Littler Mendelson P.C. issued the following announcement on May 1.
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has bolstered its Workplace Safety & Health Practice Group with the addition of Melissa K. Peters as Special Counsel in the Walnut Creek, Calif., office. Peters was previously Staff Counsel with the California Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) in the Los Angeles Legal Unit.
“Melissa spent more than six years handling a wide range of matters at Cal/OSHA, providing her with a unique insider perspective of the agency,” said Greg Iskander, Walnut Creek office managing shareholder. “Given the complexities employers face with California’s unique regulatory environment, Melissa’s deep-seated knowledge of Cal/OSHA’s operations will be an asset to our clients – whether they face inspections or simply must navigate the agency’s broader policies and regulatory initiatives.”
With an in-depth understanding of the regulations that apply to safety and health in the workplace, Peters will assist employers in complying with these requirements and provide counsel surrounding workplace incidents. While at Cal/OSHA, Peters regularly advised on enforcement and investigation-related matters and represented the division in administrative appeals and third-party litigation arising from workplace fatalities. She worked closely with Cal/OSHA’s High Hazard, Labor Enforcement, Crane and Elevator units and handled numerous workplace violence cases, particularly involving hospitals, as well as cases involving heat illness and bloodborne pathogens.
“A resume like Melissa’s is hard to come by as not every OSHA lawyer also brings extensive litigation experience,” said Brad Hammock, Co-Chair of Littler’s Workplace Safety & Health Practice Group. “On the heels of our 2018 addition of Alka Ramchandani-Raj, who also counsels employers on compliance regulations and policies under Cal/OSHA, Melissa’s addition supports the continued growth of the practice and reinforces our commitment to providing a deep bench of lawyers to advise clients in the most complex areas of law.”
“During my time at Cal/OSHA, I had the opportunity to work with a number of Littler attorneys and saw first-hand the talent and resources that Littler brings to bear,” Peters said. “I’m excited to bring my agency experience to Littler and to collaborate with the firm’s attorneys to further expand Littler’s profile in this area of law.”
Peters received her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and her B.A. from Syracuse University. She is licensed to practice law in California and Montana.
Original source can be found here.