K&L Gates Adds Second New Washington, D.C., Partner in a Week with Hire of U.S. Department of Labor Director

Washington, D.C. - Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added Craig E. Leen as a partner in the labor, employment, and workplace safety practice. Leen joins the Washington, D.C., office from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). 

As Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) with the DOL, Leen worked to ensure compliance by federal contractors with equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and non-discrimination obligations, as well as issued regulations and public facing directives. He also led the agency in compliance manual updates, the development of comprehensive technical assistance guides, and the creation of the Contractor Assistance Portal. During his tenure at the DOL, Leen was named the recipient of the Secretary’s Exceptional Achievement Award – Professional. 

Prior to joining the DOL, Leen served as City Attorney for the City of Coral Gables, where he provided legal supervision to internal and external counsel on compliance with federal and state laws, including the ADA, Title VI, Title VII, and other civil rights regulations. He also advised on matters involving government procurement, land use and zoning, constitutional and civil rights law, appellate proceedings, code enforcement, ethics, and home rule powers, among others. Previously, Leen was Chief of the Appeals Section and Chief of the Federal Litigation Section for the Miami-Dade County Attorney’s Office, the sixth largest county in the U.S. Leen is well-known for developing comprehensive and award-winning disability inclusion programs both for the OFCCP and City of Coral Gables.  

Leen commented: “I'm honored and excited to be joining K&L Gates as a partner in the D.C. office. When I was OFCCP Director, I prioritized outreach and engagement towards federal contractors to enhance equal employment opportunity in the United States. With its nationwide reach and outstanding reputation, K&L Gates is the perfect team for me to join to work directly with federal contractors and other organizations, advising them on all aspects of labor & employment law and regulatory compliance.”

Rosemary Alito, leader of the firm’s labor, employment, and workplace safety practice area, commented: “We are thrilled to add Craig’s deep experience in federal contract compliance programs to our comprehensive labor, employment, and workplace safety offerings to global clients.”  

Leen’s arrival closely follows the addition of power partner Ruta Skučas in Washington, D.C., last week, as well as labor and employment partner Eugene Ryu in Los Angeles earlier this year. They are among the nearly 70 partners who have joined the firm since January 2020.

“Craig’s senior federal experience in equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and non-discrimination obligations broadens and deepens our labor and employment capabilities in areas of significant importance to U.S. government contractors and other businesses that are increasingly seeking to develop market leading diversity and inclusion programs for their workforce,” said J. Barclay Collins, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Washington, D.C., office. “We’re delighted to welcome Craig to the firm.”

Lawyers in K&L Gates’ labor, employment and workplace safety practice and Global Employer Solutions area advise domestic and international clients in the technology, pharmaceuticals, retail, banking, manufacturing, hospitality, transportation, broadcasting, construction, mining, energy, financial services, and health care industries, among others, on a variety of regional and cross-border labor and employment issues. With more than 200 lawyers, K&L Gates’ Global Employer Solutions team counsels corporations and entities across numerous countries and jurisdictions in meeting the challenges of their global business needs.