by Patricia Schaeffer, Vice President – Regulatory Affairs
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced that Reed L. Russell has been sworn in as Legal Counsel. In this position, Russell will be responsible for overseeing internal and external policy guidance for the Commission.
The EEOC’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) serves as the principal advisor to the EEOC on enforcement matters. It also represents the EEOC in defensive litigation and administrative hearings and prepares Commission decisions on charges for which there is no precedent. OLC writes regulations, conducts outreach and education efforts, and coordinates all federal issues affecting equal employment opportunity.
Russell, who was appointed last month by President Bush, formerly practiced law at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld where he specialized in litigating wage and hour and some employment discrimination class actions, as well as handling individual employment discrimination cases and counseling employers on employment practices.