• Currently representing a leading publicly traded food manufacturer in a collective and class action alleging unlawful “off the clock work” under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state law.
    • Currently representing a leading container manufacturer in a class action under the California Labor Code and the California Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) asserting claims based on alleged “time shaving” and failure to provide meal and rest breaks under California law.
    • Represented a leading private investment firm in a weeklong arbitration hearing before a panel of three arbitrators against claims of unequal pay, sexual harassment and sex discrimination brought under federal, state and local laws.  The matter involved extensive electronic discovery and the exchange of numerous expert reports by both sides.   A settlement was reached before the arbitration hearing was closed. 
    • Represented a processor and distributor of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables in class action wage and hour suit filed in California state court involving over 1,500 employees.  The court granted a motion filed by the defendant to have the class action allegations dismissed based on several arbitration agreements entered into by the class action representative that required arbitration on an individual basis.  Following this ruling, the parties agreed to mediate the dispute and a settlement was reached that was approved by the court.
    • Represented a leading global pharmaceutical company in a number of significant ERISA and benefits litigation matters, ultimately settling the cases on favorable terms and limiting the potential impact of those cases on future matters.
    • Providing ongoing advice to a global asset management firm on matters including the investigation and defense of discrimination claims, workforce redundancies and the drafting of non-compete and arbitration agreements.
    • Represented Iron Hill Brewery in a class/collective action affecting approximately 1,300 servers and bartenders who claimed that they were part of a tip pool that improperly included expediters. Following initial discovery and a mediation, a settlement was reached. The federal court in Philadelphia approved the settlement as fair, reasonable, and adequate following notice to the class and an opportunity to be heard.
    • Represented Fox Television Stations in a highly publicized reverse-race discrimination case to a successful jury verdict. The case was brought by a former white television anchor whose contract was not renewed after he used the “n-word” at work in a meeting and in subsequent discussions. The former anchor claimed that he was subject to a double-standard and treated less favorably than black employees, a claim that the jury rejected.
    • Represented a company in an evidentiary injunction hearing in Iowa state court following its hiring of a new chief executive officer. The executive’s former employer filed suit claiming that the executive was in violation of certain post-restrictive covenants and that Dechert’s client had interfered with those contractual obligations. Although the court granted the former employer some injunctive relief, it rejected its primary claim that the executive was precluding from working as the client’s new chief executive officer.
    • Represented MWI Veterinary Supply in a suit that it filed against two former executives in federal court in Idaho alleging that these executives engaged in competitive activities, related party transactions, and other wrongful acts.  After a preliminary injunction hearing, the Court granted MWI equitable relief against the executives.  The matter was then settled while on appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
    • Represented Caliber Home Loans in a suit filed in Pennsylvania state court alleging that it had improperly hired a large number of employees from a competitor. After the court denied the plaintiff’s request for injunctive relief, the matter was settled.
    • Represented a partner of an investment management firm in connection with his highly contentious departure from that firm, followed by the formation of a new investment firm. Other employees left with this partner raising additional legal issues and complexities.
    • Represented a leading building technology company in a putative class and collective action filed in federal court in New York alleging that the company had failed to pay prevailing wages required by New York State law. The court denied class action treatment and the matter was settled on an individual basis.
    • Conducted an internal investigation commissioned by the audit committee of a publicly-traded company. The investigation related to the conduct of high-level executives of the company.
    • 2019 Philadelphia Spring Labor and Employment Seminar — Philadelphia, PA (May 1, 2019)
    • Private Funds Nuts and Bolts: Arbitration of Workplace Disputes in the Investment Management Industry (March 15, 2019)
    • 2018 New York Fall Labor and Employment Seminar — New York, NY (October 31, 2018) 
    • 2018 Philadelphia Fall Labor and Employment Seminar — Philadelphia, PA (October 24, 2018)
    • Hedge Funds Nuts and Bolts: Employment Issues in the Asset Management Industries (June 13, 2018)
    • Employment Issues in the Asset Management and Industry Seminar — Boston, MA (May 10, 2018)
    • Employment Issues in the Asset Management and Industry Seminar— New York, NY (May 8, 2018)
    • Adjunct professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1982 - 1995), teaching employment law as well as a variety of advanced labor law courses
    • Taught employment courses at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University School of Law - Camden