03/10/2009
Cooley Strengthens Washington, DC Presence with Addition of Connie N. Bertram as Partner
Washington, DC – March 10, 2009 – Cooley Godward Kronish LLP announced today that Connie N. Bertram, formerly the head of the Government Contractor Services Group at Winston & Strawn, has joined the firm’s Employment and Labor practice as a partner, resident in Washington, DC. Her national practice focuses on labor and employment matters as well as issues involving government contracting and handicap accessibility litigation and counseling.
“As a leading broad-gauged employment lawyer, Connie brings a great deal of expertise that will be invaluable to our national Employment and Labor practice,” said Frederick Baron, chair of Cooley’s Employment & Labor practice. "Additionally, Connie's effectiveness as a litigator and government contracts advisor should be very attractive to our client base."
Ms. Bertram has extensive experience representing employers in complex employment and fair housing litigation matters. She has defended claims brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, whistleblower provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley and False Claims Acts, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Equal Pay Act and federal and local fair housing and handicap accessibility laws. She also counsels, investigates and litigates disputes between employers and former employees concerning restrictive covenants and trade secrets issues.
“Connie’s addition is part of Cooley’s strategic growth plan for its East coast offices, especially in the Mid-Atlantic region, while it also enhances the Firm’s ability to provide top-tier legal services on a national platform,” said Roel Campos, partner-in-charge of the Washington, DC office.
In her government contracts practice Ms. Bertram advises government contractors on many unique employment issues and obligations that arise in the government contracts context, including (1) developing and implementing conflict of interest, ethics and whistleblower policies and programs; (2) investigating and defending False Claims Act and other whistleblower complaints; (3) conducting internal investigations and (4) advising contractors with respect to all aspects of Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) compliance and defending OFCCP audits and enforcement proceedings.
Ms. Bertram was named the "Leading Lawyer" in Labor and Employment by Legal Times. She was also recognized as a "Young Gun" in Labor and Employment by the Washington Business Journal, and as one of the "Top Lawyers" in Labor and Employment by The Washingtonian magazine in each of its listings since 2000.
About Cooley Godward Kronish LLP
Cooley Godward Kronish’s 675 attorneys have an entrepreneurial spirit and deep, substantive experience, and are committed to solving clients’ most challenging legal matters. From small companies with big ideas to international enterprises with diverse legal needs, Cooley has the breadth of legal resources to enable companies of all sizes to seize opportunities in today’s global marketplace. The Firm represents clients across a broad array of dynamic industry sectors, including technology, life sciences, clean tech, real estate, financial services, retail and energy.
The Firm has full-service offices in major business and technology centers nationwide: Palo Alto, CA, New York, NY, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, Reston, VA, Broomfield, CO, Washington, DC, Boston, MA and Seattle, WA.