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
- UPDATE: OMB Says DOL May Publish Final Rule on White Collar Exemptions in July 2016 - (Posted On Monday, November 23, 2015)
- Ninth Circuit Won’t Review Uber Driver Class Certification Decision - (Posted On Monday, November 23, 2015)
- Breaking News: DOL Indicates New White Collar Exemption Overtime Rule May Not Go Into Effect Until Late 2016 - (Posted On Thursday, November 12, 2015)
- New York Wage Deduction Amendments Renewed for Another Three Years - (Posted On Monday, November 02, 2015)
- New York State Employers Face Strict New Equal Pay and Sex Discrimination Laws - (Posted On Friday, October 30, 2015)
- Mach Mining Continuing to Make its Mark: Second Circuit Holds that Review of EEOC Pre-suit Investigation Extremely Limited - (Posted On Friday, October 23, 2015)
- EU Top Court Invalidates Safe Harbor; Data Transfer Concerns Arise for EU/US Employers - (Posted On Tuesday, October 06, 2015)
- Internal Whistleblowing Protected Against Retaliation Under Dodd-Frank Says Second Circuit - (Posted On Tuesday, September 29, 2015)
- Second Circuit (Sort of) and Fourth Circuit (Completely) Refuse to Apply “Manager Rule” to Title VII Retaliation Claims - (Posted On Friday, September 25, 2015)
- New York City Commission on Human Rights Releases Enforcement Guidance on the Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act - (Posted On Friday, September 11, 2015)