Key role in the transition of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation’s employment and benefit programs to Occidental following its $57 billion acquisition of Anadarko. Responsibilities included Anadarko’s change of control severance plan covering all US employees; two voluntary severance programs; company-wide program to retain valued Anadarko employees; post-acquisition employment and benefit communications to legacy Anadarko employees; separations of executives and administration of severance agreements; freezing Anadarko’s defined benefit pensions; administration of $500 million nonqualified grantor trust; consolidation of multiple defined benefit pension plans; and harmonization of health and welfare plans. Major role in Occidental’s $3.9 billion sale of legacy Anadarko Mozambique LNG operations including transfer of legacy Anadarko employees to purchaser. Areas of work included employment, immigration, international employment law, qualified retirement plans, health and welfare plans, nonqualified retirement plans, fringe benefit programs, executive compensation, ERISA fiduciary responsibilities, and mergers and acquisitions.

Fifteen years of service as labor, employment, and benefits counsel for a Fortune 500 exploration and production energy company with domestic and international operations. Responsible for day-to-day counseling of human resources and management representatives on all facets of employment and benefit topics and working with interdepartmental teams to address a variety of legal-related issues.Labor and employment practice included EEO compliance, overtime and wage obligations; affirmative action plans; preparation of employee policies and procedures; expat and rotator international assignments; international employment law; intellectual property protections; hotline investigations; labor-law compliance; immigration; workers compensation; contingent worker retention; and representation of company before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state equal opportunity agencies. Retained and managed outside counsel for litigation. Benefit plans experience included final-average pay defined benefit, cash-balance, profit-sharing 401(k), health and welfare, retiree medical, excess benefit, non-qualified top-hat plans, and UK pension schemes. Qualified retirement plans had combined assets of over $2 billion. Subject areas included ERISA and Internal Revenue Code compliance; plan design and modification; drafting and preparing benefit plan documents, summary plan descriptions, and other plan materials; benefit topics in acquisitions and mergers; HIPAA compliance; advising fiduciary benefit committees; executive compensation; and Section 409A compliance. Retained and managed outside counsel for projects and counseling.

Litigation management; drafting and revisions of insurance contracts; oversight of claims processing; marketing strategies; coverage analysis; compliance issues; employment counseling; preparation of employee handbooks and supervisory manuals; employment and harassment training.

First and second chair at multiple arbitration hearings; depositions and hearings; and all other litigation matters. Areas of practice included commercial, construction, trade secrets, employment, and securities litigation.

Primary responsibility for a number of cases; direct client contact; preparation and argument of numerous summary judgment motions; appellate briefing; case strategy and planning; drafting and responding to discovery; addressing discovery disputes; document production; extensive experience taking and defending depositions; preparation of pretrial orders and related motions; analysis of client handbooks and policies; researching and addressing traditional labor law issues; drafting employment agreements, non-competition covenants, and confidentiality policies; counseling clients on a variety of day-to-day employment issues. Worked in the areas of Title VII, disability and age discrimination, the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, Fair Labor Standards Act, trade secrets, noncompetition agreements, temporary restraining orders, workers' compensation retaliation, ERISA and COBRA related matters, the WARN Act, traditional labor law, arbitration, defamation, fraud, at-will disputes, employment contracts, commissions, and bonus claims. Published decision: Palagi v. Nationwide Mut. Ins. Co., 69 F.Supp.2d 903 (S.D.Tex 1999).

Practiced in the areas of areas of toxic tort, commercial, antitrust, medical malpractice, and employment litigation. Work experience included research and briefing in multiple areas; extensive summary judgment practice; substantial deposition experience in defending mass toxic-tort cases; drafting of most pretrial motions and pleadings; appellate work.