Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, LABOR NEWS—NLRB swears in David Prouty for second term, names William Cowen chief counsel to member James Macy, (Aug 26, 2026)

By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.

The NLRB announced board leadership developments affecting member office operations and counsel staffing.

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced two personnel developments: David M. Prouty was sworn in for a second term as an NLRB member, and board member James R. Macy appointed veteran agency official William B. Cowen as his chief counsel. The announcements highlight changes in both the Board's membership and the staffing of an individual member's office.

Prouty sworn in for second term. Prouty was sworn in on Aug. 25 for his second term as a member of the Board. According to the agency, the second term will commence Aug. 28, 2026.

Prouty, a Maryland resident, was nominated by President Donald J. Trump to serve a second five-year term expiring Aug. 27, 2031, and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Aug. 7, 2026. The agency noted that Prouty was first nominated to the Board by President Joseph R. Biden Jr., confirmed by the Senate on July 28, 2021, and sworn in for his first term on Sept. 22, 2021.

In the announcement, Murphy said he was "delighted" to congratulate Prouty on his reappointment, describing him as "a dedicated public servant and a valued colleague" and stating that the Board looked forward to continuing its work together in furtherance of the goals of the National Labor Relations Act.

Before joining the Board, Prouty served as general counsel of SEIU Local 32BJ, which the NLRB said represents more than 175,000 property service workers. He also previously served as general counsel and chief labor counsel of the Major League Baseball Players Association and as general counsel of UNITE HERE and its predecessor, UNITE. Earlier in his career, he spent 15 years as southern regional counsel for UNITE and the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union.

Prouty received an A.B., magna cum laude, from Bowdoin College and a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and is a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

Cowen selected for chief counsel. In a separate announcement, Macy said he had appointed Cowen as his chief counsel. Macy described Cowen as a veteran NLRB official. Cowen most recently served as acting associate general counsel for the Division of Operations-Management after being appointed to that post by General Counsel Crystal S. Carey on Jan. 14, 2026. Before that, he served as acting general counsel of the NLRB following his appointment by President Donald J. Trump in February 2025.

Cowen began his agency career in 1979 and worked in a variety of headquarters and field positions before entering private practice in 1985. President George W. Bush appointed him to serve as a Board member in 2002, and he held that position from Jan. 22 through Nov. 22 of that year. Cowen later served as executive assistant, or chief of staff, to Chairman Robert J. Battista and, from 2006 to 2016, as the Board's solicitor. In 2016, he was appointed regional director of Region 21 in Los Angeles, where he served until his appointment as acting general counsel in February 2025. Cowen's career included "numerous leadership roles across the Agency" and brought "an exceptional depth of knowledge of the National Labor Relations Act and a wealth of institutional experience." Macy added that he looked forward to benefiting from Cowen's counsel as the Board carries out its responsibilities.

Cowen holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Case Western Reserve University, a Master of Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary, and a J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University.

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