Overview

Attorney Jeff Landes is a trusted partner to employers as they navigate the rapidly changing laws impacting their workforce decisions.

He counsels a wide range of employers, including international luxury retailers, global financial services companies, foreign banks, startup organizations, nonprofit organizations, and independent schools on all aspects of employment compliance and risk avoidance by carefully considering the legal issues, industry trends, and business objectives unique to their organization. A long-term resource to boards, in-house counsel, and HR teams, Jeff is a natural extension of their leadership team, whether they need a quick gut check or a tough negotiator. He provides practical advice they can use immediately to address difficult misclassification issues, disciplinary actions, or staffing challenges. When designing cohesive policies and procedures, he outlines complex legal and compliance requirements in business terms his clients can understand.

Clients know that Jeff is genuinely invested in protecting their business and their brands. He studies their organizational culture so that he can identify with their mission, understand their challenges, and spot risks. Non-U.S. employers rely on Jeff to explain not only the legal requirements of doing business in the United States but the cultural considerations that inform their policies and conduct. Non-profit board members and K-12 private school administrators value his ability to bring stakeholders together—and draw on his own experience as a trustee of a private school—to find solutions to the unique challenges they face when confronting allegations of staff misconduct, designing return-to-work policies, or responding to accommodation requests.

Jeff regularly leads workplace training programs on sexual harassment, workplace conduct, performance management, the hiring process, and wage/hour issues. His combination of humor and real-world examples engages audiences at all levels of the organization.

Focus Areas

Experience

  • Represented a global financial service company in a comprehensive nationwide Fair Labor Standards Act audit. Jeff successfully managed the reclassification of positions to avoid legal challenges and provided advice on how to restructure job roles to satisfy wage and hour laws.
  • Developed and conducted a nationwide anti-harassment training program for a global financial services company’s managers and employees to address cultural and legal issues with creative attention-getting hypothetical examples.
  • Represented a luxury retailer in successfully managing its nationwide restructuring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jeff helped his client implement layoffs and furloughs by providing strategic advice to successfully avoid litigation and comply with an ever-changing legal landscape. He also provided advice on how to restructure the organization effectively to be able to compete in the current and post-pandemic environment.
  • Represented a leading nonprofit in its handling of the departure of a senior executive who threatened legal action as a result. Jeff successfully negotiated a resolution and the transition of responsibilities. He also provided high-level advice to the Board of Trustees to manage the transition and reorganize executive roles.
  • Counseled a growing financial services company on revising and expanding its onboarding policies and procedures to comply with all federal, state, and local employment laws.

Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America: Employment Law – Management (2023 to 2025)
  • The Browning School: Charles W. Cook ’38 Alumnus Achievement Award (2023)
  • The Legal 500 United States: Workplace and Employment Counseling (2016, 2018)

Credentials

Education

  • Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (J.D., 1992)
  • Vassar College (B.A., 1987)

Bar Admissions

  • Connecticut
  • New York

Court Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Professional & Community Involvement

  • American Bar Association
  • The Browning School, Board of Trustees
  • Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, Advisory Council

Media

Events

Insights

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