Jordan W. Cowman focuses his law practice on transnational projects and transactions, international agreements, public international law and policy, and corporate compliance. He has a broad range of international experience representing and advising governments and international agencies on policy issues, as well as multinationals in industries including: logistics, technology, transportation, energy, defense, manufacturing, retail, banking, food, aviation, chemical, hospitality, insurance, manufacturing and private equity.
Areas of Concentration
· Global
· Cross-Border Transactions
· Corporate Compliance
· Labor & Employment
· Privacy and Data Security
· International Regulatory
Significant Representations
· Global Technology and Payment Processor: Representation in day-to-day international corporate compliance matters; prepared and conducted a comprehensive 18-country audit of employment practices and developed solutions to gaps and issues; advised on implications of EU directives and changes affecting employment issues in EU and worldwide operations; advised on EU-wide works councils issues; assisted in setting up a global employee privacy and data security compliance framework with respect to cross-border data flows; advised on multi-jurisdictional employee v. independent contractor issues
· Large Retailer: Representation in day-to-day cross-border legal matters; revamped expatriate administration program; prepared cross-border legal documents involving expatriate movement around the world; designed and built global employment company in Hong Kong to house and administer globally mobile expatriate executives; designed cross-border attorney-client privilege protocol
· Software Company: Handled employment and related pre-and post-merger due diligence issues incident to a multi-jurisdiction business combination in Europe and the Far East
· Re-Insurance Company: Handled a 14-country reduction-in-force and incident social issues in business combination
· eCommerce Company: Representation in day-to-day international compliance matters; advised on and prepared global codes of conduct, EU and other data privacy directives compliance, EU works councils issues and corporate social responsibility plans
· Defense Contractors: Advised clients regarding treaty interpretations in the Middle East and EU-wide works council advice; European Union social law compliance, including EU directives and regulations throughout the various EU member states; business combinations, social insurance, data protection and security, strategies for maintaining attorney-client privilege in cross-border matters
· Energy Services Companies: Advised transnational energy services company on labor, employment and immigration laws of six Middle Eastern
· Sports Teams: Advised clients on labor and employment and compliance matters in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Europe and China
· Online Book and Retail Merchant: Advised client on international employment matters incident to sub-contractors' actions, employee misclassification, and joint employer issues
· Financial Services and Communications Company: Advised client regarding international requirements for employee data privacy and achieving compliance with all the requirements in 45 worldwide locations
· Fruit and Food Company: Advised client on international employment matters incident to termination of executives in Central America
· Packaging Wholesaler: Advised client with respect to collection, use, and disposal of employee personal information and the transfer of personally identifiable information out of EU countries under the EU Data Protection Directive and Safe Harbor framework between the EU and the U.S.; handled employment litigation and administrative matters in Europe, Far East, Europe and the Middle East
· Sovereign Governments: Advised clients on international policy issues, including combating human trafficking, necessary changes in law and regulations; drafted changes to laws, and advised on implementation
· Private Equity Investment Firms: Advised client on employment aspects of acquisition of defense-industry contractor and conducted 40+ country due-diligence
· Mining Company: Advised client on legal and practical solutions to reduce risk of business and legal exposure in Africa; handled expatriate litigation *The above representations were handled by Mr. Cowman prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Professional & Community Involvement
· Member, State Bar of Texas
· Member, American Bar Association
· Pro Bono Counsel, United Cerebral Palsy of Dallas (now Ability Connection Texas), 2003-present
· Pro Bono Counsel, The Confucian Lyceum, 2009-present
· Member, U.S. Council for International Business, International Labor and Employment Law Committee 2001-present
· Appointed Observer, International Labor Organization, "ILO Project for the Development of ILO Guidelines on Training in the Port Sector," Geneva, Switzerland, 2011
· US Employers Delegation Business Advisor, United Nations, International Labor Organization's Annual Labor Conference, Geneva, Switzerland, 2002-2004
