Overview
Our national Employment & Employee Relations Practice Group provides consulting and litigation services to employers and management in all aspects of employment law. We represent employers in a variety of industries, including energy and utilities health care, hospitality, retail, higher education, financial services, professional services, manufacturing, and nonprofits. This broad industry experience allows our attorneys to bring industry-specific knowledge and experience that is crucial in employment matters. Our clients range from small, family-run businesses to multinational corporations.
Employment Litigation
Our attorneys provide advice, counsel, and representation to employers in all aspects of employment litigation, including claims brought under all local, state, and federal employment statutes. These include matters alleging discrimination and/or harassment, wage and hour violations and collective/class actions, and trade secrets. We defend our clients against these claims before state and federal courts, as well as state and federal administrative agencies.
We have actively litigated employment suits as lead trial counsel in a variety of states. Our attorneys have a strong track record of defending clients vigorously and achieving successful outcomes at every level.
Employee Relations
Oftentimes, litigation can be avoided with proper risk management. We work closely with our clients to understand their business and human capital needs and work through issues to preempt or prepare for litigation. We also draft, update, and/or institute handbooks, policies, and procedures designed to comply with local, state, and federal employment laws and statutes.
Our attorneys:
- Counsel regarding the interplay of FMLA, ADA, and state workers' compensation laws in conjunction with our Worker’s Compensation Practice Group.
- Conduct internal investigations and respond to government investigations and regulatory reviews.
- Counsel on the emerging law of medical marijuana in the workplace.
- Conduct wage and hour compliance audits.
- Respond to complaints of discrimination, including the investigation of and response to complaints of harassment.
- Conduct training focused on discrimination, implicit bias, harassment, and retaliation.
- Counsel on employee disciplinary, compensation, termination, and return to work issues.
- Draft appropriate releases and separation agreements in connection with employee departures.
- Counsel on employee privacy/individual employee rights issues, including the maintenance, retention, and access to personnel and medical files and records.
- Draft and interpret employment contracts, covenants not-to-compete, and confidentiality and non-solicitation agreements.
Representative Matters:
- Summary judgment granted and affirmed for employer in case involving claims for sex-based discriminatory discharge under Title VII and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA).
- Successful bench trial on behalf of large regional employer in federal wage and hour litigation. Employee asserted that he was misclassified as exempt from overtime pay.
- Defense verdict in jury trial involving FMLA and race discrimination claims.
- Successful resolution of large wage and hour class action for national health care provider.
- Summary judgment granted in senior manager’s age discrimination claim against national health care provider. Employee had claimed that 20+ years of success demonstrated that employer’s basis for termination was discriminatory.
- Summary judgment granted in a case involving a plaintiff’s claim of a sex-based discriminatory discharge under Title VII and PHRA against employer. Plaintiff had a history of conflicts with his employer that he attributed to gender-based preferential treatment for female employees.
- Summary judgment granted on all claims in a case involving a former employee’s allegations of race discrimination, a racially hostile work environment and retaliation.
- Obtained dismissal of client from putative wage and hour collective action.
- Summary judgment for employer in FMLA and ADA claim where employee was terminated after she failed to follow employer’s call-off policy during leave of absence.
- Summary judgment granted and affirmed by Court of Appeals on age discrimination claim. Long-term employee claimed that new management team discriminated against her by escalating demands for performance.
Attorneys
Theresa A. Mongiovi
Principal
Employment and Labor
Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4410
Mobile: 717-468-2066
Fax: 717-291-1609
Angela H. Sanders
Principal
Employment and Labor
Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4436
Mobile: 717-649-1057
Fax: 717-291-1609
Frances Wang Deveney
Principal
Professional Liability
Mt. Laurel
Phone: 856-301-2561
Fax: 609-924-4144
Jodi S. Wilenzik
Principal
Co-Chair, Commercial Litigation Practice Group
Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1101
Fax: 215-320-4159
Jennifer N. Capozzola
Associate
Employment and Labor
Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1151
Fax: 215-587-1444
Jemma DeRogatis
Associate
Insurance Law and Employment & Labor
Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1140
Fax: 215-587-1444
News & Insights
Theresa A. Mongiovi
Principal
Employment and Labor
Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4410
Mobile: 717-468-2066
Fax: 717-291-1609
Angela H. Sanders
Principal
Employment and Labor
Lancaster
Phone: 717-391-4436
Mobile: 717-649-1057
Fax: 717-291-1609
Frances Wang Deveney
Principal
Professional Liability
Mt. Laurel
Phone: 856-301-2561
Fax: 609-924-4144
Jodi S. Wilenzik
Principal
Co-Chair, Commercial Litigation Practice Group
Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1101
Fax: 215-320-4159
Jennifer N. Capozzola
Associate
Employment and Labor
Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1151
Fax: 215-587-1444
Jemma DeRogatis
Associate
Insurance Law and Employment & Labor
Philadelphia
Phone: 215-587-1140
Fax: 215-587-1444
Representative Matters:
- Summary judgment granted and affirmed for employer in case involving claims for sex-based discriminatory discharge under Title VII and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA).
- Successful bench trial on behalf of large regional employer in federal wage and hour litigation. Employee asserted that he was misclassified as exempt from overtime pay.
- Defense verdict in jury trial involving FMLA and race discrimination claims.
- Successful resolution of large wage and hour class action for national health care provider.
- Summary judgment granted in senior manager’s age discrimination claim against national health care provider. Employee had claimed that 20+ years of success demonstrated that employer’s basis for termination was discriminatory.
- Summary judgment granted in a case involving a plaintiff’s claim of a sex-based discriminatory discharge under Title VII and PHRA against employer. Plaintiff had a history of conflicts with his employer that he attributed to gender-based preferential treatment for female employees.
- Summary judgment granted on all claims in a case involving a former employee’s allegations of race discrimination, a racially hostile work environment and retaliation.
- Obtained dismissal of client from putative wage and hour collective action.
- Summary judgment for employer in FMLA and ADA claim where employee was terminated after she failed to follow employer’s call-off policy during leave of absence.
- Summary judgment granted and affirmed by Court of Appeals on age discrimination claim. Long-term employee claimed that new management team discriminated against her by escalating demands for performance.