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Employment & Labor Litigation

As an employer, you know that human capital is one of the most valuable resources and biggest expenses for your organization. Ulmer & Berne recognizes this reality and combines this understanding with one of the strongest and most comprehensive employment practices available to best serve organizations.

With more than 20 attorneys representing private and public organizations across the U.S., we provide a full spectrum of employment and labor services from proactive counseling to the defense of the most complex litigation matters, including claims involving allegations of wrongful termination and FLSA, OSHA, and ERISA non-compliance.

Ulmer & Berne’s employment and labor lawyers counsel clients in the panoply of employment and labor challenges to businesses and organizations. We have substantial experience providing guidance in or solutions to such matters as:

As any client knows, however, the time to seek counsel in employment and labor matters is before problems occur, when policies and procedures need to be developed and implemented; that is the most cost-effective time to address employment needs. Knowing that a proactive approach is best, Ulmer & Berne attorneys counsel clients on employee handbook and policy development, train personnel and conduct compliance audits, and guide employers through the labyrinth of public policy regulations which can change frequently. An employer that is unaware or unfamiliar with emerging requirements needs the up-to-date knowledge, understanding, and expertise that our attorneys provide.

When disputes arise, the extensive experience of Ulmer & Berne’s employment and labor attorneys in trying and defending claims at all administrative and judicial levels and venues enables us to partner with our clients in resolving these disputes in the clients’ best interest. We regularly represent our clients before state and federal agencies and in state and federal courts, including many federal Courts of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Ohio. In addition, we regularly represent clients before the National Labor Relations Board, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and the Ohio State Employment Relations Board. More importantly, however, is that Ulmer & Berne attorneys are regularly retained to handle complex, often novel legal situations that employers face including class actions.

In the most recent edition of The Business Journal, Ulmer Partner Stephanie Harley is quoted regarding employee handbooks and best practices for employers in order to protect themselves and their employees. To read the full article, click here.

January 14, 2020 – Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to share that Associate Trevor J. Hardy has joined the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC). In this role, Hardy will assist the organization in its mission of supporting victims of rape and sexual abuse, and will use his background...

Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to share that Associate Trevor J. Hardy has taken on leadership roles with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Northern Ohio Chapter of Canine Companions for Independence. Hardy was recently appointed as Congressional District Leader for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), which is one...

Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Chief Diversity Officer Timothy J. Downing has been recognized by The National Law Journal (NLJ) in its inaugural Equality Trailblazers list. This new list highlights the accomplishments of those who have made significant strides in the fight for gender and LGBTQ equality. “I...

Ulmer attorney Yvette Simpson has accepted a correspondence position with ABC. This comes after a number of guest appearances on This Week with George Stephanopoulos. Simpson, serving as Chief Executive of Democracy for America and formerly a Cincinnati City Council Member, will appear weekly on This Week, offering opinions and...

by Trevor J. Hardy and Stephanie E. Harley Many transgender individuals across the United States go to work every day, unsure of whether they will lose their jobs because of their gender identity and/or expression. While a minority of states and localities offer employment protections for transgender individuals, the vast...

Ulmer Partner Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau has been named to BTI Consulting Group’s Client Service All-Stars 2019, a list of top-tier attorneys identified for delivering the absolute best client service. The All-Stars represent the epitome of client service and demonstrate an unrelenting pursuit to find what best fulfills clients’ needs. In-house counsel and clients...

Appointment bolsters the firm’s successful diversity and inclusion initiatives Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Timothy J. Downing has been appointed as the firm’s first Chief Diversity Officer. His appointment to this role provides added momentum to Ulmer’s successful diversity and inclusion initiatives and reflects the firm’s commitment to...

As we kick off the New Year, William D. Edwards, Partner and Chair of Ulmer’s Employment & Labor Practice Group, examines the landscape of employment and labor law and shares three things to look for on the employment law horizon. 1. The Influence of the #MeToo Movement Will Continue into 2019...

Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Partner Timothy J. Downing has been appointed to serve on the Alumni Council of Allegheny College. The Alumni Council is the governing body of the college’s Alumni Association, and is dedicated to strengthening the bond between the college and its alumni,...

Ulmer & Berne LLP is proud to announce that Counsel Yvette R. Simpson has been appointed as the incoming chief executive of the national grassroots progressive group Democracy for America (DFA). She will be the first female chief executive and first woman of color to hold an executive leadership role...