· Director, Texas Business Hall of Fame, 2003-present
· Co-Founder, Exchange Program with the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, 2005-present
· Board of Directors, The Dallas Assembly, 2006-present
· Board of Directors, The Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, 2005-present
· Past Chairman, Texas Lyceum Association, 2005
- President, 2004
- Director, 1998-2004
· Former Board Member, Dallas Mayor's Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities, 1996-2006
Awards & Recognition
· Listed as America's Leading Lawyers, Chambers & Partners USA Guide, an annual listing of the leading business lawyers and law firms in the world, 2007 edition
· Selected by Super Lawyers magazine and Texas Super Lawyers magazine, 2003-2006, 2008-2010
· Listed as Prominent Practitioner, Practical Law Company - Which Lawyer? International Labour and Employment Law, PLC's Labour & Employee Benefits Handbook, 2009-present
· Listed, "Best Lawyers Under 40", D Magazine, 2002
· Listed, "Top 40 Lawyers Under 40", Texas Lawyer, 2001
· Rated, AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5
Clerkship
· U.S.D.C., Honorable Joe J. Fisher, Eastern District of Texas
Other Experience
· Adjunct Professor of International Business, The University of Texas at Dallas, Jindal School of Management, 2011-present
Articles, Publications, & Lectures
Publications
· Author, "Negotiating the Privilege Minefield: Some Differences Between Attorney-Client Privilege In the U.S. and Europe," State Bar of Texas Corporate Counsel Section Newsletter, April 2011
· Author, Business Laws of the United Arab Emirates, Chapter 5, Labor and Employment Laws, 2010-2011
· Author, "The Alien Tort Statute - Corporate Social Responsibility Takes on a New Meaning," The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, June 2009
· Author, "International Labor And Employment: Pitfalls And Solutions," The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, May 2009
· Author, Argentina's Labor and Employment Laws, Volume II, International Labor and Employment Laws, (Bureau of National Affairs and American Bar Association), 2000-2003
· Author, Hong Kong's Labor and Employment Laws, Volume II, International Labor and Employment Laws, (Bureau of National Affairs and American Bar Association), 2000-2003
· Author, Australia's Labor and Employment Laws, Volume II, International Labor and Employment Laws, (Bureau of National Affairs and American Bar Association), 2000-2003
Presentations
· Upcoming Speaker, "Cross-Border Privilege", AT&T's International In-House Counsel meeting, Dallas, February 2012
· Speaker, "Connecting the Dots: Positive Labour Relations as a Key Component of Port Competitiveness", The International Maritime Transport and Logistics Conference "A Vision for Future Integration", Egypt, December 2011
· Speaker, "Connecting the Dots: Positive Labour Relations as a Key Component of Port Competitiveness", Terminal Operators Convention Americas, Panama, November 2011
· Speaker, "Trans-National Employment Law Update", Berry Applemen & Leiden Seminar, Dallas, November 2011
· Speaker, "Cross-Border Privilege", to various transnational companies including MoneyGram and Trinity Industries, 2011
· Speaker, "Employment Law Update 2011", Various Chemical Companies Meeting, San Antonio, October 2011
· Speaker, "International Currency Risks", Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, September 2011
· Speaker, "The Attorney-Client Privilege Across Borders", to various transnational companies including AON Insurance in 2011, American Express, Cigna, Tetra Pak, Texas Instruments, American Airlines, Anadarko, AT&T and Fluor in 2010, and AIG and Sabre in 2009.
· Speaker, "Sheena Goes to Shangai", Houston International Human Resources Roundtable presentation, Houston March 2011
· Speaker, "Ending the Madness: A Proposed Solution for the Dispute between the ILWU and the BCMEA", WESTAC Transportation Summit 2011, Vancouver, March 2011
· Speaker, "Cross-Border Privilege", Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN)/University of Texas School of Law Upstream Energy Transactions Conference, Houston, January 2011
· Speaker, "Workforce Practices and Relations for the Modern Terminal Industry", Terminal Operators Convention-Americas, Brazil, November 2010
· Speaker, "Trans-National Employment Law Issues, Watson Wyatt, Houston, December 2009
· Speaker, "Top 5 Leading Edge Legal Issues in Global Mobility", Association of Corporation Counsel Webinar, Legal Quick Hits Series, September 2009
· Speaker, "Employment, Compensation & Benefits Primer, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen & Qatar", Houston International Human Resources Roundtable, Houston, July 2009
· Speaker, "Trans-National Employment Law Issues", Berry Applemen & Leiden Seminar, Dallas, April 2009
· Speaker, "Trans-National Employment Law Issues", DFW International Human Resources Roundtable, Dallas, April 2009
(Also Shareholder at Houston, TX)