Labor Law
Harris Jones & Malone brings more than 25 years of public-sector labor experience to the negotiation table for its clients. Sean Malone is a skilled labor negotiator who has successfully negotiated collective bargaining agreements in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, Harford County, The University System of Maryland, the State of Maryland, Dover, Delaware, and Newark, Delaware.
Malone’s expertise in labor law dates back to his tenure as Labor Commissioner for Baltimore City, during which he negotiated and administered 16 multi-year labor contracts and served as a hearing officer in grievance proceedings. Among his most notable achievements as Commissioner, Malone negotiated a “return to work” policy for all Baltimore City agencies, putting many municipal employees back to work and helping others obtain hard-earned retirement packages.
In this capacity, he also served as a chief negotiator for an agreement between the Baltimore Building Trades and the Baltimore Convention Center Hotel developer, Hensel-Phelps. The agreement secured labor peace, increased union participation, and protected Baltimore’s MBE/WBE goals.
Primarily a management negotiator, Malone has successfully negotiated over 150 agreements, reaching agreements without impasse or arbitration in 98% of his negotiations. He has represented both Republican and Democratic administrations and has served as the chief labor negotiator for Howard County, where he has successfully delivered over 90 contracts for seven of the County’s bargaining units since 2009.
Additionally, Malone is highly sought after for practical solutions to complex management-labor matters and has assisted, advised, and trained both management and labor teams. His understanding of public-sector operations has made him a valuable resource for clients, particularly in public safety, as Malone served as the Chief Legal Counsel for the Baltimore Police Department, where he acted as labor negotiator and union liaison for a department of 3,700 employees and developed strong relationships with police labor representatives. Malone has also represented the State Law Enforcement Officers Alliance in Maryland and Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) units in Delaware.
Malone has received commendation from both labor and employer representatives for his “tough, but fair” approach to negotiations and is recognized as a proven advocate during arbitration proceedings.
Sean Malone has been applauded by labor and employer representatives alike for his “tough, but fair” negotiating and is a proven advocate during arbitration proceedings.