John F. Ring Sworn in as NLRB Chairman

Washington, DC — John F. Ring was sworn in today as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a term ending on December 16, 2022. He succeeds Philip A. Miscimarra, who served on the Board from August 7, 2013 to December 16, 2017 (serving as Chairman from April 24, 2017 to December 16, 2017). Mr. Ring was confirmed by the Senate on April 11, 2018.

Mr. Ring’s predecessor as Chairman, Board Member Marvin E. Kaplan, stated: “It has been my honor to serve as Chairman these past months and it is my pleasure to welcome John Ring to the National Labor Relations Board. His wealth of experience in labor and employment law will undoubtedly serve our Agency and the American people well. My colleagues and I greatly look forward to continuing the important work of the Board under Chairman Ring’s leadership.”

“I thank the President for the opportunity to serve as Chairman of the NLRB,” Ring said. “I am honored to serve alongside the dedicated professionals at the Agency. My career as a labor lawyer has given me a great appreciation for the work of the NLRB and its important mission. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that the NLRA is interpreted and enforced as it is written and consistent with its amendments.”

Ring also recognized former Chairman Marvin E. Kaplan for his service on the Board. Kaplan will continue as a Board Member for a term expiring on August 27, 2020, and has served as a Board Member since August 10, 2017, including as Chairman since December 21, 2017. The Board also currently includes Board Members Mark Gaston Pearce, whose term expires on August 27, 2018; Lauren McFerran, whose term expires on December 16, 2019; and William J. Emanuel, whose term expires on August 27, 2021.

Prior to his appointment to the NLRB, Mr. Ring served as a partner with the law firm Morgan Lewis. He has represented client interests in all facets of labor law, including collective bargaining, multi-employer benefit plans, and counseling on labor-management relations issues. He has an extensive background negotiating and administering collective-bargaining agreements, most notably in the context of workforce restructuring and multi-employer bargaining.

Mr. Ring received his J.D. and B.A. from Catholic University of America.

Chairman Ring has selected Peter J. Carlton to be his Chief Counsel. Mr. Carlton came to the Board from the Washington, D.C., office of Jones Day in 2001. Most recently, he served as Chief Counsel to Chairman Philip A. Miscimarra, and prior to that he was Chief Counsel to Members Terry Flynn and Peter Kirsanow, and Senior Counsel to Member Brian Hayes. Mr. Carlton also has been on the staffs of several other Board Members. A native of Dearborn, Michigan, Mr. Carlton graduated from the University of Michigan in 1975 with a B.A. degree in English literature. He earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia in 1986, and for several years was an assistant professor at St. John’s University in Minnesota. Mr. Carlton received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1996, and served as judicial clerk to the late Hon. George G. Fagg of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Established in 1935, the National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency that protects employers and employees from unfair labor practices, and protects the right of private sector employees to join together, with or without a union, to improve wages, benefits and working conditions. The NLRB conducts hundreds of workplace elections and investigates thousands of unfair labor practice charges each year.