By Emmy Freedman
March 6, 2024
Liff, Walsh & Simmons added a partner with experience at the U.S. Department of Labor and doing public interest work to lead and expand its labor and employment practice.
David R. Dorey joined the Annapolis, Maryland-based firm Feb. 26 to spearhead the expansion of its labor and employment team. Dorey brings12 years of experience to Liff, Walsh & Simmons, and he most recently spent about two years working as senior litigation counsel for the Fairness Center, where he said he represented federal employees when they ran into trouble at work.
Liff, Walsh & Simmons’s 16 attorneys represent mid-sized privately held companies and focus on contracts and transactions law, as well as real estate and finance.
Dorey’s hiring marks the second labor and employment attorney at Liff, Walsh & Simmons, which he said has been looking to bring on someone who can provide comprehensive labor and employment services for the roster of clients it already has.
In a phone call to Law360 Wednesday, Dorey said he’s “really happy” to be at Liff, Walsh & Simmons and is looking forward to expanding his team.
“There’s a strong entrepreneurial spirit here, and that carries through the entire firm,” Dorey said.” And the ability to build out a group that does this sort of work almost from scratch is very exciting. It allows us to be very creative with the clients we have and the clients that we’re going to bring on, and do our best to provide for their needs from start to finish.”
Dorey got his start in labor and employment law working for the DOL as counsel to the solicitor. In that role he said he managed litigation for the department’s 650 attorneys, and it offered him an “invaluable” experience that has helped shape his practice to help companies navigate the employment realm today.
He said he’s drawn to employment law because it impacts nearly everyone across the country, and it’s constantly changing and differs by state.
He said he’s keeping a close eye on artificial intelligence, which is not very well understood and comes with both pitfalls and opportunities. He’s also keeping tabs on certain jurisdictions, such as California, where there are more frequently new laws being created to regulate the employer-employee relationship. And having someone to help companies make sure they’re complying with all these new laws helps them stay out of trouble, he said.
“To me, that’s a very exciting space to be because it’s a wonderful intellectual exercise,” Dorey said. “And it’s very important to have someone who understands all these complexities so companies and others who are trying to navigate this space can be successful.”
Jay Walsh, a founder and managing partner, said in a statement that the firm is “thrilled” to have Dorey onboard.”
“With a solid commitment to excellence and a deep understanding of labor and employment law complexities, David brings invaluable expertise to our team,” Walsh said. “As we continue expanding our firm to serve business operators across greater Maryland and Washington, D.C., we look forward to the addition of David’s collaborative efforts to enhance our services.”
Dorey earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
–Editing by Nick Petruncio.
