congress and their staff during consideration of comprehensive immigration reform legislation in 2007. He has testified before Congress on multiple occasions, has been interviewed and quoted by major media outlets and is a frequent speaker to domestic and international audiences on labor policy issues.

Sequeira is also well versed in legislative matters and has drafted provisions of several bills that have been signed into law.  Before serving at the DOL, Sequeira worked in the U.S. Senate for several years where he served as Legal Counsel to now-Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. He also previously served as Counsel to the Senate Rules Committee where he developed keen insights in campaign finance and election law. Prior to his public service, Sequeira was in private practice with a large St. Louis-based law firm.

“Leon has a broad legal background along with a valuable understanding of the inner workings of government, including each step of the regulatory and legislative processes,” said Lisa J. Damon, Chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s Labor & Employment Department. “The addition of Leon builds on the tremendous talent we've brought to our L&E Department in Washington recently, including former Assistant Secretary of Labor, Victoria A. Lipnic, and former Acting Administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, Alexander J. Passantino. Their experience offers our clients invaluable insights into the enforcement of labor and employment laws, as well as the regulatory and legislative environment affecting employers.”

Seyfarth Shaw’s Labor & Employment Department consists of nearly 350 employment attorneys nationally at all levels of experience, allowing seamless representation of the firm’s clients across jurisdictions. The firm’s labor and employment lawyers are organized to leverage their knowledge of specific industry experience and key workplace subspecialties.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Leon to our D.C. office,” said Joseph R. Damato, Managing Partner of Seyfarth Shaw’s Washington, D.C. office. “His background at the Department of Labor and the U.S. Senate coupled with his commitment to teamwork is a valuable addition to our firm, and we look forward to working with our new colleague in many different capacities.”

The Washington, D.C. office of Seyfarth Shaw opened in 1971 with two lawyers whose practice focused on labor and employment law. Since its opening, the office has grown to over 60 lawyers, with practices spanning contracts, construction law and litigation, labor and employment, employee benefits, white collar crime, corporate, real estate and commercial litigation.

“I’m excited to join Seyfarth Shaw’s D.C. office and to work with my new colleagues across all practice groups and offices across the country,” said Sequeira. “Seyfarth Shaw, with its unparalleled Labor and Employment Department and strong commitment to client service, was the obvious move for me in this next stage of my career.”

Sequeira received his B.A. from Northwest Missouri State University and his J.D. (with honors) from the George Washington University Law School, where he was the Senior Managing Editor of the Public Contract Law Journal and a member of the Moot Court Board.

Seyfarth Shaw has over 750 attorneys located in ten offices throughout the United States including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as Brussels, Belgium. Seyfarth Shaw provides a broad range of legal services in the areas of labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services. The firm’s practice reflects virtually every industry and segment of the country’s business and social fabric. Clients include over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, newspapers and other media, hotels, health care organizations, airlines and railroads. The firm also represents a number of federal, state, and local governmental and educational entities. For more information, please visit www.seyfarth.com.