Mark Batten

Mark Batten is a Partner in Proskauer's Labor & Employment Law Department and co-head of the Class/Collective Action Group. Mark represents employers nationwide at all stages of complex employment litigation, including class and collective actions. He assists clients with all aspects of employment policies and practices, including hiring, termination, leaves, accommodation of disabilities, and other matters. Mark also handles diverse civil litigation, including litigation of noncompetition agreements, ERISA matters, discrimination and wrongful termination litigation in federal and state courts; proceedings before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination; and labor arbitrations. He is also an experienced appellate attorney both in employment cases and other civil litigation, handling appeals at all levels. Mark has substantial experience with arbitration matters. He regularly represents employers, including The Boston Globe, New England’s largest newspaper, in arbitrations of union grievances. He also has experience on behalf of securities firms in arbitrations before the NASD and NYSE of customer and employee complaints. Before joining Proskauer, Mark was a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, where he was lead counsel in major litigation for over two dozen federal agencies, ranging from the U.S. Air Force, the CIA, and the U.S. Secret Service to the National Endowment for the Arts. Mark regularly writes and lectures on employment-related matters. In his spare time, Mark is an experienced computer programmer, conversant in C, C++, and other languages. He has ported software between computer operating systems and has published several commercial computer games. Specialties: Class actions, employment litigation, collective bargaining, noncompetition agreements, arbitration, all aspects of labor and employment law for both organized and non-union employers; commercial litigation