PEOPLE CAPABILITIES NEWS & EVENTS ABOUT CAREERS OFFICES & CONTACT Employment Litigation Recent News: Cozen O’Connor Recognized as a “Best Law Firm” in 29 Practice Areas Nationwide, 121 Practice Areas Regionally U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers recognized Cozen O’Connor as a “Best Law Firm” in 29 practice areas nationwide and 121 practice areas regionally. More Cozen O’Connor’s employment litigation team represents foreign and domestic corporations, small businesses, individuals, nonprofits, trade associations and governments in all types of employment litigation. We defend clients in wage-and-hour, discrimination, sexual harassment, defamation, ERISA, employment benefits, trade secrets, noncompetition, and duty-of-loyalty claims. We appear frequently before federal and state courts, agencies and departments (including the EEOC, DOL, IRS, OSHA, and ICE), and arbitration panels. Because labor and employment matters are governed by interrelated federal, state, and local laws, every case requires a tailored approach. Cozen O’Connor attorneys investigate the specifics of each matter, determine how the legal issues connect to the business issues, and develop a strategy to achieve success as it is defined by the client. Employment litigation often involves sensitive personal matters and typically occurs in the context of an ongoing employment relationship. Achieving good outcomes requires technical, legal, and interpersonal skill. Our attorneys bring all of those capabilities to their work. When an investigation or lawsuit is launched, clients need counsel who can help them determine the best strategic approach—not counsel who automatically push to take every litigation to the bitter end. Cozen O’Connor attorneys are known for providing clients with clear and candid advice about all of their options and for resolving matters quickly and amicably. In the event that a situation does become irretrievably adversarial, our team of litigators is fully prepared to go to the mat. We have a track record of success in complex negotiations, mediations, and trials. SERVICE AREAS Investigate employee claims and government inquiries Defend clients against individual and class (collective) action lawsuits Represent employers in suits alleging discrimination and harassment on the basis of age, race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and other areas protected under federal, state, and local law Handle cases involving defamation; invasion of privacy; noncompetition agreements; trade secrets; duty-of-loyalty; equal pay; employment benefits; pension and benefit plan fiduciary liability; wage and hour; whistle-blower; retaliation; and wrongful-discharge claims EXPERIENCE Won a jury verdict for the defendants in a sexual harassment case that was the first in a series of four filed against our client by a group of former employees, all of whom alleged sexual harassment and hostile work environment. The difficulty level in the case was increased significantly by virtue of the other three plaintiffs being permitted to testify about their own alleged harassment in this trial. We prevailed by focusing the jury on the claims at issue, on the plaintiff's biased expert, and on the fact that her boyfriend had anonymously told the alleged harasser that the lawsuit was fabricated. Obtained dismissal of an FMLA retaliation claim on standing grounds based on lack of a concrete injury tied directly to the allegedly retaliatory conduct. Won summary judgment for the employer in case involving claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Tennessee Human Right Act brought by a plaintiff alleging that his employment was terminated due to his age and his association with his disabled daughter, and also in retaliation for his complaints about age and associational discrimination. Won summary judgment for a retail client in a case in which the plaintiff brought claims of retaliation and gender, age, and disability discrimination after her employment was terminated on the grounds of her insubordination. Won summary judgment for a national client in San Bernardino County Superior Court in a suit involving claims of sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Won summary judgment on behalf of a hospital in a case litigated in Pennsylvania state court in which the plaintiff alleged gender discrimination, hostile work environment based on gender, wrongful termination, and retaliation in violation of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, 43 P.S. § 951, et seq. Won summary judgment on behalf of a Fortune 100 