Igor M. Babichenko Partner

Igor’s nationwide practice focuses on all aspects of labor and employment. He has experience representing employers in disputes before federal and state courts and administrative agencies such as the EEOC, DOL, and NLRB involving wage and hour laws, anti-discrimination laws, trade secrets and restrictive covenants. He also regularly advises employers on labor and employment policies, legal compliance, and employee relations strategies.

Igor returned to McGuireWoods after spending several years as assistant general counsel managing the nationwide labor and employment portfolio of a global food company with more than 35,000 employees. His experience included navigating wage and hour audits, immigration audits, and other government investigations. In that in-house role and through his former litigation and traditional labor experience, Igor offers clients a comprehensive range of legal knowledge and perspectives.

As part of his traditional labor practice, Igor regularly advises employers on highly technical compliance issues and has represented employers in their efforts to remain union free, collective bargaining, potential work stoppages, unfair labor practice charges, and grievance arbitrations.

In addition, Igor has an extensive restrictive covenant practice and regularly represents clients in various industries prosecuting and defending cases involving non-competition agreements, non-solicitation agreements, confidentiality agreements and trade secrets. He has successfully obtained preliminary injunctions and defeated claims for injunctive relief in state and federal court.

Igor also represents clients in wage and hour matters and has significant experience defending FLSA and state class wage actions ranging from single plaintiff cases to class and collective actions with thousands of potential claimants. He has conducted extensive wage and hour audits for clients, assisted clients with navigating DOL investigations, and advised clients regarding compliance with federal and state wage and hour laws.