Labor and employment
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
Profile
Work Department
Labor & Employment
Position
Partner
Career
Co-leader of Jones Day's global Labor & Employment Practice, Matt Lampe has 30 years of experience defending employers in class actions and other complex litigation, including matters under the FLSA, ADEA, Title VII, ADA, ERISA, and numerous state discrimination, wrongful discharge and other tort laws. He also represents companies before the EEOC, DOL and other agencies in matters alleging systemic discrimination or pay practice violations. Matt has extensive experience litigating joint employment and independent contractor issues across multiple industries. Both in connection with litigation and independently of it, Matt counsels clients on employment law compliance and litigation avoidance.
Content supplied by Jones Day
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘The team is able to leverage their scale across jurisdictions and subject matter areas to give comprehensive advice.’
‘We were impressed with their ability to synthesise disparate areas into concise, comprehensive, and coherent advice.’
‘Matthew Lampe brings great judgment, feel, and strategic dispute experience to bear with an outstanding ability to be fluent in the facts, as well as the statistical and financial high-mathematics valuation aspects of the case.’
‘Kelsey Israel-Trummel is outstanding on documentation options and tactics. She understands the facts better than anyone.’
‘Jones Day makes us feel like we are their only client. Fast response, quality work, good people who listen to our needs.’
‘Rick Bergstrom and his associates are my go-to employment counsel in California and for broader legal issues that apply across the US.’
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.