Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Department for two decades, Ken Yerkes has spent over 30 years successfully fighting for his clients' rights and business objectives at the bargaining table, in arbitration and federal and state court, as well as in plants across the country through proactive training, counseling and union avoidance campaigns.
Ken's ability to transform complex scenarios into workable strategies has earned him not only his clients' trust, but also acclaim as one of the country’s recognized leaders in labor and employment law. He is a fellow in both The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America and has also been interviewed, quoted and/or featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Counsel Magazine, Corporate Counsel Magazine and Law360.
Ken’s unwavering drive to serve as a comprehensive resource to his clients has allowed him to design a practice that balances litigation, counseling and traditional labor matters. With respect to collective bargaining, Ken's experience runs the gamut from first contract negotiations to pattern bargaining, mid-term contract modifications, decision bargaining, effects bargaining, plant closing agreements, managing strikes, and successfully implementing lockouts without union charges resulting in a complaint. He has bargained with and run union avoidance campaigns against virtually every union in the country, and regularly trains employers on best practices for remaining union free.
