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Eric TaussigAttorney and Legal Consultant |
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Eric TaussigAttorney and Legal Consultant |
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I specialize in legal consulting projects in the employment, labor, benefit plan, ERISA, ADR, privacy, safety, environment and general corporate compliance areas. My 30 plus years of corporate legal experience, more than 25 with Philip Morris (Altria), have given me intimate insights into the functioning of corporate compliance programs and the need to tailor employment policies for the best interests of employees consistent with the needs of the corporate employer. Global Compliance I pay particular attention to global compliance projects for multi-national companies who have to comply with various national laws to provide global corporate policies on pension benefit plans, compensation and stock option programs, privacy and discrimination issues, dispute resolution programs, etc. The need for these multi-national programs has been the plethora of governmental regulations and laws emanating from various countries and blocs. As an example, I have spent extensive time analyzing various directives issued by the European Union such as those relating to pension plans, privacy, equal employment and harassment to develop policies that can be transparently used in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. Alternate Dispute Resolution As a result of US Supreme Court decisions, employers now can utilize programs and policies to have statutory employment disputes decided by private binding arbitration. I developed one of the first mandatory arbitration/ADR programs in 1995 for Philip Morris, which has been used as a model by other employers to successfully reduce employment dispute litigation for employers. I can assist clients in developing and implementing compliant ADR programs that meet legal requirement in most jurisdictions to minimize or eliminate the risks attendant to jury trials. In implementing such programs, I can assist in developing policies that will be positively welcomed by employees as a benefit. In addition, I can provide general legal and consulting advice for labor negotiations, prophylactic employment practices in benefit plan design (ERISA compliance), safety, environment, equal employment and other related legal areas. I can also offer litigation analysis and assistance as well as independent investigatory fact-finding services for Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) compliance audits. Background and Experience I have spent the last 25 years in various legal positions at Philip Morris International Inc., Philip Morris Management Corp., Philip Morris Inc (Altria Group, Inc), the last 8 as Vice President and Associate General Counsel. Prior to Philip Morris, I was Senior Counsel at CBS, Inc. and before that an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York in their Honors Program. I received my law degree from the New York University School of Law as well as a Master of Arts in International Relations from New York University. I am a member of the bar in New York, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia as well as various federal courts including the US Supreme Court. I have lectured and written extensively for various legal publications and groups and have served on various bar associations and committees. I am certified as an arbitrator by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and have been a member (or have chaired) both Alternative Dispute Resolution and Privacy committees at the AAA and Center for Public Resources (CPR).
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