By telling the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday that federal anti-discrimination law doesn’t bar bias against transgender workers, the U.S. Department of Justice staked out a position that is at odds with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Please click here to read how three experts, including Ulmer partner Stephanie E. Harley, point to three...

Ulmer is pleased to announce that eDiscovery Attorney J. Matthew Linehan has completed the requirements to become a Relativity Certified Administrator (RCA) on version 9.6 of the Relativity eDiscovery software. The RCA program ensures that case administrators fully understand Relativity’s capabilities, which allows them to maximize the software’s flexibility and provide an...

Ulmer is pleased to announce that Partner Paul R. Harris has been appointed president of the Saint Ignatius High School Alumni Executive Council for 2018-2019. Harris’ commitment to his alma mater and other organizations in Cleveland is reflective of Ulmer’s broad dedication to improving the communities in which we live....

Paul Harris and Joshua Klarfeld Recognized Among Nation’s Best Up-And-Coming Litigators  Ulmer & Berne LLP proudly announces that two of its partners, Paul R. Harris and Joshua A. Klarfeld, have been named to Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List 2018.” This marks the second year in a row that...

Ulmer Partner Assumes Leadership Role at Top-Ranked Ohio Liberal Arts College Ulmer is proud to announce that William D. (“Bill”) Edwards, Chair of Ulmer’s Employment & Labor Practice Group, has been elected Vice-Chair of the Wittenberg University Board of Directors. After serving on the Board of this premier Ohio private institution...

Ulmer Associate Elected to Help Lead Prominent Cleveland Community Development Group  Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce that Associate Trevor J. Hardy was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation. Little Italy Redevelopment Corporation (LIRC) is a non-profit community development organization made up...

Ulmer Labor & Employment Partner to Head Charitable Fundraising Arm of CMBA  Stephanie E. Dutchess Trudeau, Partner at Ulmer & Berne LLP, became President of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation (CMBF) at the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association’s (CMBA) 11th annual meeting on June 1, 2018. Stephanie will guide CMBF in its...

Long before the allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, and others became common knowledge, many employers took steps they thought would ensure a safe work environment for all employees. But many of those employers are now asking: Are we doing enough? This is a smart...

Here is the latest tip for employers: Do not be too quick to “just say no” to medical marijuana. The “it’s a federal crime” escape hatch employers invoked previously has been closed by more and more courts in states with medical marijuana laws. By Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau September 2017 Here...

Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau contributed analysis to a recent Crain’s Cleveland Business article focusing on how Ohio employers are addressing medical marijuana issues. With conflicting state and federal laws on the subject, and an implementation date of September 2018, proactively planning for new medical marijuana policies has been challenging for many companies. If...

Ulmer is ranked in 39 categories in the 2017 U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” rankings. Among these, the firm earns U.S. News – Best Lawyers highest rankings in 21 categories. The firm also ranks nationally in 15 categories. Firms included in the 2017 “Best Law Firms” are...

BTI Consulting Group has ranked Ulmer & Berne LLP in the BTI Litigation Outlook 2017 among the top 15 percent of firms serving large corporate clients in the areas of commercial litigation, employment litigation, and IP litigation. The Litigation Outlook is based on direct feedback from leading legal decision makers....

In recognition of her outstanding service to the bar, Stephanie Dutchess Trudeau was recently appointed to serve as a member of the Ohio State Bar Association Labor & Employment Specialty Board. The Specialty Board sets standards for eligibility, reviews applications, determines eligibility, prepares written exams, and hears appeals for licensed...

Stephanie Harley, partner in the firm’s Employment and Labor Litigation Group, was recently elected to the Board of the United Services Organization (“USO”) of Northern Ohio. USO’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of the U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their families worldwide and to create a cooperative...

Ulmer & Berne is ranked in 39 categories in the 2016 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings. Among these, the firm earns U.S. News – Best Lawyers highest rankings in 21 categories. The firm also ranks nationally in 16 categories. Firms included in the 2016 “Best Law...

Ulmer & Berne announces that six of the firm’s partners have been recognized in the 2016 edition of Benchmark Litigation as “State Litigation Stars,” a designation given to those individuals who were recommended consistently as reputable and effective litigators by clients and peers. The following Ulmer & Berne attorneys were...

“Justices Decline Review Of ‘Mark Of The Beast’ Bias Suit” Law360 October 5, 2015

On June 30, 2015, the Department of Labor responded to President Obama’s direction to update key components of the “white collar” exemption to federal overtime requirements. Although no final regulations have yet been adopted, the proposed changes have been published in the Federal Register and are now subject to comments....

