Michael Arnold is Chair of the firm's Employment, Labor & Benefits Practice. He is an employment lawyer who deftly handles a wide array of matters. His capabilities include counseling on everyday HR life cycle issues, defending management and senior executives in connection with employment-related proceedings, and assisting companies navigate the complex employment issues that arise in transactions. Michael’s clients appreciate his strong emphasis on providing not just legal advice, but also practical advice, that aligns with organizational and HR strategies while reducing exposure. He also prides himself on being user-friendly, responsive, and strategic.
When Michael is not with a client, he’s out there leading the Firm’s Employment, Labor and Benefits Section. He is still quite active blogging for Mintz’s award-winning Employment Matters Blog, where he currently serves as an Editor and where he’s twice been named a top author by JD Supra (2016 and 2017). His peers seem to like him too as they have recognized him consistently; first he was included on the New York Super Lawyers Rising Star List in 2012 and then included among the New York Super Lawyers List from 2013 through the present.
More specifically, here is what Michael is practicing on a day to day basis:
- Counseling on issues related to the HR life cycle (recruiting, staffing, performance, including evaluations and PIPs; engagement, retention, separation, including reduction in force; post-separation, including employee mobility issues), and compliance with discrimination, wage and hour, family and medical leave, workers’ compensation and disability, and other employment laws and regulations.
- Investigating and reporting on employee complaints, including sexual harassment and discrimination complaints, and assisting management resolve other employee relations issues.
- Conducting anti-discrimination/harassment and other HR and legal issue-based training seminars regarding legal requirements, best practices, and risk mitigation.
- Auditing and assisting in the development and implementation of employment policies, procedures, and practices.
- Representing management and senior executives in connection with a variety of complex employment litigation matters, including pre-trial, 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.
More Legal and Business Bylines From Michael S. Arnold
- New York Federal Court Interprets Supreme Court’s Gomez Pick-Off Strategy Opinion Broadly; Declines Employer Request to Deposit Funds with Court to Moot Class Action Claim - (Posted On Thursday, February 18, 2016)
- Second Circuit Amends Unpaid Intern Classification Decision; Refines Primary Beneficiary Analysis - (Posted On Thursday, February 18, 2016)
- Reducing Exposure to and Defeating Off-the-Clock OT Claims: Ten-Step Plan - (Posted On Monday, February 15, 2016)
- DOL Issues Guidance on Joint Employment - (Posted On Monday, February 01, 2016)
- Pick-Off Strategy Via a Rule 68 Offer of Judgment Suffers Stinging Defeat in the Supreme Court; But Can an Actual Payment to the Plaintiff Do the Trick? - (Posted On Friday, January 22, 2016)
- New York City Establishes Office of Labor Standards; Will Enforce Paid Sick Leave Law (NYC Finale Part 3) - (Posted On Wednesday, January 06, 2016)
- New York City Bans Caregiver Status Discrimination; Employers Must Think Carefully About its Impact (NYC Finale Part 2) - (Posted On Wednesday, December 30, 2015)
- New York City Commission on Human Rights Releases Enforcement Guidance on Gender Identity and Expression Discrimination (NYC Finale Part 1) - (Posted On Tuesday, December 29, 2015)
- Uber Class Action Update: Court Finds Arbitration Agreement Unenforceable and Broadens Class of Drivers - (Posted On Tuesday, December 22, 2015)
- Top 10 Largest Shareholders of Non-Publicly Traded Foreign Corporation May be Held Liable for Unpaid Wages for Services Performed in New York State - (Posted On Wednesday, December 09, 2015)