Experienced Employment Law Litigator and Trial Lawyer Rejoins Latham’s Bay Area Offices
Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that Oswald (Ossie) Cousins has rejoined the firm’s Bay Area offices as a partner in the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice, and a member of the Litigation & Trial Department. An experienced trial lawyer and trusted advisor, Cousins represents both emerging and established companies in their most complex employment and labor matters.
“Ossie’s experience successfully guiding businesses — of all sizes and from all industries — through the full spectrum of labor and employment law matters is a perfect complement to our ever-expanding capabilities,” said Tad Freese, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ Bay Area offices. “He started his career with us, and we’re thrilled to welcome him back. Our clients here in the Bay Area — which are a wide mix of innovative clients, from emerging companies to mature, multi-national brands — will benefit from Ossie’s multi-faceted approached refined over his many years of growth and experience.”
“Ossie’s return is a great development for our teams and our clients,” added Sean Berkowitz, Chair of the firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation Practice. “He brings not only a sharply honed set of employment and labor law skills, but also courtroom capabilities from the various cases he’s brought to verdict. Our clients increasingly need seasoned practitioners who understand the rapidly shifting nuances of employment and labor law. This is particularly true in our evolving pandemic environment, with remote and flexible work becoming more normalized. Ossie’s practice, which spans advisory work, disputes, and transactional support, more than meets this market need.”
Cousins provides high-level advice and counseling on a wide range of employment and labor law matters, including trade secrets and restrictive covenants, wage-and-hour compliance, discrimination and harassment allegations, whistleblower and retaliation claims, individual employee separations, reductions in force, and employment aspects of transactions. He has tried cases to verdict in federal and state court, as well as in arbitrations and administrative proceedings.“
During my early years at Latham, it was clear to me the firm had a one-of-a-kind platform and top notch reputation,” said Cousins. “Unsurprisingly, Latham continued to push the standard for excellence to new heights, driven by the incredible growth of its elite team of litigators and transactional attorneys. The dynamic and innovative departments and practices in the Bay Area and firmwide will enable me to leverage synergies for my client base as they face novel and increasingly sophisticated legal questions. I consider myself very fortunate to have the chance to return to the firm that helped me launch my practice, and I’m looking forward to plugging back into the collegial, collaborative culture that served as the foundation of my career.”
Cousins received his JD from the UCLA School of Law, and his BA from the University of Vermont. Cousins returns to Latham from Morrison Foerster.
About Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.
Notes to Editors
1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Firm of Salman M. Al-Sudairi, a limited liability company, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.