Constangy partners Melvin Haas, Ellen Kearns and Sal Simao have been recognized in the 2022 edition of Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers Guide. Haas and Kearns were two of 76 members named to the Lawdragon Hall of Fame. Haas was named to the Hall of Fame – Labor & Employment, esp. Collective Bargaining. Kearns was named to the Hall of Fame – Labor & Employment, esp. Traditional Labor.

The list honors more than 200 attorneys who specialize in employment litigation, defending discrimination, ERISA, wage and hour and other claims. Also included are 75 immigration specialists and a similar number of employee benefits and executive compensation gurus.

Highly regarded in labor and employment law, Haas has received numerous accolades for his work. Haas has conducted speaking engagements for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Developing Labor Law Section Midwinter meetings for the American Bar Association, the Georgia Employers' Association, the Georgia Defense Lawyers Association, and SHRM chapters. He has provided companies with preventative training in all areas of employment law, and conducted numerous mock union campaigns as a training exercise. Haas has been recognized by Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers (2011, 2021, 2022), Best Lawyers in America® (2007-2023); Georgia Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers (2012-2020); Top 20 Most Powerful Attorneys (2012-2015); is a current Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers; and has also been named one of the Top One Hundred Labor Attorneys in the United States by Labor Relations Institute.

A Fellow in the American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Kearns represents management in a full range of traditional labor and employment issues, including NLRB proceedings, negotiations, and arbitration. She has obtained injunctions in labor disputes, and has resolved strike issues. She is recognized nationally for her wage and hour expertise, having served as Editor-in-Chief of the first through the fourth editions of the ABA/BNA Treatise, the Fair Labor Standards Act. Kearns has been recognized by numerous publications including The Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” for Labor Law – Management (2022) and Chambers USA for Labor & Employment Law.

Simao is a seasoned litigator with over 25 years of experience in labor and employment law with an emphasis on wage and hour compliance and litigation. As part of his practice, he has handled multilayered misclassification class actions; counseled Fortune 500 companies and trade associations on complex wage hour matters; successfully defended government contractors in debarment proceedings; and defended employers against allegations of discrimination, sexual and racial harassment, whistle blowing and retaliation. Simao has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law – Management and Litigation – Labor and Employment (2020-2023), New Jersey Super Lawyers (2016-2022), and Chambers USA for Labor & Employment Law (2022).

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