In a recent ABA Journal feature, Mark Henry Ishu, Senior Counsel in CMC’s Labor & Employment and OSHA & Workplace Safety Groups, discussed the professional and personal evolution that comes with transitioning from government service to private practice. In the piece, Mark reflects on his years as a federal prosecutor and trial attorney and offers candid insight into the challenges, opportunities, and mindset shifts that shaped his move into the private sector.

The article explores the realities of redefining one’s professional identity, building a practice grounded in purpose, and carrying forward the values of public service into client advocacy. Mark discusses the lessons he has carried with him and the practical guidance he shares with other government attorneys considering a similar path. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (“CMC”), a national boutique OSHA/MSHA • Workplace Safety and Employment/Labor law firm, is pleased to announce that John Christopher (Chris) Vamos has joined the firm as Of Counsel in its Washington, DC, office. Chris has three decades of experience as an attorney and engineer providing comprehensive environmental, hazardous chemical management, and hazmat transportation support to industrial and manufacturing clients in the iron and steel, electric utility, metallic mineral mining, and high technology sectors.

Eric J. Conn, founding partner of Conn Maciel Carey and chair of the firm’s national OSHA & Workplace Safety Practice Group, said, “Environmental regulatory risk is always lurking nearby the workplace safety and health challenges with which we support our clients, so bringing on Chris provides the perfect complement to our team. And Chris’ engineering background gives him a unique legal and technical eye when it comes to understanding complex industrial and manufacturing processes. He is always three steps ahead anticipating legal risks and developing solutions that address the operational needs of his clients. He will be a great addition to our team.” Continue reading →

After more than four decades shaping and defending California workplace safety law, legendary Cal/OSHA attorney Fred Walter is retiring and closing a chapter on a career that helped define an entire practice area.

In a recent Cal-OSHA Reporter feature, Fred reflects on his path into Cal/OSHA defense, which began in the late 1970s in personal injury litigation before a pivotal meeting with Robert “Bob” Peterson, widely regarded as the godfather of the Cal/OSHA defense bar. As the first Chief Counsel for the Cal/OSHA Appeals Board, Peterson pioneered what was then an emerging specialty. Fred followed soon after, becoming only the second attorney to focus full-time on Cal/OSHA defense – a role he would hold for the next 45 years.

The article traces Fred’s firsthand experience with Cal/OSHA’s evolution, Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (“CMC”), a national boutique Labor and Employment and OSHA/MSHA Workplace Safety law firm, is pleased to announce that Kimberly Cole has joined the firm as a Senior Counsel in its Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. Kimberly will support the firm’s national Labor & Employment and Litigation Practices.

Kimberly has more than two decades of experience representing clients in various aspects of California employment law, in counseling and litigation. Her practice ranges from representing corporations in wage and hour disputes from audits to compliance to defense of individual and class action/PAGA claims. She also has defended clients faced with discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower claims from initial demand to jury trial. She has represented clients before administrative agencies and appellate courts. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC) is honored to announce that the firm is one of only two law firms recognized as “Band 1″ for Occupational Safety and Health Law nationwide.  This is the fourth year in a row that CMC has received the “Band 1” honor, which is every year that Chambers has ranked the OSHA/MSHA Law category, and the firm remains the only “boutique” firm in the rankings.

Six CMC attorneys were individually ranked among a short list of leading OSHA and MSHA lawyers in the Occupational Safety and Health Law Rankings (the most of any firm recognized in the category), making up more than a quarter of the “Band 1” attorneys.

• • Eric Conn, OSHA Practice Chair – Ranked “Band 1”
  • Kate McMahon, OSHA Partner – Ranked “Band 1”
  • Aaron Gelb, Midwest OSHA Practice Chair – Ranked “Band 2”
  • Rachel Conn, California Practice Chair – Ranked “Band 3”
  • Valerie Butera, OSHA Senior Counsel – Ranked “Band 3”
  • Nicholas Scala, MSHA Practice Chair – “Up and Coming”

Client Feedback

Chambers is considered the gold standard for law firm rankings, which it generates based on independent research and feedback from private companies that utilize OSHA legal services. A few client comments about the CMC team in the Chambers research include: Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (“CMC”), a national boutique Labor and Employment and OSHA/MSHA Workplace Safety law firm, is pleased to announce that Emily Toler Scott has joined the firm as a Senior Counsel in its Washington, DC office. She will support the firm’s national MSHA • Workplace Safety Practice, as well as its OSHA and Labor and Employment Practices.

