The global law firm Jones Day has announced that Kate O'Scannlain, former Solicitor of Labor at the U.S. Department of Labor, has joined Jones Day as a partner in its Labor & Employment Practice and will be based in Washington.

Ms. O'Scannlain was appointed by President Trump and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in December 2017 to serve as Solicitor of Labor, the chief legal officer for the U.S. Department of Labor. She was the highest-ranking woman and third-highest ranking official in the department, leading the federal government's second-largest legal department, where she supervised more than 500 attorneys nationwide and oversaw a $132 million budget. In her position, Ms. O'Scannlain represented the Secretary of Labor and 23 client agencies in enforcement litigation in federal courts and administrative tribunals, and defended the Department of Labor in Administrative Procedure Act and other legal challenges.

At Jones Day, Ms. O'Scannlain will focus on counselling employers on a wide range of employment and labor law topics, including compliance and audit strategies concerning the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regulations. She will also defend companies in employment litigation and government enforcement actions and investigations.

"Kate has earned an excellent reputation as a skilled lawyer in both private practice and most recently in government service at the Labor Department," said Noel Francisco, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day's Washington Office. "Her robust credentials in labor and employment law make her a valuable asset to any law firm and we are gratified that she has chosen to join Jones Day. She will be a tremendous addition to our team here in Washington."

Prior to her appointment as Solicitor of Labor, Ms. O'Scannlain was a partner in the Washington office of a global law firm, where she represented clients in employment and commercial litigation, including class actions, involving discrimination and retaliation charges, contract disputes, and fraud and breach of fiduciary duty claims. She previously worked as a financial consultant for an international accounting firm, performing risk and compliance assessments for clients with government contracts.

"Kate was responsible for managing the Department of Labor's enforcement responsibilities for hundreds of laws, including key federal laws such as OSHA, FLSA, and the Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), said Elizabeth McRee. co-leader of Jones Day's Labor & Employment Practice. "This is an exceptional level of experience and regulatory insight that will be extremely valuable to our clients as we seek to provide them with sophisticated and creative counsel on a full spectrum of labor and employment issues. We are delighted that Kate has joined our team at Jones Day and are pleased to welcome her to the Firm."

Ms. O'Scannlain is originally from Portland, Oregon. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, cum laude, and her law degree from Notre Dame Law School, where she now serves on the Notre Dame Law Advisory Board.