Jim Urban has represented and counseled employers in complex employment and labor disputes for more than 20 years. His trial experience includes cases before federal and state court juries, arbitration tribunals, and Department of Labor (DOL) administrative law judges. He has helped employers successfully defend against employment discrimination and whistleblower claims, as well as against allegations that a collective bargaining agreement was breached. He also has secured injunctive relief in state courts to enjoin unlawful picket line activity during labor strikes.
Jim was again selected by peers for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America for both employment and traditional labor law, and the same publication named him Lawyer of the Year in Pittsburgh for labor and employment litigation. The Legal 500 also recognized him for his effectiveness in labor-management disputes. Jim currently is defending a leading telecommunications provider against class action allegations that call center employees worked off the clock. He has extensive experience defending employers who are accused of failing to pay overtime wages, having represented energy producers, retailers, manufacturers, hospitals, banks, and pharmaceutical companies in such class actions.
Jim previously taught trial advocacy at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law for seven years and frequently speaks at CLE seminars regarding issues that are important to employers, such as use of independent contractors, proper classification of employees, defense of joint employer allegations, and navigating through wage and hour audits. He has given several well-received seminars regarding managing layoffs and furloughs during the public health crisis.
Experience
Speaking Engagements
- April 9, 2020
Workforce-Management Considerations in a COVID World - February 3, 2016
Breakfast with the Wage & Hour Division - February 27, 2015
2015 Speaker Series: Drilling Down: Wage and Hour Claims in the Energy Industry - July 15, 2014
2014 Speaker Series: Affordable Care Act Update: The Employer Mandate - May 1-2, 2014
Jones Day 2014 Railway Labor Act Symposium - March 28, 2014
2014 Speaker Series: Veterans and Reservists in the Workforce - June 20, 2013
The Affordable Care Act: Current Implementation Issues for Employers - January 25, 2013
The Business of Practicing Law II, Case and Practice Management, Duquesne University School of Law Capstone Program - December 19, 2012
Social Media: The NLRB's Focus on the Lawfulness of Employer Social Media Policies in Both Union and Nonunion Settings - July 26, 2012
2012 Speaker Series
Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act: What's Next for Employers? - May 22, 2012
2012 Speaker Series
Internal Wage-and-Hours Compliance Audits: Reap the Benefits Before It's Too Late - January 24, 2012
2012 Speaker Series
Social Media and Its Impact on the Workplace - October 20, 2011
The New Pro-Labor Enforcement Regime at the National Labor Relations Board and Effective Prevention Strategies for Minimizing Employment Law Liability - June 28, 2011
2011 Speaker Series
Labor and Employment: The EEOC's Renewed Focus on Systemic Discrimination
- Duquesne University (J.D. 1998); University of Pittsburgh (B.A. 1987)
- Pennsylvania, U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania and Eastern District of Michigan, and U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits