PR Newswire, August 16, 2004, Monday

Copyright 2004 PR Newswire Association, Inc.
PR Newswire

August 16, 2004, Monday

SECTION: FINANCIAL NEWS

DISTRIBUTION: TO BUSINESS AND LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITORS


HEADLINE: Epstein Becker & Green Expands National ADA Practice Group;
Attorneys Anticipate Major Changes in Department of Justice ADA Accessibility Standards, Impacting Industries Across the Board

DATELINE: NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, Aug. 16

BODY:
Law firm Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. (EBG) today announced it is expanding and enhancing its National Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Practice Group with the welcome addition of several prominent attorneys. The National ADA Practice Group, part of the firm's Labor and Employment Practice, is headed by Frank Morris and Minh Vu in Washington, D.C., and David Simon in New York.
"We are ramping up to help clients deal with new accessibility guidelines issued by the Access Board this summer which the Department of Justice will soon make into law," said Minh Vu, partner at EBG in the Labor and Employment practice. "These new guidelines will impact every business in America that opens its doors to the public, employers, state and local governments, as well as anyone involved in the construction or alteration of commercial facilities. Restaurants, retailers, healthcare facilities, gyms, hotels, apartment buildings, theaters, golf courses, and educational institutions are but a few of the entities that will be affected. Disability and accessibility laws affect the way buildings are constructed to the way business is conducted all across America."
Frank Morris, partner at EBG, is spearheading the expanded National ADA Practice Group in Washington, DC, where he heads the Labor and Employment practice for the firm. Mr. Morris has presented programs on the ADA to over half the nation's federal judges at judicial conferences, and litigated key Title I and III claims. An adjunct professor of law since 1984 at George Washington University Law School's National Law Center, and faculty member of the Cornell University of New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations EEO Studies Program, Mr. Morris is also a frequent lecturer on equal employment, disabilities law, affirmative action, family and medical leave and labor relations.
Minh Vu is a litigator with special experience in handling discrimination matters in employment, housing, public accommodations and lending. She was Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice prior to joining EBG. Ms. Vu represented the Department of Justice on the Access Board, which issued the new accessibility guidelines and also oversaw the Department's enforcement of the ADA, Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, and the Equal Opportunity Credit Act.
David Simon will head the National ADA Practice Group in EBG's New York office. Formerly general counsel and secretary of FOJP Service Corporation, an insurance, risk management and claims/litigation services company, Mr. Simon was also Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC when the ADA was first enacted. In this capacity, David directed all employment discrimination suits brought by the DOJ, oversaw the Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and was intimately involved in negotiating the Civil Rights Act of 1991, as well as with the drafting of the original ADA regulations promulgated by the DOJ. His employment litigations included significant claims of discrimination based on race, gender, religion and disability. At the request of the Attorney General, David also worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to revise its hiring procedures.
"Our National ADA Practice Group seeks to help clients grappling with long term planning and design issues, such as in the construction or restoration of commercial or public facilities, as well as companies or organizations trying to comply with the changing workplace, regulatory environment and the resulting economic adjustments," said David Simon.
"Thanks to our team of highly qualified, experienced attorneys, our ability to help businesses and other entities understand and respond to the new requirements of the ADA is unmatched," commented Frank Morris. "Our approach is a proactive one which reduces litigation exposure and makes an entity's products and services available to a broader market."
EBG attorneys assist those with public accommodations responsibilities, (e.g., retail, lodging, sports and entertainment, educational and medical facilities), employers and local governments with cutting-edge advice and seamless coverage through an interdisciplinary approach to disability-related issues, providing counsel for business decisions to limit potential liability and provide effective defense of administrative and judicial actions by enforcement agencies, advocacy groups and individuals.
About Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.
Founded in 1973, EBG is a general practice law firm with more than 370 attorneys practicing in twelve offices throughout the U.S. -- Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, San Francisco, Stamford, and Washington, D.C. -- and affiliations worldwide. The firm's size, diversity, and global affiliations allow its attorneys to address the needs of both small entrepreneurial ventures and large multinational corporations on a worldwide basis.
SOURCE Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.

CONTACT: Suzy Ginsburg, +1-713-721-4774, or cell, +1-713-907-0386, or suzy@gcomworks.com , for Epstein Becker & Green, P.C.