grocery client in case, filed in the Northern District of Georgia, involving claims of race discrimination brought under Title VII and Section 1981, as well as unpaid overtime brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Won summary judgment for a large grocery retailer in an employment discrimination case in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The plaintiff was fired after several inappropriate interactions with coworkers, and was pregnant at the time of her termination. She brought claims of discrimination and retaliation under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and Louisiana’s employment discrimination law. Our team established that the plaintiff did not meet her burden to show that the client failed to accommodate her but did accommodate other similarly situated employees, and we further established that the client had a nondiscriminatory reason for terminating the plaintiff's employment. [+] [View All Experience] PUBLICATIONS When is Obesity a Disability under the ADA? [Alert] June 26, 2019 Jeff Pasek discusses the Seventh Circuit's decision in Richardson v. Chicago Transit Authority and what employers need to know when making decisions related to employee disability claims. Temperatures Rise for Employers as Requirement for Additional EEOC Pay Data Looms [Alert] March 13, 2019 Employers in the process of preparing their EEO-1 reports for submission by the May 31 deadline may now be scrambling to comply with additional onerous reporting requirements on short notice after D.C. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan’s decision in National Women’s Law Center v. OMB breathed new life into what was believed to be a defunct revision to the report. Is A DOL Rule For Portable Device Work Coming? [Law360] July 23, 2015 Michael Schmidt offers tips to employers to avoid violating the Department of Labor’s recently proposed rule of changing overtime regulations. EEOC’s Proposed Wellness Regulations Bring Some Clarity and Some Questions [Employee Benefit Plan Review] July 15, 2015 Debra Friedman discusses the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission’s (EEOC) recently issued notice of proposed rulemaking with respect to employer-sponsored wellness programs, focusing on the interplay between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Hold Your Breath and Take a Deeper Dive Into the Department of Labor’s Proposed Overtime Rule Changes [Technical Bulletin] July 13, 2015 David Barron and Jeremy Glenn authored an article concerning the Department of Labor’s proposed changes to the federal overtime rules. EVENTS & SEMINARS Past Events Employer Summit 2021: The Changing Workplace October 05, 2021 - Webinar 2017 Labor and Employment Law Update - Chicago October 05, 2017 - Chicago, IL When Politics "Trumps" Office Rules: What Employees Can Say at Work & Online November 12, 2015 - Webinar The Art of Business Litigation 2015: Conversation, Sips & CLE October 21, 2015 - Houston, TX It’s Not Just Sexual Harassment Anymore: Developing the Appropriate Workplace Mindset, Policies, and Training for Cultural Sensitivity in the US September 29, 2015 - Webinar IN THE NEWS Cozen O’Connor Recognized as a “Best Law Firm” in 29 Practice Areas Nationwide, 121 Practice Areas Regionally November 04, 2021 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers recognized Cozen O’Connor as a “Best Law Firm” in 29 practice areas nationwide and 121 practice areas regionally. Cozen O’Connor Recognized as a “Best Law Firm” in 25 Practice Areas Nationwide, 115 Practice Areas Regionally November 05, 2020 U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers recognized Cozen O’Connor as a “Best Law Firm” in 25 practice areas nationwide and 115 practice areas regionally. Super Lawyers Names Seven Florida Cozen O’Connor Attorneys to its 2020 List June 11, 2020 Super Lawyers has named seven Cozen O'Connor attorneys to its 2020 Florida Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Cozen O’Connor Recognized As a Best Law Firm in 24 Practice Areas Nationwide, 106 Practice Areas Regionally November 05, 2019 The U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations and peer review from leading attorneys in their field. 