Emily brings over a decade of experience from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor, where she most recently served as Counsel for Appellate Litigation. In that role, she directed appellate strategy in over 100 matters involving the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), with cases before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, federal appellate courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Emily’s unique insight into MSHA’s internal processes, combined with her deep litigation experience, makes her an incredible asset to our team and to our clients,” said Nicholas W. Scala, Chair of the firm’s MSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group. “Her background elevates our MSHA practice and further solidifies Conn Maciel Carey’s position as a go-to firm for mine safety legal counsel.”

“Employers face complex challenges and need an attorney who can help them navigate that complexity – everything from compliance with regulations to the highest levels of litigation,” says Emily. “I am looking forward to helping mine operators and other employers navigate the changing landscape of administrative law, and to expanding my litigation practice outside mine safety and health.”

During her tenure at DOL, Emily also served as a Senior Trial Attorney and Honors Attorney, litigating complex enforcement and whistleblower cases under the Mine Act, OSH Act, ERISA, and other statutes. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC) is honored to announce that our national OSHA and MSHA Workplace Safety Practice Groups have been recognized as the “2025 Health and Safety Law Firm of the Year in Washington, DC.”

The recognition comes from Corporate INTL, a global publication that identifies leading firms and individuals in various legal fields based on excellence and expertise. Winners are chosen after Corporate INTL’s research department conducted a rigorous, 12-month review of the potential honorees, including insight from global business leaders, and advisers to choose the 2025 award recipients. This is the second time the attorneys who lead Conn Maciel Carey’s OSHA practice have been recognized as Health and Safety Law Firm of the Year by this publication. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC), a boutique law firm with national practices in labor and employment, workplace safety (OSHA and MSHA), and litigation, is pleased to announce that Beeta Lashkari has been elevated to Partner.

Ms. Lashkari is a trusted advisor to clients on OSHA regulatory compliance, including hazard communication, process safety management, combustible dust, and machine guarding, among other critical areas. She also leads safety and health compliance audits, offering tailored evaluations to improve workplace safety. Her sophisticated advocacy during OSHA rulemaking and her meticulous review of workplace policies reflect her deep value to industry.

Ms. Lashkari advises and represents clients in a broad range of inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions, including those led by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), and state and local regulators.

Before joining CMC, Continue reading →

All of us here at Conn Maciel Carey wish you a joyful and safe holiday season!

Please enjoy this holiday greeting from the CMC family to your family:

We have so much to be thankful for at Conn Maciel Carey, but most of all, we thank you all for continuing to turn to us for counsel and legal services.  Please contact us if you have questions about any of the topics we have covered here on the OSHA Defense Report blog, or if you have ideas for other subjects we should be covering.  And of course, contact any of us if there is ever anything our national OSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group at Conn Maciel Carey can do to help your organization with workplace safety law issues.

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (“CMC”), a national boutique Labor and Employment and OSHA/MSHA Workplace Safety law firm, is pleased to announce that Scott Hecker has joined the firm as a Senior Counsel in its Washington, DC office.

Scott brings to the firm nearly two decades of workplace safety and employment legal experience in both the public and private sectors. He worked at the U.S. Department of Labor for nearly a dozen years, not only as a trial and National Office attorney, but also as an agency manager, which provides him with a unique perspective on agency policy and enforcement. During his legal career, Scott has focused on building relationships across the spectrum of the Department of Labor, employers, and employee representatives to ensure open communication that informs prompt identification of concerns and efficient resolution to disputes.

