Biography
Stephen Aronson defends employers in federal and state court and before administrative agencies in class actions, multiplaintiff, and single plaintiff employment law claims.
Employment Litigation and Administrative Advocacy
Stephen has extensive experience leading the defense of companies facing Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) misclassification claims, including hybrid claims under federal and state law. He frequently wins summary judgment on discrimination, retaliation, whistleblower, free speech, and other employment claims. He is hired by employers and insurance carriers seeking experienced trial counsel to defend cases being brought to trial.
Stephen also handles hearings on injunctions in noncompete cases for both former employers and new employers, including related claims such as misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of fiduciary duty, and employee theft.
Stephen won a defense verdict in a lawsuit filed in Connecticut state court by the former vice president of human resources of a specialty chemical company alleging that he was not paid certain amounts for two bonus awards and claiming breach of contract, promissory estoppel, negligent misrepresentation, fraud, and breach of an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. He also recently prevailed in two court trials, one defending an aerospace company from wage and hour claims and the second defending a municipal employer from race discrimination, hostile environment, and retaliation civil rights claims.
Health Law
While Stephen represents employers in many industry sectors, he often represents the health care industry. He regularly defends hospitals, health care systems, and physician groups from discrimination, wage and hour, whistleblower retaliation, and free speech claims as well as compliance actions. Stephen also works with senior management on implementing best practices, risk avoidance, investigations, and litigation oversight. In addition, he contributes to the firm's Health Law Diagnosis blog.
Counseling, Compliance, and Training
Drawing from his experience as in-house employment counsel, Stephen also counsels companies and human resources professionals on litigation avoidance techniques, investigations, policies, discipline and performance management, governmental and internal audits, employment contracts, contingent worker liabilities, severance and separation agreements, workplace safety, individual terminations and reductions in force, and noncompete, nondisparagement, nonsolicitation, and confidentiality agreements.
Stephen often presents seminars on employment law topics, including litigation strategies, personal liability, wage and hour claims, COBRA, ERISA, employment at will, wrongful discharge, employment contracts, handbooks, defamation, privacy rights, reductions in force, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and workplace violence. He has authored articles on the Dodd-Frank Act and whistleblower retaliation claims, damages under the FLSA, Title VII damages, contingent worker liabilities, wage and hour claims procedures, discrimination litigation, and other topics.
Stephen has been selected to the Connecticut Super Lawyers list in 2006, 2007, 2010, from 2013 to 2016, and for 2019 and 2020. Stephen also has been listed in Benchmark Labor & Employment as a Labor & Employment Star – Northeast for 2018 and 2019.