Michael Ernest Avakian

Mr. Avakian is a distinguished attorney based in Washington, D.C., with a focus on labor and employment law. A graduate of Georgetown University School of Law, LL.M., and the Potomac School of Law, J.D., Mr. Avakian brings extensive labor law litigation knowledge, appellate court experience, and a deep commitment to his practice. He is dedicated to providing insightful legal counsel and effective solutions to his clients' workplace challenges. Throughout his career, including service as Associate Deputy Secretary, United States Department of Labor, Mr. Avakian has been recognized for his ability to navigate complex legal matters and his dedication to upholding the rights and interests of his . Avakian has argued cases before numerous federal trial courts, every United States Court of Appeal, and has successfully petitioned for writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States.  Moreover, he has engaged in private arbitrations, federal administrative litigation, and adversary court litigation with private parties, the National Labor Relations Board, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Federal Election Commission, Federal Labor Relations Authority, and the United States Department of Labor.

As former Associate Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, Mr. Avakian participated in the overall management of the Department at the Secretarial level and engaged in matters pertaining to policy and program coordination with its Agencies and Offices. He received broad guidance from the Deputy Secretary and analyzed and advised on the implications of proposed, new or revised policies, regulations, and legislative proposals, and assessed their impact on the private sector regulated communities. He led Departmental projects and consulted with senior management officials of the Department, regarding major initiatives, proposed legislation, changes in Departmental regulations, milestones to be achieved, cabinet level matters affecting the Department, and international trade.

He developed briefing papers on matters of economic concern for the Deputy Secretary in the formulation of Departmental policy. He carried out assignments involving contacts with Departmental officials of other Federal agencies for information and coordination of action.

Before and after returning to private practice, Mr. Avakian was a Partner in the Wimberly, Lawson & Avakian Law Firm, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in employment relations and labor law matters. Mr Avakian was also Vice-President to the Center on National Labor Policy, Inc., a non-profit legal foundation chartered to protect individual rights under federal labor law.

Mr. Avakian has testified on proposed legislation and suggested statutory language at the request of various congressional committees in both Houses of Congress, including the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Equal Access to Justice Act and the Senate Labor Subcommittee on the Freedom in the Workplace Act. He has also counseled clients during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on bills to amend the Hobb’s Anti-Extortion Act. In addition, Mr. Avakian has testified before the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the NLRB on changes to its representational regulations, and provided administrative comments on proposed regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act before the U.S. Department of Labor, and amicus curiae briefs to the NLRB.

Mr. Avakian has been recognized as a public policy expert in labor law by the Heritage Foundation, and has appeared on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America, Nightwatch, Mcneil Lehrer News Hour, CNN News and quoted in the New York Times, the Washington Post

Mr. Avakian has testified on proposed legislation and suggested statutory language at the request of various congressional committees including the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Equal Access to Justice Act and the Senate Labor Subcommittee on the Freedom in the Workplace Act.  He has also counseled clients during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on bills to amend the Hobb’s Anti-Extortion Act.  In addition, Mr. Avakian has testified before the Federal Election Commission and National Labor Relations Board on proposed regulations affecting employers and labor organizations, has provided administrative comments on proposed regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act before the U.S. Department of Labor, and amicus curiae briefs to the National Labor Relations Board.