4 ms·

A quote from the article: '"Wilmerhale’s own site advertises its expertise as "union awareness and avoidance."' Therefore, yes, it is accurate to define them

A quote from the article: '"Wilmerhale’s own site advertises its expertise as "union awareness and avoidance."' Therefore, yes, it is accurate to define them as a "union-busting firm". They fulfill other roles than just that, but they do act as union-busters, and they even describe themselves as such.

sixstringtheory 5y ago
Edit: wound up finding the text, it is there. The link in the article doesn’t take you right to it though.
pirate787 5y ago
There's nothing "notorious" about a maintstream legal practice representing corporations against unions, and "busting" is pejorative. It's opinion click-bait.
- solaceb 5y ago
  With all due respect, this view is conversely weak willed, and complacently takes the side of Acti-Blizzard. The firm directly states they help companies with "union avoidance." Even charitable interpretations here support "busting" the aims of the union. This isn't an issue where "both sides" are equal in moral standing when one is advocating for better working conditions and the other is legally fighting for more profit
  - johnnyanmac 5y ago
    and this view takes the side of someone who hasn't read the article > Activision has called in the experts to put down the claims of sexual harassment and discrimination and stop the protests by workers. Activision has hired WilmerHale. WilmerHale has been hired to “review” Activision’s policies. and if you look further >An email to Bloomberg Law, also revealed that the firm has appointed its anti-discrimination practice chair, Brenda Lee, and special counsel Tania Faransso to work on the probe with the company citing that it has “extensive experience assessing workplace culture and helping organisations strengthen their workplace environments”. if you care enough to find the people who did the union busting at amazong you'll see they are different people. Trying to compare one lawyer to another is like comparing an anesthesiologist to a cardiologist Just because they are both "doctors" doesn't mean they understand or work on the same stuff. I'm not sympathetic of Activision, but I don't appreciate yellow journalism full stop.
- fabianhjr 5y ago
  Union busting is an historic and recognized practice of limiting the freemdom of association of workers and collective action. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Union_busting https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Union_busting
  - johnnyanmac 5y ago
    yes... and there's no proof that this is what they were hired for. The people they hired aren't in that sector. I'm actually starting to doubt how many people here hold jobs in specializations. We should understand already that prgramming isn't equivalent to IT fixing a friend's computer. You're doing the equivalent here with lawyers.
    - fabianhjr 5y ago
      Union busting is mostly discussed from a sociological/historical perspective not a legal one. (The wikipedia article provided mentions that it encompasses both legal and illegal activities as well as subtle and overt practices) Not sure what "I am doing the equivalent of" to lawyers. (Other than legalistic ones; those that adhere to western legalism)
- AlexandrB 5y ago
  "Union awareness and avoidance" does not sound like representing corporations against unions. Rather it sounds like representing corporations against their own workforce to "avoid" their forming of a union. I.e. union busting.
- defterGoose 5y ago
  "I say potato, you say starchy nightshade tuber"
bagacrap 5y ago
But are they notorious for that? Are they notorious at all?
- project2501a 5y ago
  Dunno, is Pinkerton notorious for that? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair Edit: wrong Pinkerton massacre.
  - mrmuagi 5y ago
    I am unable to make the connection between WilmerHale, Pinkerton, and the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre (a la 1929) as there seems to be none. Are you implying WilmerHale has a connection to the type of notoriety of a gang slaying?
    - project2501a 5y ago
      Sorry I linked the wrong massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair While WilmerHale may not have a direct connection to actually cracking heads open, their current methods were picked directly from the Pinkertons in the 1970s.
pdabbadabba 5y ago
Maybe it's accurate. But isn't it irrelevant? Based on my read of the article, WilmerHale was almost certainly brought in to review Activision Blizzard's policies relating to sexual harassment and discrimination with a view towards tightening them up. This is a common thing for a big firm like WilmerHale to be hired to do. If so, the headline and the article's description of WilmerHale's "union busting" is just a gratuitous attempt to bias readers.
- gurleen_s 5y ago
  It’s out of situations like this that unionization happens. Slim chance that they just happened to hire a union-busting law firm by accident.
  - johnnyanmac 5y ago
    It's not a "union busting" law firm tho. They do so much more than that, and it's specified who and what they hired from the firm (it's not the people at amazon). And no, it's no coincidence when the state sues them that they hire the best firm they can find.
johnnyanmac 5y ago
It's as accurate as calling Walmart "an expert on firearms", just because SOME stores sell firearms in certain cities. WilliamHale covers just about every area of law you can think of. Saying they are here to purely union-bust is a huge exaggeration (and outright wrong once you see who they _actually_ hired).

