The National Labor Relations Board recently announced that it had consolidated a number of functions together in the newly-created Division of Legal Counsel at its headquarters.  The new Division is headed by Associate General Counsel Margery E. Lieber.  The three Branches of the Division are: 

• The Ethics, Employment and Administrative Law Branch which will provide the NLRB with advice and  counsel regarding ethics, labor relations, employment and personnel law, government contracting, and the Federal Tort Claims Act. 

• The Contempt, Compliance and Special Litigation Branch will provide compliance and contempt advice, and will conduct litigation in connection with external, non-administrative issues such as contempt and compliance proceedings in the federal courts, or outside proceedings that may threaten the NLRB’s jurisdiction or mission. It will also be in charge of protecting the NLRB’s remedial orders in bankruptcy courts and against attachments, garnishments, and liens.

• The Freedom of Information Act Branch will coordinate the processing of all FOIA requests at the regional office level and handle all FOIA requests directed at headquarters, as well as all FOIA appeals.  Eventually, it is anticipated that all FOIA work will be centralized at headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In addition, the Division of Legal Counsel’s Lead Technology Counsel will provide advice and assistance in connection with e-litigation and e-discovery matters.