Greenberg Traurig Shareholder Mark Kemple Named to Law360's 2011 MVP List

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Kemple, litigation shareholder in Greenberg Traurig's Los Angeles office, was named by Law360 to its inaugural "MVP List" of labor and employment attorneys.  Kemple is one of just six lawyers in the United States to be selected to the list, which recognizes those in the field whose accomplishments in major litigations or transactions "raised the bar" in corporate law in 2011, according to the digital publication. 

Kemple practices in Greenberg Traurig's Litigation, Labor and Employment and Consumer Class Action departments. He was recognized for his involvement in several representations, including: Johnson, et al. v. California  Pizza Kitchen, Inc.; Martinez et al. v. California  Pizza Kitchen, Inc.; Hernandez et al. v. California  Pizza Kitchen, Inc., in which Kemple defeated three combined class certifications of thousands of employees alleging wage/hour violations on behalf of his client, California Pizza Kitchen; Tarkington v. California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board (Albertsons Inc./Supervalu Real Party In Interest) in which Kemple successfully argued that claims for unemployment insurance benefits by thousands of striking grocery workers can not be certified for class treatment, and that the theory of liability on which the petitioners relied -- that alleged unlawful conduct by employers may alter the petitioners' ineligibility for benefits -- was not a viable theory for petitioners; Lewis v. Wendy's and Lopez v.Wendy's, broad wage and hour putative class actions in which Kemple successfully argued that not a single instance of wrongdoing had been alleged against his client in any of five pleading attempts, which resulted in the lapse of the plaintiff's class certification deadline in one action, and a very favorable resolution of the matter; and Bato et al. v. Laboratory Corporation of America, in which, among other things, Kemple obtained a ruling that collective FMLA claims may be released in a class wide settlement of an opt-in Rule 23 action.

"With Mark's broad trial experience in employment and commercial litigation, we are confident he will continue to raise the bar for our clients for years to come," said Jeff Scott, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig's Los Angeles office.

Kemple represents clients in many areas, including employment class and individual litigation, consumer class litigation, and other commercial disputes. Apart from trial work, he focuses on the defense of wage and hour class actions and has wide experience in unfair competition and consumer protection actions.

Law360 ( www.law360.com ) is a digital publisher of news and data for attorneys. In total, 92 attorneys were named as Law360s across 16 practices areas. Law360 profiled each of the selected MVPs. Click here: http://bit.ly/uuBWYw to view Kemple's MVP profile. Kemple has also been selected as a Southern California Superlawyer from 2007 through 2011.

Greenberg Traurig's Labor & Employment Practice is comprised of more than 100 professionals who provide an array of workplace strategies and legal counsel to clients in a variety of industries. Its Litigation Practice includes a team of more than 500 attorneys. The firm's trial lawyers regularly appear in state and federal courts throughout the country.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 10 on The National Law Journal's 2011 NLJ 250.  For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig