Fisher Phillips Opens Phoenix Office

ATLANTA & PHOENIX (January 11, 2010) - Fisher Phillips announces its expansion into Phoenix. Attorneys Pavneet Singh Uppal and Chris M. Mason have joined Fisher Phillips to open the new Arizona office. The two partners were formerly with the labor and employment law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Fisher Phillips now has 22 offices across the United States.

Pavneet Singh Uppal represents a wide variety of clients in Arizona and elsewhere and will be the managing partner of the Phoenix office. Uppal focuses much of his practice on labor and employment disputes with an emphasis on unfair competition, wrongful discharge and equal employment opportunity litigation. He has extensive experience with state and federal litigation concerning enforcement of covenants not to compete and defending management in lawsuits alleging violations of employment discrimination statutes, contracts and common law rights. Uppal has experience in designing and implementing alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. He counsels employers on preventing discrimination and harassment in the workplace. He has litigated employment cases, including class actions, in federal and state trial and appellate courts, at arbitration and before administrative agencies. Uppal also handles employee benefits litigation matters. He is admitted to the Bars of Arizona, California and Texas.

Chris Mason represents companies in employment and labor litigation in federal and state courts as well as before administrative agencies. He counsels management on federal and state laws, rules and regulations. Mason handles matters across all facets of labor and employment law including traditional labor matters, restrictive covenants, employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, whistleblower litigation, personnel policies, reductions in force, trade secrets agreements, and drug and alcohol testing. He has represented clients before trial and appellate courts, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Arizona Civil Rights Division, and the Department of Economic Security. His traditional labor experience includes counseling clients on collective bargaining and union organizing. Mason has also assisted numerous employers in Arizona and federal courts to enforce restrictive covenants and trade secret and duty of loyalty obligations.

Fisher Phillips Chairman and Managing Partner Roger Quillen said: "We have wanted to move into Phoenix for some time, but wanted to make sure we had the right partners. Pavneet and Chris bring the knowledge, experience and culture that our clients in the region want and expect from our firm. I expect our new Phoenix office to grow quickly."

Uppal added: "Our practices and personalities fit perfectly with how Fisher Phillips serves its clients. The firm is dedicated to providing the highest quality legal representation for management in labor and employment law matters in a businesslike manner. The firm's attorneys have demonstrated that they understand business and are dedicated to serving employers. We are excited to have such a depth and breadth of experience that our clients can now benefit from."