The Chair of CMC’s national Labor and Employment Practice Kara M. Maciel, says Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP is proud to partner with the City of Baltimore to enhance protections from heat illness for the City’s employees. See below a statement from the Honorable Brandon Scott, Mayor of Baltimore, and Khalil Zaied, Director of the City’s Department of Public Works:

Effort Reaffirms Commitment to Changing the City’s Workplace Culture and Improving Safety Best Practices

BALTIMORE, MD (Thursday, August 15, 2024) — Today, Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Khalil Zaied, Acting Director of the Department of Public Works, announced that the City of Baltimore has hired Conn Maciel Carey LLP, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm specializing in workplace safety, to conduct a thorough review of DPW’s safety policies, practices, and procedures, specifically as they pertain to heat safety. The firm began work this week, with a final set of recommendations expected by the end of September.

This independent review process will generate recommendations that, once implemented, will enhance the health, safety, and welfare of all City employees. Once the firm’s review is completed, the City is committed to publicly sharing their findings and recommendations. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (“CMC”), a national boutique labor and employment law firm is pleased to announce that Letitia Silas has joined the firm as a Partner in its Washington, DC office.

Letitia is a seasoned labor attorney with a dynamic background that spans both the private and public sectors, including in-house, law firm, and government. Letitia most recently served as the Executive Director of Labor Relations for the University of California systemwide.  In that role, located in the Office of the President, Letitia provided the strategic vision and direction for the $36 billion enterprise and its 130,000+ union-represented employees across ten university campuses, five medical centers, national research laboratory, and other business units.

In private practice, Letitia’s experience includes representing private employers in traditional labor and collective-bargaining matters while at national labor and employment law firms Fisher Phillips (as a partner) and Jackson Lewis. She also developed and led the enterprise-wide labor relations vision and strategy for the Howard University, as its Sr. Labor Counsel and Director of Labor Relations.

Letitia started her career as an investigator and trial attorney for the National Labor Relations Board, honing her skills in both the Boston and DC regional offices. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC) is honored to announce that the firm has been recognized as one of only three national law firms ranked “Band 1″ Nationwide for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law for the third year in a row. Five of the firm’s OSHA- and MSHA-specialist attorneys were also recognized in the rankings. CMC remains the only “boutique” firm among the law firms recognized.

The recognition comes from Chambers and Partners (Chambers), an independent research company that delivers detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers and law firms. The rankings are generated based on independent research by Chambers and feedback from private companies that utilize OSHA legal services. CMC has been ranked “Band 1” every year Chambers has ranked the OSH Law category.

Among the client testimonials collected by Chambers about the firm, one stated, “Every attorney we deal with is strong and they work well as a team. The firm is very well positioned to handle the most complex and sophisticated matters in the OSHA space.”

Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC), a boutique law firm with national practices in labor and employment, workplace safety (OSHA and MSHA), and litigation, is pleased to announce that attorney Hema Steele has joined the firm’s Ohio team as Senior Counsel. She supports the firm’s OSHA, MSHA, and Labor and Employment practices from Cleveland, OH. 

CMC’s Co-Managing Partner, Aaron Gelb, says “CMC is thrilled to have Hema join our team as she brings a fantastic mix of experience gained during 11 years as a solicitor with the U.S. Department of Labor in Region 5 and several years as a management– side L&E attorney in private practice. She understands the government’s perspective, which will make her a particularly effective advocate when representing employers confronted with challenging matters involving workplace safety, labor, employment, wage & hour, and whistleblower claims. While Ms. Steele is the eighth firm attorney based in the Midwest, her practice will be national in scope.”

Continue reading →

Black History Month is a time to recognize and honor the many contributions of Black Americans throughout U.S. history. Conn Maciel Carey LLP’s Chief Operating Officer, Mikel Koon, shares her dad’s accomplishments as a jazz musician against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Era – a time when Black musicians battled for recognition – when he carved a path that would become a bridge between cultures and a beacon of resilience.

Warren playing percussion.

Musical Career

Warren Smith is a disciplined New York-based drummer and percussionist with a long history of pitching in on various masterworks, from the recordings of soul queen Aretha Franklin to the avant-garde saxophone maverick and fascinating composer Sam Rivers. Smith has also been a longtime member of one of the great percussion projects, the Max Roach M’Boom ensemble of drummers.

