Mr. Cole is a partner with the firm's Labor and Employment practice group. He contributes his knowledge in such issues as employment discrimination, occupational safety and health, unfair labor practices, ADA compliance, sexual harassment, wage and hour and wrongful termination. His practice also includes advising employers regarding contract administration, benefit matters, employment agreements, all facets of collective bargaining agreements, union organizational campaigns and personnel policies.
In the area of traditional labor law, Howard has extensive experience representing employers in union organizing efforts, developing union-free strategies, defending companies in unfair labor practices before the National Labor Relations Board, negotiating collective bargaining agreements on behalf of private and public sector employers, representing employers during union strikes and picketing, and representing employers in arbitration and mediation matters.
Howard also advises clients throughout the West on day-to-day legal issues affecting the workplace, including employee discipline and terminations, workforce reductions, discrimination, harassment and retaliation claims, confidential proprietary information and trade secrets disputes, substance abuse, ADA, ADEA, OWBPA, Title VII and ADAAP issues, occupational safety and health, wage and hour, wrongful termination, contract administration, strategic planning, benefit matters, employment agreements, personnel policies, workplace privacy, executive employment contracts, overseeing and conducting internal investigations involving employee misconduct, and other human resources issues. He regularly defends employers in state and federal courts and administrative agencies on disputes involving discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, trade secrets/unfair competition, and wage and hour law. He has also defended clients in class and collective actions involving the FLSA and state wage/hour laws in state and federal court. In addition, he has represented clients in workplace safety disputes before NV-OSHA, Cal OSHA and Fed OSHA, and state OSHA review boards.
Mr. Cole received his J.D. from University of California, Los Angeles School of Law and his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.