Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the largest labor and employment law firms representing management, is pleased to announce the opening of its Richmond, Virginia office. The office opens Thursday with two shareholders and an of counsel. Future growth in the Richmond office is expected soon. Jimmy F. Robinson, Jr., who joins Ogletree Deakins from Troutman Sanders, will serve as the office’s managing shareholder. Elizabeth Ebanks, formerly a partner at LeClairRyan, joins as shareholder, and Tevis Marshall, formerly a senior associate at Troutman Sanders, joins as of counsel. Ogletree Deakins continues its dramatic growth in response to client demand as Richmond is the second office the firm has opened in 2013 and the fifth to open in the past year. The firm opened its San Diego office in January and offices in Berlin, Germany, New York City, and Stamford, Connecticut in 2012.
“Richmond has long been an attractive market for Ogletree Deakins, as we have a number of clients with a significant presence in Virginia,” said Kim Ebert, Ogletree Deakins’ managing shareholder. “We are confident that we have found the right team of attorneys to guide our entry into the market. Jimmy’s entrepreneurial mindset mirrors the firm’s core values and his connections in the Richmond legal community will help the office to prosper quickly.”
“Ogletree Deakins has a wonderful reputation among employers in Virginia and throughout the mid-Atlantic,” said Robinson. “I am excited to open the Richmond office with two accomplished and outstanding attorneys who will offer expanded value for the firm’s clients that have a presence in Virginia.”
Robinson has practiced law for more than 15 years and has broad-based employment litigation and traditional labor law experience. He represents employers in all aspects of traditional labor relations law, including litigating labor arbitration cases, conducting election campaigns, and handling proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board including unfair labor practice charges. He also represents non-unionized employers in the development of strategies designed to help those employers remain non-union by advising them on labor and employee relations through issue assessment, supervisory training, advice and counsel with respect to policy development, and positive employee communications.
Robinson also represents employers in single party and collective/class action federal and state employment litigation matters, including cases involving allegations of sex, race, national origin, religion, gender, age and disability discrimination; wrongful discharge claims; breach of employment contracts; non-compete litigation; collective action cases under the Fair Labor Standards Act; and pay discrimination claims. He assists his clients in managing administrative agency investigations, including systemic initiative, pattern and practice, and disparate impact claims involving unequal pay, background checks, promotion, hiring and pre-employment testing, and reasonable accommodation processes, among many others.
Robinson is highly regarded among his peers for his legal acumen and community involvement. He was selected as a Virginia Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in Employment & Labor Law (2007-2012), listed in Virginia Business magazine’s “Legal Elite” (2006-2012), and chosen as one of Richmond’s Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 (2012). He is the former president of the Virginia State Bar, Young Lawyers Conference, and the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, Young Lawyers Division. His philanthropic board service is wide and varied and includes service on the Junior Achievement of Central Virginia board, the William and Mary School of Law Alumni board, and the Oliver Hill Foundation. Robinson has been an adjunct professor at the University of Richmond since 2007 teaching Labor Law and Employment Law & Policy. Robinson earned his J.D., with Thurgood Marshall distinction, from the College of William and Mary School of Law.
“With a platform of 44 offices across the country, Ogletree Deakins is obviously a firm that is focused on growth,” said Elizabeth Ebanks. “I look forward to joining their team of talented attorneys.”
Ebanks, who joins Ogletree Deakins as shareholder, focuses her practice in all areas of employment litigation and counseling, including litigating discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims in federal and state courts and before various administrative agencies across Virginia and the District of Columbia metropolitan area. She counsels employers, conducts harassment and discrimination investigations and trainings, and drafts and reviews employment contracts and handbooks. She also represents employers in matters involving claims of breach of contract, non-compete, trade secret, business conspiracy, and breach of loyalty. Ebanks also assists clients in navigating the Fair Labor Standards Act and prepares them for Department of Labor audits and investigations.
Ebanks was selected as a Virginia Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2010-2012) and listed in Virginia Business magazine’s “Legal Elite” (2010-2011). Active in her community, she serves on the board of HomeAgain, a Virginia nonprofit organization that provides emergency and transitional shelter, as well as programs that build skills for self-sufficiency, to local homeless families and individuals. She was part of the Legal Aid Justice Center’s Pro Bono Housing Dispute Project from 2006 through 2011 and on the American Red Cross’ Leadership Development Council in 2008 and 2009. She earned dual Master of Business Administration and law degrees from the University of Richmond. In 2013, the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond honored Ebanks by naming her one of the “MBA 35 Under 35”.
Tevis Marshall, who joins Ogletree Deakins as of counsel, focuses his practice on counseling employers on all aspects of employment law and defending against a broad range of claims filed in state and federal courts, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, breach of employment contracts, non-compete agreements, wrongful termination, defamation and other general employment matters. He also has significant experience in defending insurance companies against claims brought under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).
Marshall is the president of the board of directors for Human Resources, Inc., a Virginia nonprofit organization that offers a wide range of substance abuse treatment services, and frequently speaks on labor and employment matters for organizations including the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM). He earned his J.D. from the College of William and Mary.
