Corey P. Argust

Overview

When employers need strategic advice to prevent labor relations and employment challenges from developing into larger business obstacles, they turn to attorney Corey Argust. If disputes arise, Corey zealously represents management interests in National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proceedings, collective bargaining negotiations, labor arbitrations, and related litigation.

Clients of all sizes in a variety of industries, including health care, manufacturing, transportation and distribution, government contracting, real estate, leisure and hospitality, and retail, view Corey as an effective problem solver and collaborative strategist. He quickly assesses immediate legal risks within the broader context of an employer’s labor and employment needs. He calmly navigates management through complex legal issues, and ensures labor and employment strategies effectively align with clients’ overall business goals.

For businesses with non-unionized workforces, Corey develops proactive approaches to remaining union-free through the implementation of preventive labor relations strategies, assessment of the risk of organizing at work locations, and representation of management in proceedings before the NLRB.

For businesses with unionized workforces, Corey helps maintain flexibility and expand management rights during collective bargaining negotiations. Employers rely on Corey to represent them in unfair labor practice proceedings, grievance and arbitration hearings, investigations by fair employment practice agencies, and related litigation in state and federal courts.

A trusted advisor, Corey counsels employers on compliance with the requirements of the NLRA, the FMLA, the ADA, the ADEA, the FLSA, the WARN Act, the OSH Act, Title VII, and federal, state, and local prevailing wage laws. He also represents companies in transactional due diligence regarding labor relations matters and drafts, reviews, and revises employee handbooks and employment, severance, non-disclosure, and non-compete agreements. Given the increasing pace of changes to labor and employment requirements, Corey works with clients to identify potential problems and determine efficient responses to maintain compliant workplace practices.

Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Corey represented management in public-sector labor and employment disputes as an assistant attorney general at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. He worked closely with government contractors on labor and employment matters at a boutique law firm in the District of Columbia. He accumulated broad experience on labor relations matters in the Washington, DC, office of a national law firm.

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Focus Areas

Services

Industries

Experience

Acted as counsel for a New York-based hospital system to oppose disputed union election results. Corey served as on-site counsel for nearly 20 hours during a marathon NLRB election. With the results of the election undetermined, Corey represented the client before the NLRB in objecting to the results of the election. Based on the objections, the NLRB set aside the election and ordered a rerun election.
Represented an employer of building service employees during a New York City Comptroller’s investigation of alleged violations of prevailing wage requirements. Corey worked with the client’s legal and human resources team to compile and synthesize complicated wage and benefits data, drafted responses to written inquiries that established compliance with prevailing wage obligations, and served as counsel during the Comptroller’s investigatory examination. The Comptroller issued a finding of no violations for the employer.
Won dismissal of wrongful terminations claims filed by a former employee against a government contractor. Corey filed a motion to dismiss and obtained dismissal with prejudice of the lawsuit before the client was forced to expend substantial resources on discovery or settlement negotiations.
Equipped a national chain of supermarkets with actionable preventive strategies for proactively minimizing the risk of unionization drives. Corey interviewed regional managers from across the country regarding store operations, evaluated the potential exclusion of employee classifications from union bargaining units, and developed legal strategies to counter organizing efforts. Corey also assisted the employer’s legal department in conducting labor relations trainings for supervisors and the client’s stores have remained nonunion.
Represented an apartment building ownership group before the NLRB during successive union organizing drives. Corey guided the client to victory in one election win and served as counsel in litigation over disputed results in another election. Serving as lead negotiator, Corey developed strategies to secure and expand management rights during collective bargaining.
Negotiated the settlement of a disability and retaliation lawsuit filed against a transportation service provider. After filing a motion to dismiss that compelled the plaintiff to engage in mediation, Corey settled the case for less than 10 percent of the damages claim, avoiding additional legal fees and significant litigation risk.
Served as lead counsel for a multinational manufacturing business in arbitration of a union’s claim to include premium pay hours in overtime calculations. Corey’s representation of the employer resulted in a favorable decision under which the arbitrator excluded the bulk of premium pay hours from overtime calculations.

Credentials

Education

Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 2011)
- Articles Editor, American Criminal Law Review
Binghamton University, State University of New York (B.A., cum laude, 2008)