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Our Lawyers Stephen B. Stern sstern@tljlaw.com Mr. Stern has successfully represented clients in federal and state courts and before federal, state and local administrative agencies, including the EEOC and Department of Labor. His cases have involved various types of contract, tort and statutory claims, some of which have resulted in jury and non-jury trials. For example, Mr. Stern successfully defended a publicly traded company in a case that was tried before a federal jury in the Eastern District of Virginia (a.k.a. the “Rocket Docket”) in which a former Group Vice President accused the company of discrimination on the basis of his age. In another case, Mr. Stern successfully represented on appeal a privately-owned corporation that was facing a purported class action under the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act. Other litigated cases Mr. Stern has handled include disputes regarding respective ownership interests in privately-held companies, commercial and employment contract actions, mass tort claims, claims for interference with contractual relations or prospective economic advantage, professional disciplinary matters, and claims for defamation, false imprisonment and civil rights violations. Mr. Stern regularly counsels insurers regarding claims tendered under general liability, D&O, EPL, excess, umbrella, and other liability policies by providing coverage advice and evaluating the potential liability and exposure for underlying claims. Mr. Stern also regularly represents insurers in coverage litigation. He has defended insurers in federal and state courts against allegations of bad faith, breach of contract and violating state unfair and deceptive trade practices acts. In addition, Mr. Stern has defended insurers against allegations of participating in a tortious conspiracy and denying coverage on discriminatory grounds, among other types of claims. Mr. Stern also has an active employment practice in which he helps large, small and mid-size employers minimize exposure to liability by developing and implementing effective employment policies and practices. In this regard, he advises employers on strategic policy initiatives, such as trade secret protection programs, wage and hour practices, privacy concerns, independent contractor arrangements, employee handbooks and document retention practices. In addition, he helps employers respond to issues that arise on a day-to-day basis, such as leave requests, employee discipline, ADA accommodations, background checks, and termination decisions. Clients also have retained Mr. Stern to conduct training seminars and investigate allegations of misconduct, such as fraud, drug use and/or distribution, whistleblower complaints, sexual harassment and other forms unlawful harassment and discrimination. When litigation has been unavoidable, clients have called upon Mr. Stern to defend them against allegations of discrimination and harassment under various statutes (e.g., Title VII, ADA, ADEA and comparable state statutes), Family and Medical Leave Act violations, wage and hour violations (both under the FLSA and similar state laws), retaliation under the whistleblower protection provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (“SOX”), breaching employment agreements, and COBRA violations. In addition, employers sometimes retain Mr. Stern to file lawsuits against former employees for breaching noncompetition agreements, misappropriating trade secrets or other confidential/proprietary information, and for failing to repay funds they were not entitled to retain. In addition to his law practice, Mr. Stern is involved in community activities, such as B’nai B’rith International, for which he serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Governors. Through B’nai B’rith, Mr. Stern attends embassy events and policy conferences and he travels to foreign countries to meet with government leaders and members of various communities, among other things.
Practice Areas Education Bar and Court Admissions Other Professional Affiliations Presentations and Speaking Engagements “HR’s Role in Protecting Intellectual Property and Confidential Information,” 5th Annual Maryland SHRM State Conference (December 4, 2008) “Summary of Intellectual Property Law Basics” and Expanded Seminar, Motorcycle Industry Council’s Annual Meeting (February 15, 2008) “Harassment Prevention,” American Correctional Association Winter Conference 2008 (January 16, 2008) “Compensation Plans: Identifying Potential Liability for Maryland Employers,” 2007 Maryland SHRM State Conference (December 4, 2007) “Protecting Trade Secrets and Other Confidential Information,” 2007 Virginia State SHRM Conference (October 3, 2007) “Wage and Hour Law: Answers to Everyday Questions,” National Business Institute (November 2006) “Prison Employees and the Americans With Disabilities Act,” 135th Congress of Correction, American Correctional Association (August 6, 2005) “Employment Trends Crystal Ball: Looking Over Your Shoulder and into the Future,” 10th Annual Nonprofit Risk Management Institutes (October 19, 2004) “Maryland Wage and Hour Update,” National Business Institute (Fall 2004) “Fundamental Issues in Maryland Human Resources Law,” National Business Institute (October 1, 2003) Publications “Pleading a Sarbanes-Oxley Act Whistleblower Claim: What is Required to Survive?,” The Labor Lawyer (Fall 2007) “Employers Need to Be Aware of the Various Laws, Regulations and Common Duties that Govern Apprenticeship Programs,” Human Resource Executive, Legal Primer (January 25, 2006) “Supreme Court Rules On Evidentiary Matters Involving Mixed-Motive Employment Discrimination Cases,” FindLaw Corporate Counsel Center, (in summary) National Law Journal (September 2003), Corporate Counsel (October 2003) “Legal Risks of Electronic Surveillance in the Workplace,” Maryland Bar Journal (February 1, 2002) “Revisiting the 8/80 Rule: Drawbacks and Perk,” Baltimore Business Journal (April 1, 2000) |