His reputation has always been that of a no-nonsense, hard-working, and dedicated performer, so he is a favorite working partner of bandleaders or composers who want to present projects with an absolute minimum of hassle or attitude from their collaborators. This list includes Anthony Braxton, Charles Mingus, Henry Threadgill, Van Morrison, Count Basie, Sam Rivers, Tony Williams, and Joe Zawinul. As each new generation of players enters the ever-developing world of jazz, Warren Smith has never been one to lord over newcomers or put up barriers against innovative jazz forms; on the contrary, he seems to always be part of the crew that is out front.

Warren and his daughters in Cape May.

During the late-’70s/early-’80s “loft jazz” scene in New York City,his Studio Wis was one of the few so-called “lofts” that actually was a loft. It was also not a “pay-to-play” loft; in other words, rather than exploit the city’s hungry musicians, Smith gave generously of his personal studio space so that talented newcomers to the New York City scene such as Oliver Lake and Wadada Leo Smith could present concerts without having to worry about outrageous rental fees. Warren Smith often attended these events, smiling wider as the music went further and further out, approaching the unknown players to pay compliments and offer advice. His work in studio sessions and Broadway pit bands made him a likely source of wisdom on all subjects related to sight reading, arranging, or composition. When a young guitarist in a group performing at Studio Wis asked for advice on sight-reading exercises after a gig in 1979, Smith‘s response was Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP is proud to announce that it has achieved ISO 27001 certification – a security-related benchmark issued by the International Organization for Standardization for managing security assets. It ensures that organizations have robust processes in place to identify, manage, and reduce risks to information security.

Background about ISO 27001 Certification​

At CMC, protecting the confidentiality and integrity of our clients’ data is of prime importance. Data breaches and ransomware attacks are on the rise for many industries and organizations around the globe, and law firms are no exception. ISO 27001 certification was a necessary next step to ensure that we are proactively managing and avoiding cybersecurity threats. The certification reflects that CMC’s data security practices and infrastructure meet a globally-recognized standard for the protection of all types of business data, including electronic information, hard copy data, and third-party suppliers. This achievement further affirms CMC’s investment in the security of our clients’ information. ​

The ISO 27001 Certification Process​

To obtain certification, CMC underwent a rigorous set of internal and external audits and process improvements to ensure its IT systems and data privacy practices met the requirements of ISO/IEC 27001.

Continue reading →

All of us here at Conn Maciel Carey wish you a joyful and safe holiday season!

Please enjoy this holiday greeting from the CMC family to your family:

We have so much to be thankful for at Conn Maciel Carey, but most of all, we thank you all for continuing to turn to us for counsel and legal services.  Please contact us if you have questions about any of the topics we have covered here on the OSHA Defense Report blog, or if you have ideas for other subjects we should be covering.  And of course, contact any of us if there is ever anything our national OSHA • Workplace Safety Practice Group at Conn Maciel Carey can do to help your organization with workplace safety law issues.

With Gratitude

From Your Friends at Conn Maciel Carey

As we reflect on all that we are thankful for this Thanksgiving, we want to express our genuine appreciation for your continued support. It is clients like you who make it all worthwhile. Thank you for being a part of our CMC family! Wishing you a joyous and peaceful holiday.

Conn Maciel Carey LLP, (CMC) a boutique law firm with national practices in Labor and Employment Law, Workplace Safety Law (OSHA and MSHA), and Litigation, is pleased to announce that Andrea O. Chavez has joined the Los Angeles, California office as Senior Counsel in the firm’s Cal/OSHA and California Labor and Employment practices. She is in her seventh year of practice and brings her experience to the firm’s expanding California team.

“I represent employers in state and federal court and before administrative agencies in employment and safety-related disputes. This includes employment discrimination, wage and hour class action, NLRB, Cal/OSHA, and federal OSHA matters,” Ms. Chavez says. “I also focus on counseling employers on all matters related to managing employment relationships.”

