TAMPA, FL -- Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), America’s third-largest labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce that Ed McKenna has joined its Tampa office as a shareholder.  Previously, Mr. McKenna was a partner with Ford & Harrison in Tampa. 

Mr. McKenna handles all aspects of labor and employment law, including litigation and advising employers on how to avoid litigation, the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA), alternative dispute resolution, collective bargaining and contract negotiations, and labor union organizing.  He has represented employers in a variety of employment-related lawsuits before agencies and in state and federal courts in cases involving the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), wage and hour issues, disability, government contracting, wrongful discharge, noncompete, whistle blowing, and defamation.  He has also been involved in numerous employment class and collective action cases, including significant decisions involving the denial of class certification.  During his career he has represented clients in the automobile, defense and government, education, food and beverage, retail, and telecommunications industries.

McKenna is Board Certified as a Specialist in the area of labor and employment law by the Florida Bar.  He frequently lectures to attorneys, human resource professionals, senior management, and supervisors on a variety of labor and employment topics.  He is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America.  As a Certified Mediator, McKenna mediates in all areas of labor and employment law.  He is a chapter editor for the Florida Bar's Small Business Manual and for the American Bar Association's treatise on the Family and Medical Leave Act. 

“Ed’s reputation combined with his vast experience in labor and employment law will certainly be an asset to businesses and management, especially given the present climate,” said Barnett Brooks, the managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins’ Tampa office.   

McKenna has been named five times as "Florida's Legal Elite" by Florida Trend and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.  He is also AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Mr. McKenna earned a J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1986, a M.A. from the University of Cincinnati in 1981, and a B.B.A., also, from the University of Cincinnati in 1980. 

About Ogletree Deakins

Ogletree Deakins is the nation's third-largest labor and employment law firm, representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters.  The firm has more than 450 lawyers located in 37 offices across the United States.  In addition to handling labor and employment law matters, the firm has thriving practices focused on business immigration, employee benefits, and workplace safety and health law.  Ogletree Deakins represents a diverse range of clients, including more than half of the Fortune 50 corporations in the United States. For more information, please contact Ryan King, public relations manager, at (404) 870-1742.