Phillips Lytle LLP cover photo

At Phillips Lytle, we know only one approach to client service. It’s practiced by every one of our attorneys in each of our eight offices. It’s why we’ve been doing what we do for more than 185 years. It’s ingrained in who we are. It’s The Phillips Lytle Way.

We’re fully dedicated to our clients and our work on their behalf. We learn how each defines success, and then help identify how to get there. We learn all there is to know about a client’s business and industry, formulating strategies aimed at the best decisions that fit within defined goals. And we prove our worth as go-to members of the team at every turn.

We take great pride in working this way for our clients both big and small. We work with some of the top businesses in the country – companies on the FORTUNE 500 and FORTUNE Global 500 lists. We are also proud to support startups, entrepreneurs and family-run businesses that help shape the economic climate of our country and create jobs in our communities.

When Phillips Lytle was founded in 1834 as a one-man office, Orsamus H. Marshall couldn’t have imagined that what he started would result in a law firm of regional and national prestige. Recognition by The Best Lawyers in America®, U.S. News - Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers and Chambers USA didn’t happen by chance. It was bestowed on us through the glowing feedback gained from our satisfied clients and peers.

While we’ve grown and evolved during our 185+ year history, we’ve always held fast to the principles upon which our firm was founded, “Accept great trusts and responsibilities and fulfill them with the utmost skill and fidelity.” Our growth has only made us more ready and able to better aid clients from coast to coast and around the globe – from an office in Canada providing cross-border expertise, to one in DC focusing on international business and political matters.

About Phillips Lytle LLP

Founded in 1834

8 Offices

343 people in their team


Practice areas
Employment & Labor
Lawsuits & Disputes
Media, Technology and Telecoms
Business
Immigration
Intellectual Property

Languages spoken
English

Social media

review star review star review star review star review star

Practice areas

Employment & Labor

Our attorneys have been defending and counseling employers since our firm’s founding more than 185 years ago. We continue our proud tradition by representing today’s businesses on a full range of current labor and employment issues. Our attorneys are well versed in the labor and employment issues faced by employers today and have real-world, hands-on experience helping to solve them. We have been in the courtroom, at the negotiating table, in the picket line, and anywhere else our clients have needed us. We understand that every issue our clients face, no matter how small, is important and deserves our best effort. We are committed to providing our clients with prompt, practical and effective advice and representation whenever and wherever they need help.

Our attorneys are experienced in all aspects of labor relations law, employment law and litigation, state and federal wage and hour law and litigation, OSHA, workplace torts, workplace fraud/unfair competition, non-compete agreements, contract claims, wrongful discharge, risk management, and alternative dispute resolution.

We regularly handle matters before state and federal agencies that regulate the labor and employment area, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the New York State Division of Human Rights (“NYSDHR”), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), and the U.S. and New York Departments of Labor.

We help employers with these and other workplace matters:

Advice and counseling

  • Background checks
  • Employee discipline
  • Employee leaves
  • Employee manuals and policies
  • Employee privacy
  • Independent contractors and contingent workers
  • Reductions-in-Force/WARN Act
  • Severance agreements
  • Social media
  • Substance abuse and drug testing
  • Wage and hour issues
  • Workplace issues
Employment Rights
Hiring & Firing
Labor Law
Job Discrimination
Wage & Hour
Whistleblower & Qui Tam
Wrongful Termination
Sexual Harassment

Lawsuits & Disputes

What our clients value about Phillips Lytle’s Litigation Group is our efficiency, creativity, aggressiveness and results. Our national practice covers all manner of business, commercial, personal injury and property-related disputes before all levels of state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies and alternative dispute resolution forums.

Our clients include financial services companies ranging in size from local savings and loans to some of the largest banks in the world; a FORTUNE 100 life sciences company that has designated us as one of an elite network of law firms; local, national and multinational retailers and manufacturers of a wide array of products; public utilities; and many other businesses and individuals that have benefited from the culture of excellence, value and innovation in dispute resolution that we have fostered over our 185-plus year history.

Phillips Lytle’s depth and case evaluation skills allow us to be innovative in our billing arrangements. We have been a leader in the use of alternative billing, and we may use mediation, arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution services as a more cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to traditional litigation.

Within the framework of our sophisticated Early Case Assessment (ECA) and budgeting systems, we communicate with our clients in a collaborative cost-benefit analysis, to assist them in resolving disputes in the most practical and efficient means possible. Rather than responding to litigation in a reflexive manner, an ECA systematically identifies a case-specific strategic plan at the outset of a dispute in a fashion that clients routinely apply to other significant challenges confronting their business.

