New Award Adds to O’Gara’s Growing List of Recognitions for Excellence in his Employment Practice

Providence, RI – October 11, 2012 – Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC (PLDW) Principal William E. O’Gara, who leads the firm’s Litigation and Employment Teams, adds to the growing list of recognitions he has received for the quality of work he delivers in his practice with a Martindale-Hubbell ‘Client Distinction Award’. This award is the third recognition Attorney O’Gara has recently received. In September, he was distinguished among his peers as the 2013 “Lawyer of the Year” for his practice of Labor Law – Management in Providence, RI, and earlier in the year, Attorney O’Gara was named among the Best Lawyers in America® by the Best Lawyers’ 2013 peer-review publication, which is the oldest and most respected in the legal profession.
According to Martindale-Hubbell, “less than 4 percent of the 900,000+ attorneys listed on martindale.com and lawyers.com have been accorded this Martindale-Hubbell honor of distinction.” The award recognizes client reviews of lawyers in four areas; communications ability, responsiveness, quality of service and value for money.
Mr. O’Gara is a co-founder of PLDW and has been practicing law for over 20 years. His practice is extensive with a significant depth of experience handling diverse matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies, including the Rhode Island Commission on Human Rights and the Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination. Mr. O’Gara routinely represents employers in matters ranging from sexual harassment to retirement issues. His diverse practice includes defending wrongful termination and discrimination claims, contract negotiations and matters of union representation.
He is a frequent lecturer on human resources management topics, and is a contributor and editor of human resource and personnel policy handbooks and guides for small and large private and public sector entities. He is also the editor of the firm’s monthly Employment ADVISORY.
Attorney O’Gara earned his J.D. from Northeastern University and his Master’s in Industrial Relations from the University of Rhode Island. He is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Federal courts in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Prior to co-founding the firm in 2006, Mr. O’Gara’s experience includes working with the national law firms of Bingham, Dana & Gould and Holland & Knight.
To reach Mr. O’Gara, email wogara@pldw.com or call 401-824-5100. For more information about PLDW, contact David C. Sweet, Director of Administration, at dsweet@pldw.com, or visit www.pldw.com.

About Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC
The attorneys and staff at Pannone Lopes Devereaux & West LLC (PLDW) are committed to developing practical and cost-effective solutions while also being supportive of the community in a meaningful way. With offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Florida, PLDW has developed a business model that combines international expertise with a more cost-effective delivery system that involves cross training of lawyers and a more practical approach to problem solving. The primary areas of practice for the firm include administrative, corporate and municipal law, civil litigation, employment, government relations, real estate and commercial lending and estate planning and special masterships. The partners demand of themselves and those on the PLDW team, an unparalleled sense of urgency and responsiveness which is derived from an authentic appreciation for their clients and the community in which they serve. For more information, visit www.pldw.com.