Jones Day has a comprehensive labor and employment disputes offering, allowing the team to advise on the full spectrum of mandates ranging from whistleblowing allegations and discrimination claims to wage and hour class actions and sexual harassment cases. The group’s longstanding reputation for handling complex, high-value, and high-profile matters before state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court, make it a trusted advisor to a variety of blue-chip clients spanning the pharma, food and beverage, and telecoms sectors. Matthew Lampe heads up the department in New York and stands out for his expertise in class actions and agency investigations related to discrimination, wrongful termination, and pay practice violations. In Chicago, Elizabeth McRee spearheads the practice and specializes in class and collective actions concerning wage and hour claims, restrictive covenants, and executive disputes. Also in Chicago is Michael Gray, a key point of contact for private equity firms and corporates facing governance, biometric, and TVPRA litigation. The team also benefits from the expertise of Columbus’ Tonya Braun – who focuses on wage and hour litigation – Washington DC-based Thomas Chiavetta – who concentrates on disputes arising in the transport industry – and Chicago’s Jonathan Linas, who is adept at defending clients in COVID-19 related cases.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Michael Gray is a thought leader. He brings incredible value to every matter that he works on. He ensures that I have the right people for the right matter. Kelsey Israel-Trummel is amazing. She is one of the sharpest minds that I have worked with. Aside from being "big picture", she is very detail-oriented.
- This team is unique because they bring a diverse and appropriate group of people to any situation. Jones Day does a great job in "scaling up" or "scaling down" based on the particular need. It's not a "one-size fits all" model. I also appreciate the fact that regardless of where my problem is, there is some consistency - either through a partner or associate. That prevents me from having to reinvent the wheel and re-educate people on new matters. I also know that when I work with this team, I will get the right people for the job. It's not about "who do I owe a favor to."
Key clients
- Ecolab, Inc.
- International Business Machines Corporation
- McDonald's Corporation
- CITGO Petroleum Corporation
- Bloomberg L.P.
- CSX Corporation
- Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
- Allegiant Air
- California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.
- SkyWest Airlines
- Verizon
- United Airlines Inc.
Work highlights
Representing Eli Lilly & Company and its subsidiary in a nationwide putative collective action under the ADEA relating to age discrimination.
Represented SkyWest Airlines in a putative class action on behalf of all flight attendants who were based in California or Washington, alleging that SkyWest failed to pay them minimum and overtime wages, resulting in damages and derivative penalties, as well as providing non-compliant wage statements under California state law.
Represented Abbott Laboratories in a six-day whistleblower jury trial in the Northern District of Illinois in which a former employee alleged that he had engaged in protected activity by reporting alleged regulatory violations involving one of Abbott’s medical device divisions and was terminated as a result.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Matthew Lampe; Elizabeth McRee
Other key lawyers
Michael Gray; Tonya Braun; Thomas Chiavetta; Jonathan Linas; Rick Bergstrom; Kelsey Israel-Trummel