Armstrong Teasdale Announces Employment and Labor Practice Leadership Team
Armstrong Teasdale has announced four new leaders to its Employment and Labor practice, effective June 22, 2023. Partners Jeremy Brenner and Alexandra (Sasha) Thaler will serve as co-leaders, and Partners Michael Freimann and Julie O’Dell will serve as deputy leaders. In their roles, they will lead a team of dozens of esteemed lawyers and staff professionals in counseling and defending our clients in a wide range of employment-related matters.
Lawyers in the firm’s international Employment and Labor practice advise clients of all sizes across industry sectors, from emerging companies to some of the world’s largest listed businesses, governmental entities, educational institutions and nonprofits.
Partner Jonathan Bruck will continue to lead the firm’s U.K. employment practice.
“This expanded leadership team is incredibly well-suited to address the ever-evolving needs of our clients in an increasingly complex workplace,” said Managing Partner Patrick Rasche. “The team reflects the diverse employment practices of our lawyers, as well as our broadened geographic footprint in light of recent firm growth.”
Brenner is an experienced employment lawyer and longstanding co-leader of the firm’s national wage and hour/Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) practice. He has served as a strategic business partner to employers for approximately 15 years, both as an HR consultant and as an employment lawyer. He has successfully handled Department of Labor investigations around the country and litigated numerous misclassification, overtime, and minimum wage collective and class actions under the FLSA and other similar state laws. Brenner frequently represents employers and managers in administrative charge processes and federal and state court litigation, and works closely with the firm’s corporate transaction teams handling employee-related issues that arise in the context of mergers and acquisitions.
Thaler’s practice involves guiding company leadership and human resources professionals at employers of all sizes and across multiple industries in all aspects of employment law, from compliance through dispute resolution. For nearly two decades, Thaler has represented employers in the life sciences, staffing, manufacturing, software, hospitality and other industries in matters relating to hiring, terminations, wage and hour compliance, leaves of absence, discipline and reductions in force, among others, and has litigated harassment and discrimination claims, compensation disputes, suits over noncompetes and other employment-related contracts before federal and state courts and agencies. Thaler also assists clients with establishing compliant policies and practices relating to a wide range of federal and state laws, and conducts both trainings and investigations relating to compliance concerns. In addition, she leads the firm’s Education industry team, bringing together the broad array of professionals across the firm’s practices who provide services to colleges and universities and other educational institutions.
Freimann has more than 20 years of law experience. When advising clients, he draws on his distinctive background, which includes a decade of in-house experience, an extensive trial and litigation record, experience as a traditional labor law attorney and numerous years as a military attorney. As a former assistant general counsel for a Fortune 200 company with more than 70,000 employees and multiple subsidiaries, Freimann understands and appreciates both the legal and business needs of his clients. He advises his clients on a full spectrum of employment and commercial disputes. Freimann draws on his in-house experience to strategize with his clients and create favorable solutions and outcomes. However, if litigation becomes necessary, few lawyers can match his courtroom experience and success. Freimann also serves as co-leader of the firm’s Veteran and Military Service Resource Group.
O’Dell is a partner with more than two decades of experience focusing her practice employment law, as well as managing class, collective, and representative actions and other complex litigation matters. She counsels and assists clients on employment-related issues for compliance with federal and state employment laws, including for discipline and termination, requests for accommodation, and leaves of absence. She also represents clients against claims of wage and hour violations of California’s Labor Code, including individual, class, and representative actions under California’s Private Attorney General Act. O’Dell defends clients against employment-related claims brought under Title VII and has an incredible depth of experience navigating California’s complex employment and labor laws, including California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, the California Labor Code, California Family Rights Act, California’s Paid Sick Leave and others.
