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Emma Follansbee

Associate

[email protected]

+1.617.348.4732

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Emma counsels clients on a wide variety of employment issues and litigates employment disputes before state and federal courts and administrative agencies including MCAD, EEOC, and OSHA. Her litigation practice includes restrictive covenant agreements; discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliation claims; and wage and hour compliance.

Emma regularly advises clients on compliance with federal, state, and local laws, including compliance with the Massachusetts Non-Competition Agreement Act and Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. Her practice also encompasses assisting clients with terminations and reductions in force, WARN notifications, workplace investigations, employee classifications, and employee handbooks and policies. Emma also counsels and negotiates C-Suite and business executive employment agreements. She is a regular contributor to the employment group’s blog.

Emma has been engaged in a number of the firm’s pro bono initiatives, including the asylum and immigration practice and providing employment advice to non-profit agencies and organizations. 

Emma has been a member of the Friends Council Leadership Committee for the Boys and Girls Club of Boston since 2022. She also currently serves as the Interim Chair of the firm’s Women’s Initiative Associate Subcommittee.

viewpoints

For the first time since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are implementing a new wave of layoffs, particularly in the tech world, and it is anticipated that there are more to come as recession worries loom. Mintz attorney Emma Follansbee provides a brief refresher on how the WARN Act applies to plant closings and mass layoffs, and what, if anything has changed since 2020.

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Read Mintz’s comprehensive analysis of OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard pertaining to workplace COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirements for employers with 100 or more employees.
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Mintz’s Annual Employment Law Summit brought together thought leaders to discuss the most pressing issues employers are facing in today’s unprecedented work environment. Attendees heard presentations on the continued impact of COVID-19; social justice and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; recent and anticipated changes to employment laws; and best practices for managing sensitive employee situations.
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Happy New Year! While many of us are thrilled to see 2020 in the rear view, 2021 ushers in a huge challenge for Massachusetts employers – the beginning of benefits and Job protections under the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave law (MAPFML).
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Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many employer telecommuting arrangements remain in place, with several large corporations opting to extend these arrangements well into 2021. The benefits of such arrangements have been clear for many employers during the pandemic, including that they permit continued productivity while keeping employees safe. However, the longer that employees remain out of the office, the more telecommuting-related issues arise, including with respect to taxation of employee income and leave requirements, which we discuss below.
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Under the Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Law, M.G.L. c. 175M (“MAPFML ”), employees and other covered individuals in the Commonwealth will be entitled to a generous set of new leave benefits and rights beginning January 1, 2021. On July 24, 2020 , the Department of Family and Medical Leave (the Department) issued updated MAPFML regulations effective July 24, 2020 (the “2020 Regulations”). These regulations make several key changes to the MAPFML regulations issued in 2019 (the “2019 Regulations”). In our companion post, we cover the key changes between the 2019 Regulations and the 2020 Regulations. This post examines, in depth, changes affecting the MAPFML “Private Plan” exemption pathway.
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Under the Massachusetts Paid Family Leave Law, M.G.L. c. 175M (“MAPFML”), employees and other covered individuals in the Commonwealth will be entitled to a generous set of new leave benefits and rights beginning January 1, 2021. The Department of Family and Medical Leave (the “Department”) recently issued updated MAPFML regulations, effective July 24, 2020 (the “2020 Regulations”). These regulations make several key changes to the MAPFML regulations issued in 2019 (the “2019 Regulations”). In our companion post, we cover the key changes between the 2019 Regulations and the 2020 Regulations. This post examines, in depth, changes affecting the MAPFML “Private Plan” exemption pathway.
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Facing the many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are considering their obligations to their workforce in the event of a reduction in force related to COVID-19 (“COVID-19”). This post provides an overview of an employer’s WARN Act obligations in the event a COVID-19-related closure or reduction in force.
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With the reopening of the economy on the horizon, employers are looking ahead to welcoming employees back to the traditional workplace. Business operations will look vastly different during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In Part 2 of our Roadmap Series, we outline important operational planning steps and actions employers can take now to successfully and safely bring employees back to the workplace. Future posts in this series will address many of these issues more in-depth, so be sure to stay tuned.
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News & Press

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173 Mintz attorneys across 53 practice areas have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Five Mintz attorneys received 2026 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 61 firm attorneys were included in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

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Mintz is pleased to announce that 31 attorneys have been named Massachusetts Super Lawyers and 35 attorneys have been named Massachusetts Rising Stars for 2024.

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187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

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Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

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Mintz Associate Emma Follansbee was quoted in an article published by EHS Today on legal considerations for employers as they educate and inform their employees of rapidly evolving news regarding the global Coronavirus outbreak.
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Mintz Associate Emma Follansbee was quoted in an article published by Bloomberg Law on legal considerations for employers as they take steps to safeguard workers from the global Coronavirus outbreak.
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podcasts

A podcast discussion on AI’s role in hiring, employee management, and workplace decisions, with practical guidance for employers.

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Events & Speaking

Panelist
May
7
2026
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Panelist
Apr
30
2026

2026 Employment Law Summit – New York

Mintz

Convene, New York, NY

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Panelist
May
7
2025

Mintz’s Annual Employment Law Summit 2025 - Boston

One Financial Center, Boston, MA 02111

Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Aug
26
2020
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Speaker
Aug
16
2018

Mastering Absence Management, "Compliance - Overview of Regulations"

New England Employee Benefits Council

Boston, MA

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Recognition & Awards

  • Featured in Best Lawyers in America Ones to Watch, Labor and Employment Law - Employee; Labor and Employment Law - Management; Litigation - Labor and Employment (2024 - 2026)

  • Boston Magazine Top Lawyers – Employment (2021)

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Rising Star - Employment & Labor (2024-2025)

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Involvement

  • Member, Friends Council Leadership Committee for the Boys and Girls Club of Boston (2022-Present)
  • Member, 2026 Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Future Leaders Program
  • Interim Chair, Mintz's Women’s Initiative Associate Subcommittee
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