Ultimately, ECA focuses on resolving the business problem by realistically defining what constitutes a favorable resolution of the case.

Whether maximizing recovery or minimizing risk, we contribute to our clients’ profitability by managing the financial and managerial burdens during litigation through consultation, constant communication and excellent results. Our attorneys work hard to achieve these favorable results during prelitigation and pretrial phases. And in matters that reach the courtroom, our attorneys excel before judges and juries.

Phillips Lytle utilizes state-of-the-art electronic litigation support programs, which include the capacity to store and organize data in digital and hard-copy formats; an extensive database of leading experts and their prior testimony as well as written opinions and publications; a database of state and federal case law on challenges to the validity of scientific expert testimony across the nation; and expertise in countless hearings, trials, and appellate arguments.

Our clients are some of the most sophisticated users of legal services throughout the country. They have complimented our ability to appropriately staff litigated matters for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. Our clients contrast our methods with the tendency of other firms to overstaff or under-service cases. We have litigation attorneys in eight offices at a wide range of billing rates. Our attorneys are assisted by paralegals and staff to achieve the right level of support on any case.

Our clients also appreciate the state-of-the-art virtual courtroom in our Buffalo office. This training room, which is equipped with video and computer equipment, is used for trial preparation and training our attorneys in courtroom techniques. It gives our attorneys and clients the confidence and mastery of information and techniques needed to gain a winning edge.

Litigation
Class Action

Media, Technology and Telecoms

For over 20 years, Phillips Lytle has been handling complex data issues for our clients, long before “data security and privacy” was trending in the news or became a formal legal discipline. We counsel our U.S.-based clients on compliance with various statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements; insurance evaluation; best practices regarding data preservation, protection and destruction; cross-border data transfers; disaster recovery; emergency response planning; business continuity planning; digital forensic examinations; third-party/vendor risk management; data incident management; and government investigations, litigation or dispute resolutions.

Phillips Lytle’s Data Security & Privacy Team uses a multidisciplinary approach to develop comprehensive solutions that are tailored to each client’s particular needs and resources. Our seasoned cybersecurity attorneys have extensive transactional and litigation experience related to data security and privacy, including former data security and technology in-house counsel from a Fortune 500 financial institution. Our attorneys are supported by a technical team with over 20 years of experience regarding secure data management. Therefore, we are well-positioned to counsel clients regarding the evolving complexity of cybersecurity, data privacy laws and regulations amidst emerging technologies and critical business considerations.

Phillips Lytle’s Data Security & Privacy Team advises many sophisticated clients on data security and privacy issues in various industries, including health care, education, banking, manufacturing, construction, e-commerce, government contracting, and energy. Our team also represents cybersecurity service providers and cyber solution developers.

Phillips Lytle attorneys have been awarded the following ANSI-accredited credentials by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E); Certified Information Privacy Professional for the U.S. Private Sector (CIPP/US); and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM). CIPP/E and CIPP/US are preeminent certifications for advanced concentration in European data protection laws and U.S. private-sector laws, standards and practices, respectively. CIPM certification demonstrates an understanding of privacy program governance and the skills necessary to establish, maintain and manage a privacy program across all stages of its operational life cycle.

Cyber Law, Data Privacy and Data Protection

Business

Phillips Lytle’s Corporate Law Practice is comprised of highly experienced attorneys, several of whom are listed among The Best Lawyers in America®. This group is structured around the main issues faced by our corporate and business clients.

Our Corporate attorneys advise clients on the structure and formation of new business entities, tax regulations for a variety of transactions, and mergers and acquisitions. In addition, we guide our clients in meeting all types of operational challenges throughout the United States and abroad.

