Regional Solicitor

The Regional Solicitor for the Philadelphia Region leads a legal team that protects the rights of working people and retirees and vigorously enforces more than 150 laws administered by the Department of Labor. The team of approximately 40 attorneys, paralegals, and legal professionals-based in Philadelphia and Arlington-handles trial-level litigation in U.S. District Courts, administrative tribunals, and U.S. Bankruptcy Courts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. 

The Regional Solicitor and their team are charged with enforcing laws governing, for example, minimum wage, overtime and child labor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); complex litigation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Act (MSHA); discrimination by government contractors under Executive Order 11246; enforcing fiduciary violations relating to pension and health care plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); and protecting workers from retaliation under various whistleblower laws. 

The Regional Solicitor plans, organizes and directs the legal team in providing advice and support during investigations, settlement negotiations, and both jury and bench trials. 

The Regional Solicitor also facilitates the referral of potential criminal cases to DOJ, U.S. Attorneys, and state and local prosecutors, and often the regional attorneys become members of those criminal prosecution teams. A smaller part of the legal practice involves defending the Department in EEO and MSPB matters. 

The Regional Solicitor represents the Solicitor of Labor and the Acting Secretary of Labor on departmental and interdepartmental task forces and at conferences and meetings concerning matters within the region's area of responsibility. 

The Regional Solicitor also speaks for the Department before outside stakeholders, such as advocacy groups, worker centers, industry and professional groups and a variety of other individuals and groups with interest in the programs under the regional jurisdiction.