U.S. Chamber of Commerce To Honor Lotito's Legacy

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C., will host a celebration of Michael J. Lotito's life and legacy during an invitation-only service from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 28.

Lotito passed away in December. A shareholder at Littler, he was an integral part of the firm for more than a decade, serving on its board of directors and founding its Workplace Policy Institute.

“Michael's vision, dedication, and leadership have left an indelible mark on us all,” said Erin Webber, Littler's managing director and president. “He was not only a brilliant legal mind and strategist, but also a mentor, friend, and inspiration to many. His contributions to our firm and the legal community at large are immeasurable, and he will be deeply missed. Words fail to adequately express the overwhelming loss we all feel, and we extend our most heartfelt condolences to Michael's family and loved ones.”

He provided strategic advice to C-suite executives and policymakers on the complex intersection of public policy, communications, and the law at the international, national, and local levels. As part of his efforts to educate franchisors and franchisees, he was a past Multi-Unit Franchising Conference speaker and a franchising.com contributor.

He was at the forefront of challenging numerous rules and regulations impacting employers, such as the expansion of the joint-employer doctrine, changes to the definition of an independent contractor, new overtime pay requirements, the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, and the Persuader Rule.

Lotito advocated for employers on nominations to government agencies, state-level developments impacting freedom of speech for corporations, and the rapid expansion of sectoral bargaining boards. He served as labor and policy counsel to the International Franchise Association, as a member of the Labor Relations Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the California Business Roundtable's board of directors.

He spoke around the world on workplace topics and wrote extensively on emerging issues in the workplace. He also testified before committees in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives as well as before the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Through the Emma Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that he co-founded in 2018 to address the technology-induced displacement of employment, he focused on preparing American businesses and workers for the future of work.

He was widely recognized for his work and regularly quoted and published in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, Chief Executive Magazine, Law360, Fox Business, National Law Journal, CNBC, The Hill, and Politico. He was inducted into Human Resource Executive magazine's Most Powerful Employment Attorneys Hall of Fame, and Villanova University Graduate School of Human Resources named him HR Alumnus of the 20th Century.