Union battle toughens up – is Lerman the right man for the job?
Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks has announced the appointment of Bradley Lerman as its new top lawyer. Lerman is touted as a seasoned litigator with a strong track record of advising companies on critical legal and regulatory issues. With experience representing McDonald’s Corp. in a lawsuit related to obesity and counselling Philip Morris USA Inc. in a case involving tobacco in cigarettes, he is no stranger to high-profile litigation.
Prior to joining Starbucks, Lerman was general counsel at Medtronic PLC before hitting the company’s mandatory retirement age of 65.
Lerman’s appointment comes amid a growing labor organizing union push at some Starbucks stores in the US, as well as scrutiny from politicians and regulators.
Starbucks, the world's top multinational coffeehouse chain, currently has a valuation of $110 billion and nearly 34,000 stores operating in 83 markets. The coffee giant has set ambitious goals for expansion, planning to increase its number of stores by 66% in 100 international markets by 2030. However, the company is currently facing a significant push from its employees for unionization. Recent news of a specific employee termination is also gaining attention.
The National Labor Relations Board recently accused the company of illegally threatening union organizers at a store in Minnesota. Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said in a statement that Lerman's expertise in both the public and...
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