Greenberg Traurig Adds WeWork Employment Law Head

SAN FRANCISCO - Oct. 3, 2024 - Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP further strengthened its Labor & Employment Practice with the addition of Shareholder Brian B. Kelly in San Francisco. Prior to joining the firm, Kelly was the global head of employment law at WeWork, managing a team of attorneys responsible for advising on employment law across approximately 25 countries.

In his practice, Kelly counsels companies of all sizes on the entire employment life cycle, including hiring, termination, wages-and-hours, incentive compensation programs, policies, investigations, leaves, discrimination/harassment/retaliation, and restrictive covenants, among other issues. He also will support the firm's Corporate Practice, advising clients on employment matters related to buy- and sell-side mergers and acquisitions and other transactional matters.

"Brian's ability to provide commercial and scalable advice, coupled with his deep understanding of global employment dynamics, will greatly enhance our service offerings and support to our clients," said G. Michelle Ferreira, Greenberg Traurig senior vice president and co-managing shareholder of the firm's San Francisco office. "We welcome him to our firm, and with his deep experience in employment law and proven leadership, Brian brings invaluable insights to our team."

"Brian brings a wealth of experience to Greenberg Traurig, having led the global employment law team at WeWork. He will be a valuable resource to our clients, providing advice and counsel on day-to-day employment issues, while also taking the time to understand employees' concerns," said Naomi G. Beer, co-chair of the firm's global Labor & Employment Practice.

Kelly previously appeared as a guest on the firm's "The Performance Review" podcast, hosted by Shareholders Philip I. Person and Ryan C. Bykerk, on an episode discussing legal issues related to remote work arrangements for employees. He also partnered with Shareholder Lindsay E. Hutner when he spoke on the panel, "The Hybrid Workplace as the New Normal," during PLI's Cutting-Edge Employment Law Issues 2023: The California Difference conference, which is co-chaired by Hutner.

"My goal is to be a trusted thought partner to human resources teams on matters that affect a range of people from entire employment populations to single employees," Kelly said. "I'm a firm believer in finding legal strategies that are also administratively feasible to implement. I've found that Greenberg Traurig encourages attorneys to use creative thinking when providing service to clients."

In California, the firm has also added Associates Syed M. Q. Ali Khan, Ashley Attia, Joseph Dietrich, Charles H.W. Foster, and Michael James Kolvek to its Labor & Employment Practice.

About Greenberg Traurig's Labor & Employment Practice: Greenberg Traurig's Global Labor & Employment Practice serves clients from offices throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Members of the practice have had numerous trial wins and are frequently called upon to handle complex, bet-the-company, and large high-stake cases, including nationwide class and collective actions. On the labor side, a leading group of lawyers regularly represents management with labor-relations matters. Labor & Employment team members assist clients with complex employment issues, and design practical, proactive strategies that can be readily implemented by today's human resources professionals. In addition, the practice is recognized by The Legal 500 United States in the areas of Labor and Employment Litigation, Labor-Management Relations, ERISA Litigation, Workplace & Employment Counseling, and Trade Secrets Litigation. Visit Greenberg Traurig'sLabor & Employment Blog for insights and analysis of the latest labor and employment developments, including legislation, regulations, cases, policies, and trends.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2750 attorneys in 48 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI "Highly Recommended Law Firm" for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.