Biography
She also has extensive experience performing due diligence in the context of corporate transactions, including for private equity firms, defending employers in adversary proceedings filed in bankruptcy court, conducting internal investigations regarding companies’ most sensitive and significant employment matters, partnering with employers to implement and execute voluntary and involuntary reductions in force, and advising employers relating to a wide variety of labor and employment workforce issues. She also regularly counsels employers on hiring and separation issues, including for high-level executives, and employee and independent contractor classification issues, reviews and revises handbooks and other employment policies, drafts restrictive covenant agreements, and advises on complex issues regarding non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality obligations. She also regularly publishes articles on a variety of topics in the field of labor and employment law.
Celine is a member of the Weil team representing Sterling Jewelers in a class arbitration widely recognized as the largest private Title VII class action in the country. Celine was also a member of the Weil team that represented Nuance Communications in a high-exposure putative class and collective wage and hour action pending in the Oklahoma federal court. She also represented HCTec in the successful resolution of a high-exposure wage and hour putative collective action in Tennessee federal court challenging the company’s classification of its core workforce; and helped to obtain a favorable class-wide settlement for Tuesday Morning in a putative California wage and hour class action involving over 3,000 potential class members.
Celine is recognized by Legal 500 as a “Recommended” Lawyer for Labor and Employment Disputes.
Celine maintains an active pro bono practice, where she has provided employment-related counseling to a variety of non-profit corporations, including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Central Park Conservancy, the New York Police & Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, and the United Way, and has represented Bravo Volunteer Ambulance Corporation in defending against a state discrimination claim before the New York State Division of Human Rights.
Prior to joining Weil, Celine worked as a Special Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department, where she represented the City of New York and its agencies in federal and state actions involving challenges to the city’s employment practices, and allegations of constitutional and statutory violations.
Celine received her B.A. from Cornell University in 2007, and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School in 2010. During law school, Celine was an associate managing editor of the Brooklyn Law Review and served on the Executive Board of the Moot Court Honor Society. Celine was also a summer intern to Magistrate Judge Michael H. Dolinger in the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York in 2008.
Awards and Recognition, Speaking Engagements, Firm News & Announcements, Latest Thinking
Awards and Recognition
- Celine Chan Named a “Recommended” Lawyer for Labor and Employment Disputes in the U.S. Award Brief — Legal 500 US
Speaking Engagements
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New Developments in Restrictive Covenants in Light of the FTC’s & New York’s Proposed Bans on Non-Competes
Speaker(s):
Celine Chan
March 1, 2024 — Weil Employment Practice Group counsel Celine J. Chan served on a panel titled “New Developments in Restrictive Covenants in Light of the FTC’s & New York’s Proposed Bans on Non-Competes” at the New York City Bar CLE Program Employment Law Institute.
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The Society for Corporate Governance: 2022 Eastern Regional Fall Conference
Speaker(s):
Michael J. Aiello,
John P. Barry,
Celine Chan,
Sarah Coyne,
Howard B. Dicker and
Lyuba Goltser
October 27, 2022 —
Weil hosted Session 5 of The Society for Corporate Governance’s 2022 Eastern Regional Fall Conference, including the following:
- Weil Employment Litigation Practice Group Head John P. Barry and Counsel Celine Chan, and Weil White Collar Defense, Regulatory and Investigations Practice Group Co-Head Sarah Coyne spoke on a panel titled “Navigating the Minefield of Legal and Ethical Issues in Conducting Internal Investigations: A Tale of Lessons Learned and Best Practices.”
- Weil Public Company Advisory Group Co-Head Howard Dicker spoke on a panel titled “Ethics Lessons for In-house Lawyers from Behavioral Science.”
- Weil Public Company Advisory Group Co-Head Lyuba Goltser spoke on a panel titled “Corporate Purpose: Values and Value Creation.”
- Weil Corporate Department Chairman Michael J. Aiello hosted a discussion titled “Mindful Leadership in a Changing World: A Conversation with Nabanita Nag, Chief Legal Officer of Norfolk Southern.”
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Recent Developments in New York Law on Non-Competes and Other Restrictive Covenants
Speaker(s):
Celine Chan
March 4, 2022 — New York, NY — Employment Practice Group counsel Celine Chan served on a panel entitled “Recent Developments in New York Law on Non-Competes and Other Restrictive Covenants,” during the 8th Annual NYC Bar Association's Employment Law Institute.
Firm News & Announcements
- Weil Advises PSG Portfolio Company mPulse on Acquisitions of HealthTrio and Decision Point Healthcare Solutions Deal Brief — December 19, 2023
- Weil Advises Advent International on its $6.4B Acquisition of Dual-Listed Maxar Technologies Deal Brief — December 16, 2022
Latest Thinking
- Limited Time Period in Which to Assert Arbitration Claims Upheld by U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit Publication — Employee Benefit Plan Review — By John P. Barry, Celine Chan and Brett Bonfanti — PDF — October 16, 2023
- Limited Time Period in Which to Assert Arbitration Claims Upheld by Second Circuit Alert — Employer Update — By John P. Barry, Celine Chan and Brett Bonfanti — PDF — August 17, 2023
- Supreme Court Clarifies and Augments Title VII Religious Accommodation Standard: De Minimis No More Alert — Employer Update — By John P. Barry, Celine Chan and Elizabeth Casey — PDF — July 06, 2023
- Six State Bans on Discrimination Against Recreational Marijuana Users May Impact Employer Drug Testing Programs Publication — New York Law Journal — By Celine Chan — October 04, 2022
- D.C.’s Ban on NonCompete Law Again Postponed Alert — Employer Update — By John P. Barry, Celine Chan and Rebecca Sivitz — PDF — March 2022