Jonathan B. Orleans

USA: Connecticut

Pullman & Comley LLC
850 Main Street
P.O. Box 7006
Bridgeport, CT 06601-7006

Tel: 203.330.2129

Email: jborleans@pullcom.com
Web: www.pullcom.com

Jonathan Orleans is chair of the Labor & Employment Law practice of Pullman & Comley. He has over 30 years of experience as a litigator and counselor in a broad range of employment-related matters. He represents businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals in disputes arising out of employment contracts, restrictive covenants, and other agreements, and litigates cases arising under federal and state statutes governing employment. Jon advises clients on compliance with laws and regulations, and represents employers and senior executives in the negotiation of employment contracts and separation agreements. He frequently assists employers with the development and application of personnel policies, and offers anti-harassment and other training programs to clients of the firm.

Jon also advises colleges, universities and independent schools concerning both employment-related matters and compliance with Title IX as it relates to campus sexual misconduct and to athletics. He serves as an investigator of campus and workplace sex discrimination and harassment complaints.

Jon’s service to the bar and the community currently includes chairing the Local Civil Rules Advisory Committee of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, serving as chair of the Board of Directors of the Bridgeport Public Education Fund, and serving as Legal Advisor to the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. He previously was co-chair of the Connecticut Bar Association Federal Practice Section. Jon has also been a member of the Connecticut Judicial Department Civil Commission, the Federal Grievance Committee of the U.S. District Court, and the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center. In 2011-12, Jon taught Civil Procedure as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut School of Law.

  • Currently defending a Connecticut municipality against claims of racial discrimination in promotional procedures in its Fire Department
  • Defended and settled putative class action under New York labor law pertaining to wages and hours
  • Investigated sexual misconduct complaints on behalf of private universities
  • Successfully defended, in trial and on appeal, a marketing firm charged with unfair trade practices and misappropriation of trade secrets in its hiring of a competitor’s employee
  • Advised a university concerning Title IX compliance in its athletics program
  • Representation of employers in federal and state Department of Labor wage/hour and OSHA investigations
  • Defense of numerous businesses, from manufacturers to physicians and other professionals, against claims of employment discrimination before the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and state and federal courts
  • Defended a physician group against claims of, inter alia, unfair competition, brought by their former employer
  • Represented an executive challenging a non-competition provision in a phantom equity plan
  • Represented a high-technology manufacturer in the enforcement of a non-competition and non-solicitation agreement against a former employee
  • Represents a builder of theatrical scenery in collective bargaining negotiations, other employment matters, and contract negotiations and disputes with vendors and customers
  • Represents businesses and individuals in breach-of-contract litigation
  • Recipient of the Connecticut Law Tribune’s Professional Excellence Award, for his outstanding service to the legal profession during his career.
  • Listed in Chambers USA  America’s Leading Lawyers to Businesses in the area of labor and employment
  • Named Stamford “Lawyer of the Year” in the Employment Law – Management category in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019 by The Best Lawyers in America 
  • Named Stamford “Lawyer of the Year” in the Litigation – Labor and Employment category in 2014 and 2018 by The Best Lawyers in America 
  • Selected to the Super Lawyers list since 2006 in the areas of Employment & Labor, and Business Litigation
  • Received the highest peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell (AV Preeminent)

Pullman & Comley’s Labor, Employment Law & Employee Benefits practice is committed to providing prompt, practical assistance to clients of all sizes in the areas of private and public sector labor and employment law.

Our attorneys advise clients in all aspects of labor, employment law and employee benefits, including counseling and training, litigation, immigration law and union issues. Our attorneys also provide sophisticated investigation services to private and public entities. Our goal is to help clients develop and maintain employee relations practices that comply with the law and serve their business objectives. We provide effective preventative counseling and aggressively defend our clients’ personnel decisions. We counsel clients on all aspects of the employment relationship including hiring, discipline and termination. Additionally, we handle all aspects of employee benefits plans for both taxable and tax-exempt employers.

Our attorneys regularly handle employment matters before state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout the United States. We litigate employment disputes of every type, including discrimination and retaliation claims, trade secret and noncompete agreements, ERISA claims and other contract and employment-related tort claims. We negotiate and draft labor agreements, employment and severance agreements and virtually every type of employment-related documents, including nondisclosure and restrictive covenant agreements, and grievance resolutions.

Founded in 1919, Pullman & Comley, LLC has offices in Bridgeport, Hartford, Stamford, Westport and Waterbury, Connecticut and White Plains, New York. The firm’s major practice areas include business and finance; environmental and land use; government finance; health care; labor, employment law and employee benefits; litigation; property valuation; real estate; regulatory, energy and telecommunications; and trusts and estates, as well as various targeted practice sections that provide depth of experience and also the flexibility to regroup for customized, solution-oriented service.

Pullman & Comley’s clients include major financial institutions, health care providers, service businesses, trade and art associations, manufacturers and emerging growth businesses in the biotech and information technology industries, as well as nonprofit organizations and individuals.

 
“Jonathan Orleans is a “strategic and seasoned employment lawyer who has mastery of the law,” reports one source, adding: “He is a skilled negotiator with a practical approach.” He defends against matters such as discrimination and wage and hour actions, as well as drafting employment polices and acting in alternative dispute resolution proceedings.”
Chambers & Partners