CMC welcomes Ms. Chavez to CMC’s Southern California office. She joins the firm’s leadership team on the West Coast, alongside attorneys Megan Shaked and Rachel Conn based in Northern California. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC), a boutique law firm with national practices in labor and employment, workplace safety (OSHA and MSHA), and litigation, is pleased to announce that Megan Shaked has been elevated to Partner.

Ms. Shaked, a seasoned employment litigator and Cal/OSHA practitioner based in San Francisco, CA, represents employers on a wide range of employment matters, including Cal/OSHA investigations and appeals of Cal/OSHA citations, claims of discrimination and harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, and whistleblower actions.  She also conducts workplace harassment prevention training, and counsels employers on workplace safety compliance, the development of employee handbooks, hiring and termination decisions, leaves of absence and accommodations, and wage and hour compliance.

Ms. Shaked was an integral part of the expansion of CMC’s California Practice when she joined the firm back in 2018.  And now she is a key player in the next big expansion of the firm’s California Practice. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC), a boutique law firm with national practices in Workplace Safety – OSHA/MSHA, labor and employment, and litigation, is delighted to announce that attorney Rachel L. Conn has joined the firm’s San Francisco, CA office as Chair of the California Practice.

Ms. Conn comes to CMC from Nixon Peabody, where she was the Head of the OSHA Practice. At CMC, Ms. Conn will lead the team representing California and national employers in inspections, investigations and enforcement actions involving Cal/OSHA, Federal OSHA, and other State OSH Plans, especially the West Coast DOSH states. With strong experience in labor and employment law, she will also help lead the California labor and employment defense practice. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC), a Washington, D.C.-based boutique law firm with national practices in workplace safety (OSHA and MSHA), labor and employment, and litigation, is pleased to announce the opening of a Detroit Metro Area, Michigan office and the addition of Senior Counsel, Valerie Butera.

Ms. Butera is among a group of only twenty-five Occupational Safety and Health Law defense attorneys rated by Chambers USA, and the only Michigan-based OSHA attorney rated by Chambers.  She has extensive experience representing employers and trade associations in the full range of workplace safety and health law regulatory and enforcement matters across a wide range of industries, from chemical and petrochemical manufacturing, to petroleum refining, and automotive, electric utility, manufacturing, construction, railway, grain, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and food services. Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP (CMC) is honored to announce that the firm has been recognized as one of only three national law firms ranked in Band 1 Nationwide for Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Law for the 2^nd year in a row. CMC remains the only “boutique” firm among the law firms recognized.

The recognition comes from Chambers and Partners, an independent research company that delivers detailed rankings and insight into the world’s leading lawyers and law firms. This is only the second year that Chambers has ranked the OSHA Law field, and CMC has been ranked Band 1 both years.

Chambers’ researchers identified CMC as “perhaps the foremost experts in workplace health and safety law.… CMC is made up of some of the best legal expertise that is available when it comes to safety and health matters…. They are keen to build a good relationship with their clients so that they can anticipate needs and exceed expectations.” 

Continue reading →

Conn Maciel Carey LLP, (CMC) a boutique law firm with national practices in labor and employment, workplace safety (OSHA and MSHA), and litigation, is pleased to announce that Kimberly Richardson has become an Of Counsel attorney with the firm based out of the firm’s principal office in Washington, DC.

Ms. Richardson will provide counseling and litigation services related to workplace health and safety and employment-related matters. Throughout her 15 years of experience, Ms. Richardson has served as the lead in-house workplace health and safety attorney for multiple national and international organizations, where she advised executive leadership on matters pertaining to labor, employment, and OSHA compliance.

“I am elated to share Kimberly’s perspective as a former in-house corporate counsel with our clients and our attorneys as she prides herself on advising companies to create and prioritize robust compliance programs on the myriad of employment legal issues,” says Kara Maciel, Labor and Employment Practice Chair. “When corporate legal teams need advice on creating collaborative approaches to their ESG initiatives, Kimberly will be a strong leader of CMC’s team in providing strategic privileged counsel on the responsibilities that corporations will be facing in the years to come.”

“I could not be more excited to welcome the legendary Kimberly Richardson to our OSHA and L&E teams at Conn Maciel Carey,” says Eric Conn, OSHA Practice Chair. Continue reading →