Jeffrey S. Klein chairs the firm’s national Employment Litigation practice.

• Proven winning track record in high-stakes complex employment litigation and employment negotiations
• Serves major blue chip clients across the full-spectrum of employment and ERISA litigation issues with deep expertise in the financial services, health care, retail, sports and entertainment industries
• Noted writer and speaker on emerging employment trends
• Recognized as a “leader” in the field, “an incredible advocate”, "one of the firm's top lawyers" and a “terrific lawyer in the class action arena”

Jeffrey S. Klein chairs the firm’s national Employment Litigation practice. Mr. Klein concentrates in representing employers in all aspects of labor and employment relations law, with a particular emphasis on employment discrimination, healthcare benefits and trade secrets litigation. He has litigated employment discrimination matters relating to race, sex, age, national origin and disability, and has extensive experience in class actions, arbitrations and mediation.

His practice includes litigation concerning trade secrets/restrictive covenants, wage and hour claims, and complex ERISA and related employee benefits litigation matters. He also regularly serves as outside employment counsel for clients such as Merrill Lynch, MasterCard International, UnitedHealth Group, Avon Products, Perella Weinberg Partners, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

Mr. Klein regularly counsels corporate clients on a wide variety of human resources issues such as preventative employee relations programs, non-competition agreements and other restrictive covenants, executive compensation and employment agreements, formulation of employment policies and manuals, affirmative action plans, and the resolution of employment law and benefits issues arising from corporate reorganizations, and restructurings or workforce reductions.

A recognized authority on employment litigation, Mr. Klein is a regular speaker at leading industry conferences, and is the author of numerous articles, including a bi-monthly column for 16 years for the New York Law Journal concerning current developments in employment law. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Labor and Employment Law at New York University School of Law. Mr. Klein is a co-author of The Corporate Counsellor’s Deskbook (Aspen Law 2008), and the treatise Managing Contingent Workers (AMACOM 1996).

Mr. Klein was named one of the "Nation's 100 Most Powerful Employment Attorneys" by Human Resource Executive and Lawdragon magazines in 2008 and 2009.  Chambers USA consistently ranks him as one of New York's leading employment lawyers and has described him as “super for a wide-angle business point of view, [he] moves quickly between issues with an enormous amount of energy…understands what the client wants, is thoughtful and knowledgeable in terms of strategy and provides excellent case analysis.” Mr. Klein was recognized in the Legal 500 US in 2007, 2008, and 2009 as “an absolute standout – his advice is sophisticated [and] thoughtful” and he is “excellent with tactics.” In addition, he was again named a "Best Lawyer" in the specialty of Labor and Employment Law in The Best Lawyers in America 2010. PLC Which Lawyer 2010 ranked Mr. Klein as a leading employment lawyer in New York.  Mr. Klein was nominated by in-house counsel and peers as one of the “pre-eminent practitioners in the world” in the Guide to the World's Leading Labour & Employment Lawyers 8th edition. His peers also have elected him a Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

Mr. Klein is also a sports law expert and has extensive experience in litigation, contract negotiations, licensing and endorsement agreements on behalf of numerous professional athletes and management personnel, sports broadcasters, entertainers, players associations and sports entities. Those for whom he has done work include Joe Torre, Dave Winfield, Jeff Kent, Al Leiter, Tommy John and Ernie Grunfeld; the Yankees Entertainment and Sports (“YES”) Network, The Nicklaus Companies, the National Football League Players Association, Major League Baseball Players Association, National Basketball Players Association and Ring Magazine; and broadcasters Joe Castiglione, Jeff Torborg, John Rooney, Brad Sham and Spencer Ross.

Mr. Klein graduated magna cum laude from Amherst College, received his J.D. from Columbia University Law School, and has served on the faculty of Cardozo Law School as an adjunct professor, and also has taught at Fordham Law School.