Michael serves as the Chair of the firm’s Employment Practice and has significant experience advising private and public employers on a wide variety of employment-related issues across a broad range of sectors, including the financial, professional services, life sciences, health care, real estate, energy, technology, media, retail, industrial, and governmental sectors.

Mike’s client-centric approach and consistent ability to provide practical advice that reduces risk and aligns with organizational and HR strategies is a continued testament to his broad expertise and leadership. He is singled out by Chambers USA sources as an “incredible advisor and asset to in-house legal departments and operations teams, sharing both his technical expertise and always providing practical guidance.” Chambers USA sources add that Mike is “extremely responsive, knowledgeable, practical, and commercial” and “distinguishes himself in the market by delivering information and work product in the most user-friendly manner possible, enabling teams to efficiently operate in a fast-paced environment.”

Clients turn to Mike for his expertise in navigating sophisticated and highly sensitive workplace matters, including:

Counseling on issues related to all aspects of the HR life cycle (from recruiting and onboarding, to retention and development, to separation and post-separation) covering discrimination, harassment and retaliation, wage and hour, leave and accommodation, restrictive covenant issues and other employment-related issues.
Conducting investigations of employee complaints, including discrimination and harassment complaints, and assisting management resolve other employee relations issues.
Auditing and assisting in the development and implementation of employment policies, procedures, and practices.
Conducting anti-discrimination / harassment and other HR and legal issue-based training regarding legal requirements, best practices, and risk mitigation.
Representing management and senior executives in connection with a variety of complex employment litigation matters, including pretrial, trial and appellate work; administrative discrimination charges and other agency proceedings (including EEOC, NYSDHR, NYCCHR, DOL, WCB); and arbitrations and mediations relating to wage and hour, discrimination, restrictive covenants, contract, and other employment-related disputes, including collective and class actions.
Drafting and negotiating employment-related agreements and policies, including offer letters, employment and consulting agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, separation agreements, and employee-related regulatory disclosures.
Representing clients in connection with corporate transactions and bankruptcy proceedings, including conducting employment-related due diligence and negotiating employment-related warrants and representations and related employment transaction documents.

As Chair of the Employment Practice, Mike works alongside firm leadership and key stakeholders to drive strategy and operations, while ensuring optimal client service. Mike also remains out in front on identifying and commenting on employment industry hot topics, including by authoring many posts for the group’s award-winning blog, regularly speaking and reporting on timely and important trends, and hosting the firm’s Annual Employment Law Summit.

Mike is a member of the firm's Policy Committee.

Represented a global financial institution in connection with multiple discrimination claims, including claims of national origin, age, sex, and pregnancy discrimination.
Represented an international media company in connection with claims of age and race discrimination arising out of a reduction in force.
Represented one of the world’s largest hotel chains in successfully obtaining a dismissal of an Article 78 wrongful termination proceeding.
Represented one of the nation's premier medical centers in successfully obtaining a dismissal of national origin and religious discrimination claims.
Represented a luxury residential and commercial real estate development and management company in defending against a wage/hour class action based on alleged failure to pay overtime.
Represented an independent global expert services and advisory firm in defending against claims of equal pay and sexual harassment.
Represented a state development agency in addressing a highly complex pandemic-related telecommuting disability accommodation issue.
Conducted a full-scale employment practices audit for a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company.
Conducted a hiring and onboarding employment practices audit for a national life insurance company.
Advised a global hospitality company on multiple reductions in force, including regarding WARN Act implications, disparate impact issues, OWBPA compliance, severance program structuring, and implementation of the same.
Advised a global consulting firm in successfully navigating mobility issues arising out of various new hires.
Advised an international Am Law 75 law firm in complying with its background check compliance obligations.
Advised a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company in connection with potential employment compliance issues related to the use of a remote workforce.
Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of a global consulting firm in response to an executive’s alleged sexual harassment.
Drafted and negotiated an executive employment agreement for a C-level executive at one of the nation’s largest debt securities underwriters.
Advised a multinational energy company in connection with its vaccination compliance obligations and overall policy strategy.
Advised a global banking institution in connection with the creation and implementation of a bonus plan.
Represented various employers in successfully vacating initial determinations of contractor misclassification before unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation agencies.
Advised various employers on their compliance obligations with respect to employee use of cannabis.
Guided numerous employers in redesigning their workplaces in the next phase of COVID, including by providing extensive counseling on designing an effective “return to office” strategy (in-person, hybrid, or remote), creating vaccination, booster, and testing policies and ensuring a safe office environment overall, realigning leave policies and procedures, and undertaking various workforce planning and change management exercises.
Guided numerous employers in formulating and implementing pay transparency strategies that ensure compliance and align with operational needs.

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Employment Law Summer Recap 2014: Part 8 of 11 - New York’s Coldest Summer, Especially for Employers Who Utilized Unpaid Interns

September 24, 2014 | Blog

It felt like we were in a dream. Or maybe San Diego. Day after day, 82 degrees and little humidity. In a word: pleasant. We know next summer probably won’t be the same, but we sure enjoyed this one.

September 23, 2014 | Blog

61 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Let me repeat: 61 hot dogs in 10 minutes. That’s an incredible 6.1 hotdogs per minute! But for competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut, it was just another day at the office.

September 19, 2014 | Blog

“I told my wife I wouldn't drink tonight. Besides, I got a big day tomorrow. . . . Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper; maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time.”

September 18, 2014 | Blog

This summer, those (31?) of us who watched Chris Pratt steal scene after scene in Parks & Recreation saw him ripen into the star we always hoped he’d become. First he charmed audiences as the voice of Emmett in the Lego Movie (you know, the one that easily broke the record for most references that went over your kid’s head in a G-rated movie).

September 17, 2014 | Blog

While it seems like it happened forever ago, it was just back in July when LeBron James once again held this nation captive over where he would play basketball. Four years ago, he jumped ship to Miami to join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, which led to two championships and four straight finals appearances.

September 16, 2014 | Blog

$113.6 million and counting – that’s the total amount donated to the ALS Association since July 29 as a result of the Ice Bucket Challenge. Just to put that fundraising number into perspective, the Association raised around $3 million in the same period last year – a staggering 3,500%+ increase.

September 15, 2014 | Blog

With Labor Day quickly fading into the distance (tear), we thought it would be a good time to recap some of the employment law (and pop culture) headlines that captured our attention this summer. Follow us over the next 11 days as we examine the challenges that employers faced while many of us were out baking in the sun.

September 15, 2014 | Blog

Those are the opening lyrics to Nico & Vinz’s (catchy would be an understatement) summertime hit “Am I wrong.” The music stations play it so often that my car radio now just automatically turns off in protest.

August 11, 2014 | Blog

Remember last fall when all we could talk about was the government shutdown? The 16-day government shutdown captured the attention of a nation once again gripped by seemingly-manufactured political crisis.

July 15, 2014 | Blog

The EEOC released its updated enforcement guidance on pregnancy discrimination yesterday -- the first time it's done so in more than 30 years. You can access the guidance and related documents here.