Bellew, Heather M.

Mr. Belilos joined OFW Law as Of Counsel in January 2007 with more than eighteen years of regulatory and litigation experience representing corporations and associations in employment, worker safety, product liability, product safety and product labeling law.

Mr. Belilos counsels companies and trade associations on product liability and regulatory compliance issues under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA), the Flammable Fabrics Act (FFA), the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA), the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetics Act (FDC&A), and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticde Act (FIFRA), including product evaluation and risk assessment, product labeling, material safety data sheet (MSDS) review and product recalls. Mr. Belilos also has extensive experience counseling product standards and professional certification organizations on product safety and certification issues. Mr. Belilos has:

• Guided the formation of a product standards setting and certification organization that saved an industry from potential extinction by federal regulation (product compliance improved from below 60% before the certification program to over 95%).
• Successfully defended professional certification organization in lawsuit claiming antitrust violations and damage to business and reputation from denial of professional certification.
• Taught product labeling and risk assessment seminars to clients' scientific and product development staff, improving compliance and reducing the risk of enforcement.
• Negotiated dozens of voluntary product recalls with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and prepared required Reports of potential product hazards.
• Negotiated settlements with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding antimicrobial claims on product labels and advertising under FIFRA's Treated Articles Exemption.

In his employment practice, Mr. Belilos represents companies, non-profits and trade associations in all facets of labor and employment law, including consultation and litigation in State and Federal courts and arbitration on issues of hiring and firing; sex, race, age, national origin, disability and sexual orientation discrimination; sexual harassment; wrongful discharge; breach of contract; policy manuals/handbooks; covenants not to compete; wage and hour violations; employee diversity and affirmative action, including submissions and responses to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs requests for information and audits; occupational safety and health; employee privacy; workplace violence; drug-free workplace; Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act and return to work issues; the Workers Adjustment and Retraining and Notification Act; and the Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Mr. Belilos has:

• Successfully argued for summary judgment and negotiated favorable settlements on behalf of clients in employment discrimination and wrongful termination cases, saving clients substantial costs that would have resulted from protracted litigation
• Assisted clients with new employee orientation and anti-discrimination training to reduce the risks of future litigation
• Investigated and resolved dozens of complaints of sex harassment and other forms of claimed discrimination
• Provided counsel to corporate clients on acquisition-related employment issues

Mr. Belilos was born in Far Rockaway, New York. He received his Bachelor of Science in 1983 from the Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations and his Juris Doctor, with honors, in 1988 from the National Law Center at George Washington University. Mr. Belilos is a member of the Maryland and District of Columbia bars.

Areas of Practice:

Product Liability Law
Product Safety Law
Product Labeling Law
Employment Law
Environmental Law

Bar Admissions:

Maryland, 1988
District of Columbia, 1989

Education:

George Washington University National Law Center, Washington, District of Columbia, 1988
Juris Doctor
Honors: With Honors

School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University, 1983
Bachelor of Science