Alexander J. Passantino named as acting administrator of the Wage and Hour Division

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that Alexander J. Passantino will serve as the acting administrator of the department's Wage and Hour Division. Passantino was named deputy administrator for the division in October 2006. He first joined the U.S. Department of Labor in November 2005 as a senior policy advisor to the assistant secretary for the Employment Standards Administration.

"As deputy administrator, Alex has made a number of significant contributions toward ensuring that the labor standards laws of this country are fully enforced and that working men and women receive the protections they are entitled to under the law," said Victoria A. Lipnic, assistant secretary of labor for employment standards. "I am pleased that he has agreed to assume the acting position of administrator so that he may continue his excellent work with the department."

The Wage and Hour Division is responsible for administering programs relating to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, migrant and seasonal agricultural workers, immigration statutes, various government contracting laws, and other laws establishing labor standards.

Before joining the Department of Labor, Passantino was an associate at Hunton and Williams LLP. Earlier in his career, he was an associate at King and Ballow. His legal experience concentrated on labor and employment, including employment discrimination, employment contract disputes, and wage and hour matters.

Passantino received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Emory University and his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the University of Georgia School of Law. He is a graduate of Regis High School in New York City and lives in Virginia with his wife, Kristin, and their daughter.

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