FedEx Corp. (FDX) isn't lowering its legal guard despite two recent court victories regarding the employment status of its delivery drivers, a company executive said Wednesday.

"I don't expect plaintiff attorneys to fold up their tents and go away," said Rodger Marticke, chief operating officer of FedEx Ground, speaking during a Robert W. Baird & Co. conference.

Still, he is optimistic the two cases will carry "significant precedent value" and help FedEx Ground defend itself from a swath of lawsuits challenging its use of independent contractors as drivers.

Last month, a federal appeals court sided with FedEx Ground that its drivers were properly classified as independent contractors, a blow to efforts by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to organize them.

A Teamsters representative couldn't immediately be reached for comment Wednesday, although the union previously has vowed to continue pushing its legal case.

Earlier in April, a Seattle jury ruled in a separate case that 320 drivers weren't illegally denied overtime pay because they were properly classified as independent contractors.

Marticke, whose comments were broadcast over the Internet, said Wednesday he hopes the two cases - one in a state court and one in federal court - will eventually help settle the legal wrangling in FedEx's favor once a for all.

But he indicated the fight is likely to continue for the time being, saying "there are people out there who would like to unravel this model" for a variety of reasons.

In addition, FedEx Ground doesn't have an unblemished record in defending its independent-contractor model. Late last year, FedEx agreed to pay $26.8 million to settle a California lawsuit after a state court ruled that 203 current and former drivers were employees and not contractors.

FedEx shares recently fell $2.17, or 3.9%, to $52.89.

-By Bob Sechler, Dow Jones Newswires; 512-394-0285; bob.sechler@dowjones.com