138 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named to the Best Lawyers in America August 28, 2019 Best Lawyers selected 138 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 21 of the firm’s national offices for inclusion in the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. West Coast Expansion Continues with the Addition of 13 Labor & Employment Lawyers from Miller Law Group in California August 01, 2019 Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce 13 attorneys from California’s Miller Law Group — one of the largest woman-owned employment law firms in the country — have joined its San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. Cozen O’Connor Welcomes Commercial Litigator Miguel Alexander Pozo to its Minneapolis Office July 25, 2018 Pozo Further Strengthens the Firm’s Commercial, Employment and Trademark Litigation Bench 2018 U.S. News & World Report – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" Ranks Cozen O’Connor February 01, 2018 In the 2018 U.S. News - Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms, Cozen O’Connor is ranked nationally in 17 practice areas and regionally in 64 practice areas. Twelve Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named To 2018 Illinois Super Lawyers Lists January 26, 2018 Super Lawyers has recognized 12 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to its 2018 lists of top practitioners in Illinois, including Joe Tilson who was again named one of the "Top 100" Illinois Super Lawyers. CONTACTS Thomas S. Giotto Co-Chair, Labor & Employment Department tgiotto@cozen.com (412) 620-6550 Joseph E. Tilson Co-Chair, Labor & Employment Department jtilson@cozen.com (312) 474-7880 Michael C. Schmidt Vice Chair, Labor & Employment Department mschmidt@cozen.com (212) 453-3937 Anna Wermuth Vice Chair, Labor & Employment Department awermuth@cozen.com (312) 474-7876 PEOPLE Janice Sued Agresti Associate New York James G. Argionis Member Chicago Ian Bain Associate New York Alex Barbour Of Counsel Chicago David L. Barron Member Houston Jason E. Barsanti Member San Diego Jason A. Cabrera Member Philadelphia Vincent Candiello Member Harrisburg Christian V. Cangiano Of Counsel New York John R. Carrigan, Jr. Member Santa Monica Alfred J. D`Angelo Member Philadelphia Jeremy E. Deutsch Member New York Matthew DiCianni Associate Chicago Arielle Eisenberg Associate Miami Susan N. Eisenberg Member Miami Peter J. Ennis Member Pittsburgh John H. Feldmann, III Of Counsel San Francisco Debra Steiner Friedman Member Philadelphia Paul R. Garry Of Counsel Chicago Thomas S. Giotto Co-Chair, Labor & Employment Department Pittsburgh Jeremy J. Glenn Member Chicago Jenny R. Goltz Member Chicago Abigail M. Green Associate Pittsburgh Brett C. Greving Associate San Francisco Adam C. Gutmann Associate Houston David L. Hackett Member Philadelphia Andrea E. Hammel Member West Conshohocken Danielle Harris Associate Chicago Robert S. Hawkins Member Philadelphia Kendall Kelly Hayden Member Dallas Christopher S. Hennessy Member Chicago John S. Ho Co-Chair, OSHA-Workplace Safety Practice New York Aaron Holt Member Houston Andrew M. Hutchison Member San Francisco Tiffany A. Jenca Associate Pittsburgh Christopher J. Kelly Member Philadelphia Sarah A. Kelly Of Counsel Philadelphia Raymond A. Kresge Member Philadelphia Elizabeth A. Malloy Member Philadelphia Kelly Ann Maw Associate Vancouver Samuel E. Mogensen Associate Minneapolis Jeffrey I. Pasek Member Philadelphia Mariah L. Passarelli Member Pittsburgh Alan M. Pittler Member Pittsburgh Joseph Quinn Member Pittsburgh Andrew J. Rolfes Member Philadelphia Jake Rubinstein Member Denver Nandini Sane Associate Houston Craig Schloss Member San Diego Michael C. Schmidt Vice Chair, Labor & Employment Department New York Benjamin L. Shechtman Member Philadelphia Di Addy Tang Associate San Francisco Joseph E. Tilson Co-Chair, Labor & Employment Department Chicago Julie L. Trester Member Chicago Bobbi Britton Tucker Counsel Pittsburgh George A. Voegele, Jr. Member Philadelphia Anna Wermuth Vice Chair, Labor & Employment Department Chicago A. Martin Wickliff, Jr. Member Houston AWARDS Cozen O’Connor Recognized as a “Best Law Firm” in 25 Practice Areas Nationwide, 115 Practice Areas Regionally RELATED PRACTICE AREAS Italy Practice Labor & Employment Railway Labor Act RELATED BLOGS HR Headaches Human Resources News & Legal Developments. Keep up-to-date with the latest Employment Litigation news from Cozen O'Connor Enter your City or Zip. SIGN ME UP Sign up to receive alerts, publications, and event / webinar invites. By submitting your contact information, you are giving Cozen O'Connor consent to contact you via email. Full Service International Law Firm Learn More EXPERIENCE ALUMNI BLOGS & PODCASTS CLE PROGRAMS SUBSCRIBE TO PUBLICATIONS Affiliates COZEN O’CONNOR PUBLIC STRATEGIES MARGOLIS HEALY NATIONAL SUBROGATION SERVICES Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Attorney Advertising