SEATTLE, WA/ October 22, 2008 – Littler Mendelson, P.C. (Littler) is pleased to announce that Doug Smith, office managing shareholder of Littler’s Seattle office, has been recognized by the Association of Washington Business (AWB) with its 2008 Heavy Lifter Award. This award, presented at the Association’s annual September Policy Summit, recognizes members who have most effectively volunteered their skills and extraordinary amounts of time toward the development of a flourishing business climate in the state of Washington.
The AWB is Washington’s chamber of commerce and largest statewide business association, representing over 6,500 employers from every industry sector and geographic region of the state. Its mission is to foster an economic climate that enables its members, employees and all citizens to prosper through the enactment of regulatory reform, tax incentives and reductions that help attract and retain business investment in the state and policy changes that encourage state agencies to become more efficient and customer-friendly.
Smith, who is an AWB-appointed member of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ Employment Law Advisory Committee, spent numerous hours participating in the representation of the business community on legislative and administrative policy development of a critical wage and hour issue. He played a major role researching and drafting legislation during the 2008 legislative session, met with lawmakers and testified before the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research & Development Committee on the issue.
“It’s a great honor to be recognized by the AWB, which continues to play a critical role in safeguarding the interests of employers and fostering a healthy business climate in Washington,” said Smith. “I look forward to continuing my work with the AWB, and doing everything I can to ensure that good employers are protected against bad public policy. The stakes are simply too high to allow our state's employment laws to reach the point where legitimate businesses and their employees are forced to pull up stakes and move across Washington's borders just to survive.”
Also a recipient of this award in 2006, Smith has been a longtime member of the AWB’s Employment Law Committee and its Wage & Hour Task Force. He has worked closely with Association staff through several legislative sessions and regulatory processes, providing technical expertise and helping to forge compromises on important matters of statewide public policy for employers.
About Littler Mendelson
With more than 750 attorneys and 45 offices, Littler Mendelson is the largest U.S.-based law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. As the only U.S. member of the Ius Laboris global alliance, Littler has extensive resources to address the needs of multi-national clients, from navigating international employment laws and labor relations issues to applying corporate policies worldwide. Established in 1942, the firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record. For more information, visit littler.com.
