Ronald S. Cooper

Partner

• rcooper@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Ron Cooper rejoins Steptoe & Johnson LLP as a partner in the Washington office after serving for two and a half years as General Counsel of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He was nominated to this position by President George W. Bush on March 27, 2006, unanimously confirmed by the Senate on July 26, and sworn in on August 11.  

As EEOC General Counsel, he supervised the enforcement of the statutes administered by the agency through litigation in the federal district courts and courts of appeals throughout the country. During his term he managed the implementation of the most significant change in EEOC enforcement policy in the past twenty years.

Prior to his government service, Mr. Cooper enjoyed a more than three decade career at Steptoe specializing in employment litigation. His practice included:

Litigation Defense
He led the defense of employers in cases brought under the federal civil rights laws (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act). These cases included large class actions and government enforcement actions. He also represented employers in contract disputes and wrongful termination claims brought under state law. He represented employers at trial (both bench and jury trials) and at the appellate level. He has also participated in a number of significant employment cases in the US Supreme Court.

Administrative Investigations
Mr. Cooper also represents employers who are the subject of major administrative investigations and proceedings, including Commissioner Charge investigations by EEOC and Compliance Reviews by the Office of Contract Compliance Programs in the Department of Labor. These have included “Glass Ceiling” investigations of the perceived underutilization of women in senior management positions.

Employee Benefits
A particular focus of Mr. Cooper’s practice has involved the application of employment discrimination laws to employee benefits. He has litigated some of the principal cases involving challenges under Title VII, the ADEA, and the ADA to the design and administration of employee health, disability and retirement plans.

International Employment
He has represented US employers in connection with their employees abroad, including the structuring of expatriate employment agreements and litigation of disputes under them. He has managed overseas force reductions, including a recent assignment involving 20 foreign jurisdictions. For Oracle Corporation, he managed complex litigation in the US and Switzerland involving the claims of a terminated senior executive based in Switzerland for stock options that would have vested during the notice period provided by Swiss law. He achieved a victory in the US litigation holding that eligibility for stock options was controlled by the Oracle Stock Option Plan which effectively elected California law. Oracle v. Falotti, 319 F.3d 1106 (9^th Cir.), cert., denied, 540 US 875 (2003). He supervised the Swiss litigation that also rejected the executive’s claim.

He has also represented foreign interests with respect to their employees in the US. In addition, he has supervised the evaluation of employment claims as part of the due diligence efforts supporting acquisition of US businesses.

Trade Secret/Non-Competition Agreements
Mr. Cooper has also represented employers in both defending and prosecuting claims of trade secret misappropriation and breach of contractual restrictions on competitive employment.

Public Service

• General Counsel, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2006-2009

Noteworthy

• Lawdragon 3000 Leading Lawyers in America, 2011
• Listed in Washington, DC Super Lawyers 2010-2011
• Ranked Attorney Chambers USA 2006, America's Leading Business Lawyers; DC Employment: Mainly Defendant
• Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers since 1997
• Euromoney's Expert Guide to the World's Leading Labour and Employment Lawyers (2009)

Select News & Events

• Law360 Quotes Steptoe’s Cooper on Employment Regulation To Watch In 2012
• Associated Press Quotes Ron Cooper on Obama’s Job Bill
• Washington, DC Super Lawyers Honors Steptoe Attorneys
• New I-129 Form's Mandatory Certification Requirement Webcast, April 28, 2011
• Annual Employment Law Update, February 17, 2011, (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• Law360 Quotes Ron Cooper on Using Credit Checks in Hiring Process
• The National Law Journal Quotes Ron Cooper on EEOC Regulation
• Ron Cooper Speaks at the American Trucking Associations' Forum for Motor Carrier General Counsels, July 27, 2010
• Ron Cooper Quoted in Law 360 Article Titled, "Berrien to Play Forceful Role as EEOC Head"
• Annual Employment Law Update: What In-House Counsel and HR Executives Need to Know, March 2, 2010, (A Steptoe-Sponsored Event)
• American Employment Law Council Annual Conference: The View from DC, October 21, 2009, " What's Ahead for EEOC and for Us"

Selected Publications

• "Jump Starting The EEOC's Systemic Initiative?" Law360, New York (February 25, 2010)
• Client Advisory - Legislative Initiatives Employers Should Note In Addition to EFCA (May 19, 2009)

Professional Affiliations

• Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center (1980-90)
• Management Chair, American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law Committee on International Labor Law (2004-2006)