Our Corporate Law Practice encompasses:

  • Selection, structure, and formation of startup business entities
  • Business entity capitalization and financing
  • Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations
  • Venture capital transactions
  • Public and private securities offerings
  • Securities regulation
  • Joint ventures and strategic alliances
  • Not-for-profit and tax-exempt entities
  • Licensing and distribution
  • Antitrust and trade regulation
  • Corporate governance
  • Corporate compliance programs
  • Executive employment and compensation

CLOSELY HELD BUSINESSES

As many of Phillips Lytle’s clients are closely held, family-owned and entrepreneurial businesses, we have developed a legal practice that specifically addresses the needs of these entities. We understand our small business clients’ desire for pragmatic and efficient legal counsel, and we help them deal with the myriad issues that arise in the normal course of business, including:

  • Entity selection, formation, and financing
  • Ownership and management structure
  • Accessing private capital
  • Accessing public economic development programs
  • Protecting proprietary rights
  • Managing growth through strategic partnering
  • Business succession planning

We have also been intensively involved in dealing with shareholder disputes, managing conflicts among family members, integrating and compensating key employees who are not family members, and working out equitable arrangements for family members who are not involved in the family business.

Venture Capital
Tax
Securities
New Business Formation
Merger & Acquisition
Licensing
Legal Document
Investment
Health Care
International
Government Contract
Franchising
Employer
Environment
Due Diligence
Contract
Business Registration

Immigration

At Phillips Lytle, we understand the need for immigration solutions as they relate to corporations, entrepreneurs, professionals, investors, business owners, non-profit organizations and individuals. Whether you’re a U.S. business looking to hire a foreign national, an individual seeking U.S. residency through investment, or a U.S. citizen wishing to sponsor a relative – the immigration attorneys at Phillips Lytle can help you navigate the complex system and identify a visa category to fit your needs.

Our depth of knowledge gained through this broad base of clients allows us to address the intricacies and variations of each immigration case, and execute strategies to meet both business and personal goals through the following:

U.S. nonimmigrant visas that allow individuals to temporarily work, study or visit the U.S., including, but not limited to:

Visa CategoryDescription
BBusiness or tourist travel
F-1Academic student
H-1BSpecialty occupation temporary employment
L-1Intracompany transferee
E-1 / E-2Treaty trader / treaty investor
J-1Exchange visitor
PPerforming athlete, artist or entertainer
O-1Foreign national with extraordinary ability in sciences,
arts, education, business or athletics
TNNAFTA temporary professionals from Mexico and Canada

U.S. immigrant visas for lawful permanent residency in the U.S. through:

  • Employment
  • Family
  • EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program

Immigration compliance by employers for:

  • Form I-9
  • E-Verify
  • H-1B public inspection files
  • Portability of employee H-1B visa petitions, labor certifications and immigrant visa petitions
  • New and changing immigration laws and policies

Corporate transactions for providing assistance and guidance on immigration issues related to:

  • Corporate acquisitions, mergers, asset transfers and other transactions
  • Purchase of real estate and other estate planning for non-U.S. citizens or residents
  • Tax implications for foreign companies and individuals
Business Visa
Work Permit

Intellectual Property

Phillips Lytle’s Intellectual Property (IP) attorneys offer a full range of services to secure, defend and enforce our clients’ IP rights, including litigation, prosecution, licensing and technology transfers, and general counseling on intellectual property law. Our patent attorneys were engineers before they became lawyers, so they understand the intrinsic technical issues beneath the legal issues.

Our Intellectual Property Law Team has represented numerous U.S. and Canadian businesses in matters including patent and trademark prosecution, infringement and validity studies, and complex infringement litigation. These matters cover a broad range of technological disciplines, including those related to mechanical, electrical, computing and software fields, as well as those involving business methods and medical devices.

Our team has helped clients successfully resolve a variety of issues as they relate to intellectual property law, including:

  • Brand protection and trademark registration
  • Copyright litigation
  • E-commerce and cyber piracy
  • Intellectual property insurance coverage
  • Licensing and technology transfers
  • Patent analysis and opinions
  • Patent litigation
  • Patent preparation and prosecution
  • Patent reissue and reexamination proceedings
  • Trademark and trade dress litigation
  • Trademark oppositions/cancellations
Patent
Trademark
Copyright

Similar lawyers in Albany

Delain Law Office, PLLC

Delain Law Office, PLLC

Albany, United States

Founded in 2004
1 people in their team
Delain Law Office, PLLC promotes your business interests by leveraging your intellectual property and business collateral through a long-term working...
English
Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

Albany, United States

Founded in 1967
2,300 people in their team
Five decades ago, while at lunch in a South Florida deli, attorneys Larry J. Hoffman, Mel Greenberg, and Robert Traurig saw an opportunity to...
English
Lippes Mathias LLP

Lippes Mathias LLP

Albany, United States

Founded in 1965
177 people in their team
Lippes Mathias LLP is a full-service law firm with more than 135 attorneys serving clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. With offices...
English
Message