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He has appeared before the National Labor Relations Board, the RI Supreme Court, the 1st Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, the US District Courts for the Districts of RI and MA, Rhode Island state courts and federal and state administrative agencies such as departments of labor, fair employment practice agencies, workplace standards divisions and divisions of unemployment compensation.

 

Mr. Hunter is well known for his labor and employment law expertise in higher education, health care, manufacturing, banking, trucking, warehousing, retail, food service, municipalities and executive contract matters.

 

Mr. Hunter is a frequent speaker in high profile settings on labor law matters.  For example, he has testified in Washington before joint subcommittees of Congress as an expert on NLRB issues. He co-presented a national webinar sponsored by the National Association of College and University attorneys on NLRB representation case matters.  He was an invited speaker before the annual meeting of The Labor Elections and Employment division of the American Arbitration Association to share perspectives regarding the current and future state of labor.  He was invited to speak before labor and management attorneys attending a meeting of the  labor and employment law division of the Connecticut Bar association regarding labor law developments, at the Annual Meeting of the RI Bar Association regarding Arbitration and Mediation, at AAA Webinars on past practices and just cause terminations and at the Fall Conference of URI/NAA on cross examinations.  He has played key roles in some of the most important labor cases in the country, including serving as the principle author of a key amicus brief submitted in the Northwestern University scholarship athletes NLRB case.

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Mr. Hunter has a national reputation for expertise, fairness and objectivity, and is highly respected by employers, unions, opposing counsel, judges, NLRB investigators. arbitrators and mediators.

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At Brown, he orchestrated comprehensive improvements in human resources programs and administration and was a creative force behind enhancements to reward and recognition programs for staff. He spearheaded and oversaw the sensitive process of arming campus police officers, chaired the public safety oversight committee and introduced numerous innovative emergency preparedness enhancements in the aftermath of the September 11th and Virginia Tech tragedies.  He drafted and oversaw Brown’s anti-sweatshop initiatives designed to address working conditions for employees manufacturing Brown licensed apparel overseas. 

 

Representative industries include:

 

• Hospitals

• Manufacturers

• Banks

• Colleges and universities

• Steel companies

• Nursing homes

• Supermarket companies

• Visiting nurses associations

• Warehouse distribution operations

• Municipalities

• IT Companies

• Law firms

 

Executive Experience:

 

In addition to his 28 years of private law practice, Mr. Hunter has extensive experience as an executive, having served as Brown University’s vice president of administration for eight years. Over the course of his tenure, he supervised the university's operations in:

 

• Human resources

• Labor relations

• Facilities management

• Real estate

• Risk management

• Public safety

• Retail bookstore

• Transportation management

• Environmental health and safety

• Insurance

• Training

• Benefits

• Equal employment opportunity

• Affirmative action

 

Recognition:

• Named, America's Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers USA, 2014-2018

• Former Member, Board of Directors, Center for Mediation and Conciliation, RI

• Executive Board Member, RI Labor and Employment Relations Association

• Hardy Cross Dillard Fellow, UVA Law School.

• Former Vice Chair, Board of Overseers, Moses Brown School

• Former President, University Club of Providence

• Former Member, Government Affairs Committee – Providence Chamber

• Speaker, Plenary Session of NACUA Annual Labor CLE Conference

• Former Member, Committee for Annual Meeting – NACUA

• Quoted by numerous national publications, including Bloomberg’s BNA Health Reporter,  Inside Higher Ed, Law 360.com, The Examiner and the Chronicle of Higher Education 

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Education:

B.S., United States Military Academy at West Point, 1973

J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, 1982

 

Courts:

U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit

U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island

U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts

Rhode Island State Courts

 

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Employment History:

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US Army. 1973-1979, Captain.

 

Edwards and Angell, Providence, RI, 1982-2000.  Partner.  Served various times as Chair of the Litigation Division, Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Group, Hiring Partner, Member of Firm Council.

 

Brown University, Providence, RI, 2000-2008, Vice-President of Administration

 

Littler Mendelson, PC, Providence, RI, 2008-2019, Shareholder, Chair of the Higher Education Practice Group

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Walter C. Hunter, LLC, Providence, RI, 2019-present, Arbitrator | Mediator