sixstringtheory 5y ago

Edit: wound up finding the text, it is there. The link in the article doesn’t take you right to it though.

pirate787 5y ago

There's nothing "notorious" about a maintstream legal practice representing corporations against unions, and "busting" is pejorative. It's opinion click-bait.

solaceb 5y ago
With all due respect, this view is conversely weak willed, and complacently takes the side of Acti-Blizzard. The firm directly states they help companies with "union avoidance." Even charitable interpretations here support "busting" the aims of the union. This isn't an issue where "both sides" are equal in moral standing when one is advocating for better working conditions and the other is legally fighting for more profit
- johnnyanmac 5y ago
  and this view takes the side of someone who hasn't read the article > Activision has called in the experts to put down the claims of sexual harassment and discrimination and stop the protests by workers. Activision has hired WilmerHale. WilmerHale has been hired to “review” Activision’s policies. and if you look further >An email to Bloomberg Law, also revealed that the firm has appointed its anti-discrimination practice chair, Brenda Lee, and special counsel Tania Faransso to work on the probe with the company citing that it has “extensive experience assessing workplace culture and helping organisations strengthen their workplace environments”. if you care enough to find the people who did the union busting at amazong you'll see they are different people. Trying to compare one lawyer to another is like comparing an anesthesiologist to a cardiologist Just because they are both "doctors" doesn't mean they understand or work on the same stuff. I'm not sympathetic of Activision, but I don't appreciate yellow journalism full stop.
fabianhjr 5y ago
Union busting is an historic and recognized practice of limiting the freemdom of association of workers and collective action. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Union_busting https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Union_busting
- johnnyanmac 5y ago
  yes... and there's no proof that this is what they were hired for. The people they hired aren't in that sector. I'm actually starting to doubt how many people here hold jobs in specializations. We should understand already that prgramming isn't equivalent to IT fixing a friend's computer. You're doing the equivalent here with lawyers.
  - fabianhjr 5y ago
    Union busting is mostly discussed from a sociological/historical perspective not a legal one. (The wikipedia article provided mentions that it encompasses both legal and illegal activities as well as subtle and overt practices) Not sure what "I am doing the equivalent of" to lawyers. (Other than legalistic ones; those that adhere to western legalism)
AlexandrB 5y ago
"Union awareness and avoidance" does not sound like representing corporations against unions. Rather it sounds like representing corporations against their own workforce to "avoid" their forming of a union. I.e. union busting.
defterGoose 5y ago
"I say potato, you say starchy nightshade tuber"

bagacrap 5y ago

But are they notorious for that? Are they notorious at all?

project2501a 5y ago
Dunno, is Pinkerton notorious for that? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair Edit: wrong Pinkerton massacre.
- mrmuagi 5y ago
  I am unable to make the connection between WilmerHale, Pinkerton, and the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre (a la 1929) as there seems to be none. Are you implying WilmerHale has a connection to the type of notoriety of a gang slaying?
  - project2501a 5y ago
    Sorry I linked the wrong massacre https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair While WilmerHale may not have a direct connection to actually cracking heads open, their current methods were picked directly from the Pinkertons in the 1970s.

pdabbadabba 5y ago

Maybe it's accurate. But isn't it irrelevant? Based on my read of the article, WilmerHale was almost certainly brought in to review Activision Blizzard's policies relating to sexual harassment and discrimination with a view towards tightening them up. This is a common thing for a big firm like WilmerHale to be hired to do. If so, the headline and the article's description of WilmerHale's "union busting" is just a gratuitous attempt to bias readers.

gurleen_s 5y ago
It’s out of situations like this that unionization happens. Slim chance that they just happened to hire a union-busting law firm by accident.
- johnnyanmac 5y ago
  It's not a "union busting" law firm tho. They do so much more than that, and it's specified who and what they hired from the firm (it's not the people at amazon). And no, it's no coincidence when the state sues them that they hire the best firm they can find.

johnnyanmac 5y ago

It's as accurate as calling Walmart "an expert on firearms", just because SOME stores sell firearms in certain cities. WilliamHale covers just about every area of law you can think of. Saying they are here to purely union-bust is a huge exaggeration (and outright wrong once you see who they _actually_ hired).