Eric L. Barnum and James D. Levine bring extensive legal experience as firm continues to broaden its full-service office in the Southeast
Prominent employment and labor attorneys Eric L. Barnum and James D. Levine have joined the Employment and Labor Group as partners, resident in the Atlanta office of BakerHostetler. Barnum and Levine join more than 50 attorneys in Atlanta who practice in the areas of healthcare, intellectual property, corporate, real estate, litigation and tax. Barnum joins from Schiff Hardin, where he served as the leader of that firm’s Labor & Employment Law Practice Group. Levine, a Chambers-ranked immigration attorney, joins from Dentons.
Baker Hostetler established the Atlanta office in 2014, when it combined with intellectual property boutique Woodcock Washburn, and created a full-service office in 2015 when it added 32 attorneys from McKenna Long & Aldridge. These additions continue an aggressive pattern of growth in the Atlanta market, which also includes the recent addition of Of Counsel David Ivey to the office’s strong team of transactional attorneys.
Barnum has practiced as an employment law and employment litigation trial lawyer in national high-profile matters, including multiparty complex civil litigation, noncompete and trade secrets litigation, and administrative investigations and hearings. He also advises C-suite officers, directors and business owners in all areas of employment law, such as wage and hour issues, unfair competition, discrimination and harassment claims, class actions, arbitration and arbitration agreements.
Drawing from his robust global perspective, Barnum’s practice focuses on hospitality, food service, financial services, pharmaceuticals, technology, transportation and logistics, and sports media and entertainment. He regularly advises clients on issues of employee classification and wage payments under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
“Eric is regarded as one of the finest labor and employment lawyers in the Southeast. His substantive expertise and experience will dovetail nicely with our current bench of employment lawyers across the country,” said David Grant, Chair of the Employment and Labor Group. “In particular, Eric’s sophisticated trial skills will help us expand our comprehensive Labor and Employment practice and materially contribute to the growth of our Atlanta office.”
“BakerHostetler has a national reputation as a premier labor and employment group,” said Barnum. “As clients come to us with exceedingly complex matters, it’s imperative to have the resources they need when they need them. The firm’s national presence provides the depth and knowledge my clients require to meet their business goals.”
Levine focuses his practice on U.S. immigration and nationality law for domestic and multinational companies large and small across a multitude of industries, including engineering, architecture, healthcare, manufacturing, technology and financial services. He supports clients in planning for temporary assignments abroad, long-term employment, and relocation strategies for foreign nationals in the United States. Levine frequently secures routine nonimmigrant (temporary) visas, permanent residency, and citizenship for clients related to H-1B visas, TN visas, L-1A visas, P-1 visas and green card applications, as well as provides guidance on complicated immigration issues. Levine began his career as an environmental lawyer and continues to practice environmental law as well.
With a keen interest in legislative and agency activities, Levine stays abreast of the changing immigration environment to forecast and advise clients on the potential impact those changes will have on their U.S. business operations. He also assists clients through immigration-related requirements with various federal agencies in connection with the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRAIRA), including representation during United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) investigations regarding compliance with the record keeping and hiring provisions of the IIRAIRA.
“We are thrilled our colleague and friend, Jim Levine, has joined BakerHostetler,” said Joann Jones, Managing Partner of BakerHostetler’s Atlanta Office. “Jim’s immigration experience complements our strong, firmwide labor and employment platform, and will support our transactional and IP practices in Atlanta. Being able to serve our clients’ needs in these areas in Atlanta is another great step for our office.”
“For many years, I’ve known and respected many of BakerHostetler’s attorneys and understand firsthand that it’s an exciting time as the firm expands and grows the Atlanta office,” said Levine. “This expansion presented a compelling opportunity for me as the firm continues to develop important practice areas in the Atlanta market.”
Barnum is a frequent speaker and trainer on evolving employment law for lawyers and human resource professionals. He earned his J.D. from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in 1994, and his B.A. in History from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1991. He has been recognized by Chambers USA for Labor and Employment law in Georgia.
Levine received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1982, and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina, with highest honors, in 1979. He has been recognized as a leading immigration lawyer in Georgia by Chambers USA for nine years.