“Attorneys React to DOL Misclassification Guidance” Law360 July 15, 2015

“Michael Nathan Ungar | Ulmer & Berne LLP” Cleveland Jewish News January 15, 2015 Perennial Super Lawyer Michael Nathan Ungar considers settlement of a dispute embroiling Case Western University among his most memorable cases of 2014. Read the full article »

Ulmer & Berne LLP is ranked in 40 categories in the 2015 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” rankings. Among these, the firm earns U.S. News – Best Lawyers’ highest ranking in 23 categories. The firm also ranks nationally in 17 categories. Ulmer & Berne achieved a “Metropolitan Tier...

Ulmer & Berne LLP has been ranked within the top 10 percent of all law firms by The BTI Consulting Group, one of the nation’s leading legal industry research firms, in their recently published 2015 BTI Litigation Outlook report. The firm was selected as a “Litigation Powerhouse” and is named...

As a result of a class action lawsuit against the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, 270,000 Ohio businesses are entitled to premium refunds because state-funded, Ohio employers that were not group rated were overcharged between policy years 2001-2008. The class of employers eligible for a refund includes private, non-group rated...

Ulmer & Berne LLP has been recognized among the 2014 Go-To Law Firms® as indicated by a survey of general counsel at the top 500 companies in the U.S. by American Lawyer Media (ALM). Ulmer & Berne was selected by 15 Fortune 500 companies as their go-to- law firm in...

“An Ex-PayPal Executive Airs Grievances (Very) Publicly” Marketplace May 6, 2014

“Readers React Strongly to Kent State Vice President Holding Baby Shower on Campus During Work Hours” Cleveland.com April 18, 2014

Most of you are aware that Sarbanes-Oxley prohibits public companies from retaliating against employees who “blow the whistle” on their employers by reporting violations of securities laws or certain other violations of federal law.1 But just how far does that protection extend? Do Sarbanes-Oxley’s whistleblower protections also extend to employees of...

Ulmer & Berne LLP was named 2014 Ohio Firm of the Year by Benchmark Litigation at the second annual Benchmark Litigation US Awards held at the Essex Hotel in New York City on January 29, 2014. The US Benchmark Awards were based on a six-month research period involving extensive interviews...

“On the Move” Cleveland.com January 2, 2014

Representative Experience

  • Won attempted class action age discrimination case by obtaining summary judgment in favor of employer, an international telecommunications company, which ruling was affirmed on appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Obtained summary judgment in sex and age discrimination case against client, an international telecommunications company. Summary judgment affirmed by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a financial services industry client accused of breach of fiduciary duty under ERISA for failing to provide spousal death benefit coverage to employee. Summary judgment affirmed on appeal by the Tenth District Court of Appeals.
  • Won summary judgment for a national food service company in U.S. District Court, S.D. Ohio on a sexual harassment claim. The court found that the client had successfully established the affirmative defense to a claim of supervisor sexual harassment.
  • Obtained dismissal of this case alleging sexual harassment against a national paint manufacturer. The client’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure was upheld and enforced.
  • Won summary judgment on a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit filed against a manufacturing company and several managers in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
  • Successfully moved to compel discovery and for summary judgment, thereby obtaining dismissal of the case filed in the U.S. District Court, N.D. Ohio against a manufacturing company. The claims included age and disability discrimination based on a workforce reduction.
  • Successfully defended a securities company against a race discrimination claim at trial. Also successful in persuading the Court of Appeals to overturn a large jury verdict on a promissory estoppel claim.
  • Defended a healthcare services firm, its president and its vice president in an employment case filed by a former employee alleging breach of public policy, breach of contract, retaliation and wrongful discharge. Won case on summary judgment, and the decision was upheld on appeal.
  • Represented a manufacturer of steel buildings which was cited for serious violations of the overhead crane standard resulting from a fatal accident at its Missouri plant. Litigated the case and had violations vacated on the grounds that the cited standards were inapplicable to the facts.
  • Represented a Cleveland-based steel manufacturer which was cited for failing to remove secondary lifting devices from its overhead cranes while performing the required testing of the upper limit switch. The company determined that compliance with OSHA’s interpretation of the standard would result in an annual productivity loss of over a million dollars. Successfully defended the company’s position throughout the litigation including the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.