Chris Hollinger

Chris Hollinger handles all aspects of labor and employment law, with specialized expertise in the representation of airlines under the federal Railway Labor Act. Chris’ extensive experience in representing airlines under the Railway Labor Act includes: providing legal guidance in response to union organizing campaigns; representing airlines before the National Mediation Board; “at the table” participation in collective-bargaining negotiations and providing legal advice regarding collective-bargaining strategy and contract language; providing legal advice in preparation for traditional strikes as well as slowdown activity; representing airlines in federal court litigation; and handling contractual and disciplinary arbitrations.

Chris also has provided similar advice to clients in the health-care and public transportation sectors. In addition to traditional labor law matters, Chris has substantial experience in the litigation of wage/hour and other employment-law class actions, with a particular expertise in the area of independent contractor classification.

Experience:

• Traditional Labor Law:
  • Representing a major US-based airline (and one of its predecessor airlines) in a large variety of matters, including with respect to:  “at the table” pre-merger negotiations of collective bargaining agreements between the airline and another airline’s pilot and flight attendant unions to facilitate the successful merger of the two carriers; “at the table” negotiation of the post-merger collective bargaining agreement between the airline and its pilot union; the single-carrier process before the National Mediation Board in connection with the merger of the two airlines; multiple federal court lawsuits (at both the trial and appellate levels) involving a long-standing pilot seniority-integration dispute; and large-scale contract-interpretation arbitrations involving pension and medical benefits.
  • Represented another major US-based airline in:  the single-carrier process before the National Mediation Board in connection with its merger with another domestic airline; the drafting of the post-merger collective bargaining agreement between the airline and its pilot union; and the successful defense of the airline in response to a “minor dispute injunction” lawsuit brought by a union to block the airline’s post-merger integration efforts.
  • Represented a domestic airline for 10+ years before its merger with another airline, including the defense in federal court litigation of the airline’s non-payment of profit sharing to union-represented employees and its subcontracting of bargaining unit work prior to a union representation election.
  • Conducted the negotiation (from start to finish) of a cargo airline’s initial collective bargaining agreement with its pilot union.
  • Represented a regional airline company in a federal court lawsuit challenging the legal validity of the airline’s collective bargaining agreement with its pilot union.
  • Represented a large metropolitan transportation agency in “at the table” collective bargaining negotiations, and in various arbitrations involving the subcontracting of bargaining unit work.
  • Represented a hospital in “at the table” collective bargaining negotiations for a “wall-to-wall” bargaining unit.
• Employment Law:
  • Representing a nationwide transportation company in multi-district litigation proceedings consisting of 50+ class actions and other lawsuits challenging the employment classification of package pick-up and delivery drivers under the laws of multiple states.
  • Represented a technology company in challenges under California and federal law to the employment classification of persons who worked for small contact center businesses.
  • Represented a domestic airline in a nationwide class action under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and state statutory and common law, filed by several hundred employees who were displaced from their jobs after the airline subcontracted airport ground handling work to another carrier.

Admissions:

• California
• US District Courts, Central, Northern, Eastern and Southern Districts of California, Eastern District of Texas, District of Arizona
• US Court of Appeals, Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Circuits

Education:

• University of Chicago, J.D., 1989
• Dartmouth College, B.A., 1986: summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa

Clerkships:

• Honorable Charles Levin, Michigan Supreme Court