Kris Meade

Background

About Kris Meade

Compliance with employment laws and regulations is always a challenge — particularly when an employer’s workforce is highly skilled, mobile and innovation-focused. With an emphasis on technology, consulting, healthcare, higher education and other information-driven industries, Kris works with boards of directors and senior corporate leadership to achieve their business goals through development of effective strategies focused on critical areas, including pay equity, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in making employment decisions, developing and maintaining diversity, equity and inclusion programs that comply with federal law, and retention of top talent. Kris has decades of experience as a trusted advisor to leading multinational corporations and is a highly regarded labor and employment thought leader. With equal facility, he collaborates with senior executives, regulators, employee representatives, labor economists, and industrial and organizational psychologists to help businesses develop, implement and manage forward-thinking, proactive employment policies and initiatives. Among other issues, Kris conducts assessments of DE & I programs following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Harvard/UNC cases and in light of the Trump Administration's Executive Orders; gender‐, race‐ and age‐based claims of systemic discrimination; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives; human capital reporting requirements; the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics tools in hiring, training, promotion, and other employment processes; privacy standards and frameworks; and legislative advocacy and policy development. Based in Washington, D.C, Kris has developed highly effective relationships with federal and state regulators across the country. Believing that action must be based on information, Kris has authored hundreds of articles, client alerts, and blog posts and speaks frequently before industry and legal groups on labor and employment regulation, compliance, litigation and strategy. Kris serves as a member of the Firm's Management Board, as co-chair of Crowell’s Regulatory and Policy Department and co-chair of the Labor & Employment Group.