Willis J. Goldsmith

Partner

Willis Goldsmith represents management in all phases of labor and employment law, including collective bargaining and labor contract administration. His experience includes practice before state and federal trial and appellate courts in matters arising under the NLRA, Section 301 of the Taft-Hartley Act, ERISA, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, OSHA, Section 1113 of the Bankruptcy Code, and in injunction, breach of contract, and employment cases.

In 2008, Willis argued Chamber of Commerce, et al. v. Brown before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging portions of a California law that prevented employers from using state funds to assist, promote or deter union organizing. The Supreme Court, reversing an en banc decision of the Ninth Circuit, held that the statute was preempted by the NLRA, noting federal labor policy favoring unfettered employer speech regarding union organizing.

Willis is Partner-in-Charge in New York and, from 1991 to mid-year 2006, chaired the Firm's Labor & Employment Practice. He has authored numerous articles and participated in many conferences focusing on labor and employment law issues. Willis is a member of the Labor Law Advisory Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the advisory board of the NYU School of Law Center for Labor and Employment Law, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and the Labor and Employment Law sections of the ABA and the New York State Bar Association (Co-Chair, Committee on Labor Arbitration). He is a member of the board of directors of the Legal Aid Society of New York City and of Appleseed.