SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 6, 2015) – Littler Mendelson, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has signed on to an amicus curiae brief filed on March 5 by Morgan Lewis in the United States Supreme Court. The firm is one of 379 employers and employer organizations urging the High Court to consider the burdens imposed on both employers and employees by a fractured legal landscape with no uniform rule on same-sex marriage. The amicus curiae brief was filed in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, and urges the US Supreme Court to affirm a uniform principle that all couples share in the right to marry.
The brief argues that the existing, confused legal landscape places significant burdens on employers and their employees—making it increasingly hard to conduct business. In addition to Littler, other amici range from small, family-owned businesses to Fortune 100 companies, and are evenly distributed across many of the country’s most important industries, including technology, finance, sports, healthcare, and retail.
Littler, as well as other employers across the nation, share a desire to attract and retain a talented workforce. As the brief points out, today most Americans live in jurisdictions where same-sex marriages are recognized. However, the laws of many states continue to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying, and decline to recognize the valid, existing marriages of citizens married to a spouse of the same sex, making it difficult for businesses to thrive. In coordination with our fellow signatories, Littler presents empirical evidence showing the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and the detrimental effect of the absence of a single, uniform law in this area.
“As a firm, we are deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace for all of our attorneys and staff. Our collective differences — in backgrounds, experiences and perspectives — are the strength of our firm and a critical element of Littler’s continued success,” said Lee Schreter, chairperson of Littler’s Board of Directors. “We are proud to stand in support of marriage equality so that all loving couples, regardless of where they live, can enjoy the equal right to marry.”
About Littler
Littler is the largest global employment and labor law practice, with more than 1,000 attorneys in over 60 offices worldwide. Littler represents management in all aspects of employment and labor law and serves as a single-source solution provider to the global employer community. Consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, Littler has been litigating, mediating and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record for over 70 years. Littler Global is the collective trade name for an international legal practice, the practicing entities of which are separate and distinct professional firms.
