Human Resources: Cheryl D. Orr and Heather M. Sager, Prominent Labor & Employment Lawyers

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheryl D. Orr and Heather M. Sager today join Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP as partners in the firm's HR Law Practice Group. Both lawyers come to Drinker Biddle from Carlton DiSante & Freudenberger LLP, a boutique California labor and employment firm, where Orr served as managing partner of its San Francisco office and where Sager was a partner.

    "We are very pleased to welcome both of these prominent labor and employment lawyers to our firm," said Charles F. Preuss, partner-in-charge of Drinker Biddle's San Francisco office. "They are highly effective counselors of great experience, proven trial lawyers in the courtroom and active participants in both our profession and our community. They will help us continue to expand the services we provide to both our national and regional clients in the California market."

    Orr and Sager will be based in the firm's 30-lawyer San Francisco office. Drinker Biddle, which merged with Chicago-based Gardner Carton & Douglas on Jan. 1, 2007, has grown to more than 640 lawyers in 12 offices nationwide, including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., in addition to San Francisco.

    Drinker Biddle's HR Law practice, with more than 60 lawyers nationwide, advises clients in all aspects of HR law, including employee benefits and executive compensation, employment law counseling and compliance, collective bargaining and other traditional labor issues, and employment and benefits-related litigation.

    Orr concentrates her practice in wage-and-hour class actions, litigation of discrimination, harassment and unfair competition claims, workplace investigations, and employer advice and counseling.

    Sager focuses her practice in labor and employment litigation for management, including all forms of discrimination and harassment, wrongful discharge, wage-and-hour litigation, and collective and class actions involving the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Sager also assists clients in matters such as ERISA issues, management training, employer advice and counseling, and unfair competition.

    "In addition to a terrific base of labor and employment lawyers, one of the main reasons I am delighted to join Drinker Biddle is its plan for expanding the HR Law practice nationally in a sensible, strategic way," said Orr. "We intend to add more top-flight HR lawyers here in San Francisco, and I look forward to helping the firm recruit them."

    Sager, echoing Orr, added, "I am pleased to be joining Drinker Biddle's labor and employment team and wider HR law group, especially in light of its recent addition of the many well-known lawyers from the former Gardner Carton & Douglas in Chicago."

    Orr and Sager's move to Drinker Biddle marks the successful result of a retained search by Chuck Fanning and David Bennett of Major, Lindsey & Africa, a leading national attorney recruiting firm.

    "We are impressed by Drinker Biddle's commitment to growing its presence on the West Coast by adding talented lateral partners, especially in labor and employment," said Bennett. "We are delighted to have helped bring Cheryl and Heather to Drinker Biddle."

    Orr received her law degree from Columbia University after graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. in political science from the University of Minnesota. She is admitted to practice in all California state courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Orr is a frequent lecturer on employment law topics and is a volunteer for Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, representing political asylum applicants. She is also active in the Bar Association of San Francisco's Volunteer Legal Services Program.

    Sager graduated cum laude from Wake Forest University with a B.A. degree in English. She received her law degree from Fordham University School of Law. She is admitted to practice in all California state courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Central and Northern Districts of California, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. For more than a decade, she has been a member of the labor and employment law sections of the American, California, San Francisco and Los Angeles bar associations.

    Sager is active in a number of professional and trade organizations, including the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Bay Area Chapter. In addition, she is a frequent speaker for various civic and trade organizations, including the Oakland Small Business Symposium, Bay Area New Employer Training Forum, the California Restaurant Association (including employer and management training sessions at their annual tradeshows, Western Food Expo and California Food Show), "The Employer's Group" and California Lodging Industry Association. Sager is also a contributing editor to Elkhouri and Elkhouri's How Arbitration Works (Sixth Edition and 2006 Supplement).

    Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, a full-service national law firm established in 1849, recently announced its combination with the 200 lawyers at Chicago-based Gardner Carton & Douglas. The merger, effective in January 2007, created a firm with more than 640 lawyers and other professionals in 12 offices nationwide. For more information, please visit http://www.drinkerbiddle.com.