George O'Brien

Practice Areas

Arbitration; Healthcare; Higher Education; Labor Management Relations; Litigation and Trials

Career

George represents and counsels employers on a variety of labor matters including collective bargaining; unfair labor practice proceedings; labor representation cases; elections and more. He represents management in matters of grievances; injunction proceedings; arbitrations; and wrongful discharge. O'Brien provides mediation and counsels clients on union relationships as well as in his other areas of expertise, which include wrongful discharge; breach of contract; discrimination claims; and jury trials.

In 2015, O'Brien obtained an important decision from the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia that strengthened the rights of employers to regulate employee attire and conduct that may be offensive to customers. The decision overturned a controversial ruling of the National Labor Relations Board.

He was a founding member of Littler's New Haven office and served for nine years as the office's first managing shareholder and continues as a core team member of the firm's Health Care Industry Practice Group.

Professional Memberships

Connecticut Bar Association - Labor and Employment Section, Executive Committee; Connecticut Bar Association - Federal Practice Section, Executive Committee 2005-2011; Connecticut Bar Association - Annual Meeting Program, Former Chair; Connecticut Bar Association - Human Rights and Opportunities Committee, Former Chair; Connecticut Bar Association - NLRB Liaison Committee, Former Chair; Friends of New Haven Legal Services - Board of Directors 2006-present; New Haven Inn of Court; United States District Court, District of Connecticut - Special Masters Panel, Former Co-Chair

Education