Keith has been defending employers in the labor and employment setting for over 40 years. He began his legal career in the Industrial Relations Department of the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Ore Company.
Keith subsequently joined and practiced at several labor and employment defense boutique law firms where he sharpened his skills in representing large Fortune 500 companies and mid-size and small businesses in all aspects of federal and state court litigation, administrative law proceedings, and sound preventive advice and counsel.
Keith has successfully represented businesses in Title VII, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, NLRB, NLRA, and ERISA employment disputes. He helps employers identify potential legal risks before they percolate into time-consuming litigation and hearings. OSHA safety audits, and Fair Labor Standards Act compliance audits are just two examples of areas where preventive, forward-thinking allows employers to armor themselves with legal advice that will prevent litigation and costly penalties or jury awards.
Keith has defended large, class action employment-related lawsuits, collective-action lawsuits, and single and multi-plaintiff disputes in federal courts throughout the United States. Keith's knowledge and experience allows him to keep in-check litigation defense costs by both maintaining reasonable hourly billing rates in light of his 40 years of employment defense experience, and reducing billable time expenditures by not having to "re-invent the wheel" with each new matter.
Union collective bargaining negotiations, and union organizing strategies are two of Keith's strengths. He has successfully represented employers in hundreds of arbitration proceedings in the union setting. That experience has given Keith the advantage of knowing and becoming familiar with a vast array of decision-making arbitrators, and opposing union advocates when contract interpretation or disciplinary disputes are heard and decided in the arbitral forum.
Keith is admitted to practice, and has appeared before the United States Supreme Court, and the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and District of Columbia federal circuit courts. He defends employers across both the private and public sector settings.
He has advised and defended employers in non-compete and employee loyalty disputes, and counseled employers on how to protect and prevent disclosure of valued trade secrets and other business confidential information.
kpryatel@hplaborlaw.com
234-284-2820 (p)
234-284-2819 (f)
Keith Pryatel
Cathryn Ensign Schmidt
censignschmidt@hplaborlaw.com
234-284-2820 (p)
234-284-2819 (f)
Cathryn counsels and defends employers in all aspects of employment law. She assists employers of all sizes in compliance with state and federal employment laws that affect the workplace including Fair Labors Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans With Disabilities Act, and all forms of discrimination laws including Title VII and the Ohio Civil Rights Act. Cathryn provides guidance and practical solutions for various employment issues.
She conducts training, onsite and online to ensure that employers and their employees avoid potential employment issues. She collaborates with clients to identify potential issues before they become problems and work with her clients to resolve and manage problems when they arise.
She partners with management and human resources personnel to address employment related claims. Cathryn frequently drafts and revises employee handbooks to ensure compliance with recent changes in the law. She advises on issues related to discipline, reasonable accommodations, leaves of absence, terminations, workforce restructuring, hiring and recruiting and labor activities.
Cathryn is an experienced litigator with over 38 years of employment law cases in both state and federal courts and has represented clients in state and federal enforcement agencies, counseling employers on workplace issues and conducting workplace investigations and audits. She has tried cases involving claims of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, Title VII, wrongful terminations, and non-compete litigation.
Cathryn has experience in labor law issues including organizing activities and contract negotiations. Cathryn, is an Adjunct Professor and has also taught various law classes and trial practice since 2007.
Cathryn is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Northern and Southern Ohio District Courts.