John F. Ring, a former Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), advises clients on a wide range of labor and employment issues, focusing on labor-management relations matters. He provides clients with strategic business planning, particularly regarding union-related issues and corporate restructurings. He also represents management interests in labor-management relations, defends labor- and employee benefits-related litigation, and counsels on litigation avoidance strategies. John has an extensive background negotiating and administering collective bargaining agreements, most notably in the context of workforce restructuring and multiemployer bargaining. His experience with congressional oversight while leading a federal agency provides unique perspectives for client matters involving Capitol Hill and other government entities.
After almost 30 years practicing labor and employment law at Morgan Lewis, John was nominated to serve on the National Labor Relations Board in 2018. He served as Chairman until January 2021 and then as a Board Member until December 2022. While Chairman, John is credited with restoring balance to the enforcement of the nation’s labor laws, including on important issues to employers such as the “joint employer” doctrine, the independent contractor standard and union elections procedures. He commenced an unprecedented rule-making initiative to provide greater clarity and predictability in NLRB enforcement and oversaw a historic review of the agency’s ethics program. He also led efforts to streamline the NLRB’s case-handling procedures, reducing backlog to a historic low.
Upon his return to Morgan Lewis, John offers clients the combination of his unique perspective of serving on the NLRB as well as decades of experience as a labor and employment counselor and litigator. He advises clients on labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining and workforce restructuring.
Prior to his time on the NLRB, John served as co-chair of the firm’s labor-management relations practice. He advised clients on a full range of labor and employment issues with a focus on collective bargaining and labor-relations matters in heavily unionized industries. He counseled clients on large-scale workforce restructuring and consolidations and reduction-in-force issues. John also served as employer co-counsel to numerous multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) benefit funds in the trucking and maritime industries, among others.
Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
Recognized, Most Influential People Shaping Policy, Washingtonian (2024)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2017)
Recommended, Labor and employment: Labor-Management relations, The Legal 500 US (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017)
Member, Litigation Department of the Year: Labor and Employment, The National Law Journal (2014)