George A. Voegele, Jr. - Lawyer in Philadelphia, PA

George has been advising management in labor and employment matters for more than 20 years, with a focus on traditional labor matters such as collective bargaining and union-management relations, employment litigation, and wage and hour advice and litigation in both the public and private sectors.George represents businesses, municipalities, nonprofits, and educational institutions in all aspects of labor and employment law, including federal and state court trial proceedings involving equal employment opportunity laws, such as Title VII, the Americans With Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. He has extensive experience handling wage and hour litigation under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage and hour laws, including the defense of class and collective actions, as well as investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor and similar state and local agencies.George has advised employers facing workforce reductions and handled claims under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. George also drafts and negotiates executive and other employment contracts, advises on workplace policies and internal investigations, and handles OSHA investigations and unemployment claims. He has represented clients facing whistleblower claims under various statutes, common law claims including defamation and wrongful discharge, and First Amendment, due process, and other Constitutional claims.George is recognized for his experience advising employers on complying with Pennsylvanias Medical Marijuana law. He is a frequent speaker on the topic and has testified about complying with the law before a committee of Philadelphias City Council. A sampling of the matters George has handled include:Negotiated collective bargaining agreements for public and private-sector employers, and handled dozens of labor arbitrations.Advised employers facing unionization efforts, counseled clients on union avoidance, and handled strikes and picketing.Handled proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board, Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board and similar agencies.Represented a national construction company in litigation against a group of unions seeking to interfere with a project being done with both union and non-union labor and obtained a strong injunction prohibiting union interference, which was upheld by the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Obtained summary judgment for a major municipality facing more than $3 million in potential liability in an FLSA collective action claim brought by its prison guards seeking additional overtime pay for clothes-changing time, and successfully handled the appeal before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.Obtained dismissal of a class action brought by the U.S. Secretary of Labor against a major telecommunications and cable television provider, where the government alleged the company had improperly classified over 300 workers as independent contractors.Obtained dismissal of all state law overtime claims asserted against a group of defense contractors facing a class action over allegedly improper lunch time pay deductions.Represented a local trucking company in an Americans With Disabilities Act lawsuit, and negotiated a favorable settlement for the company after aggressively pursuing discovery of the plaintiff.Represented a national trucking company in a DOL investigation and prevented certification of nationwide class actions in related lawsuits over alleged misclassification of dispatchers and other employees, thus severely restricting the scope of the case and potential exposure to the client.Represented a nursing home chain in a class action lawsuit seeking compensation for off-the-clock work during lunch breaks.Represented a major bank in litigation by former executives.Represented municipalities in Act 111 interest arbitration proceedings involving police and fire personnel.Represented an international chemical company in a state law class action seeking compensation for pre- and post-shift activities.Represented food distributors, construction companies, and manufacturers in OSHA investigations.George has also represented railroads and other carriers in litigation under the Railway Labor Act. Beyond his regular client practice, George serves as a member of the board of directors of Philadelphias Homeless Advocacy Project and also spends significant time providing pro bono service at homeless shelters and to various organizations and individuals unable to afford representation.