Stephen Richey

Practices

• Labor & Employment
• Business Litigation
• ERISA Litigation

Professional Experience

Stephen is the leader of the firm's Labor and Employment practice group. He counsels employers regarding all aspects of labor and employment.

Prior to joining the firm, Stephen was a law clerk for the Honorable S. Arthur Spiegel, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio.

Stephen practices throughout the country and is admitted to practice before the following courts:
Supreme Court of Ohio
Supreme Court of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
U.S.Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas

Education

• Salmon P. Chase College of Law, J.D., 1993, summa cum laude
• Xavier University, M.ED., 1979, summa cum laude
• Xavier University, B.A., 1969, cum laude

• Representative matters include:
• Represented employers in significant class action lawsuits in federal court, including Fair Labor Standards Act, age discrimination and ERISA, national origin discrimination, WARN Act, and race discrimination.
• Represented employers and individuals in cases involving the enforcement of non-compete agreements and trade secrets violations.
• Represented employers before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the state Civil Rights Commissions.
• Defended employers in civil suits alleging discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge and intentional tort claims.
• Represented employers before the National Labor Relations Board.
• Counseled employers throughout union organizing campaigns.
• Aided employers in the conduct of campaigns to decertify unions.
• Developed human resources policies for employers, including creation of employee handbooks and other policy statements.
• Conducted training for management and supervisors in areas including anti-discrimination and harassment policies, hiring and termination practices, Family and Medical Leave Act, union avoidance and other employment related areas.
• Reported Cases:
• Bender v. Newell Window Furnishings, 725 F.Supp. 2nd 642 (W.D. Mich., 2010) (ERISA Class Action)
• Meade v. Honda of America Mfg., Inc., et al., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17145 (S.D. Ohio) (Feb. 2009) (sexual harassment and COBRA)
• Lantech.Com v. Yarbrough, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82970 (W.D. Ky., Oct. 2006) (non-compete / trade secrets), affirmed 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 22163 (6th Cir.)
• Craig v. Continental P.E.T. Technologies, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70287 (E.D. Ky., Sept. 2006) (age, gender and disability discrimination)
• Seiter v. DHL Worldwide Express, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59546 (E.D. Ky., Aug. 2006) (pregnancy discrimination)
• Noe v. Polyone, 2006 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 92098 (W.D. Ky)(union contract retiree benefits)
• Ramsey v. Formica Corporation, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9558, 33 Emp. Ben. Cases (BNA) 1095 (S.D. Ohio 2004), affirmed 398 F.3d 421 (ERISA);cert. denied, 546 U.S. 815 (2005)
• D.E.I., Inc. v. Ohio & Vicinity Reg'l Council of Carpenters, 2004 U.S. Dis. LEXIS 886 (N.D. Ohio 2004) (union contract)
• Cervantes v. Sugar Creek Packing Co., 210 F.R.D. 611 (S.D. Ohio 2000)
• Shepherd v. Babcock & Wilcox of Ohio, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6349 (S.D. Ohio 1998) (age discrimination / ERISA)

• DOL FMLA Changes: For Employers, A Mixed Bag · Employment Law 360, Feb. 2008
• Employers, Owners Bear Burden of Enforcing Smoking Ban · Cincinnati Business Courier, December 15, 2006
• Tailor Non-Competes to a T · HR Magazine, Vol. 51, No. 9, September 2006
• Survey: How Recent Kentucky Courts are Applying the Retaliation Claim in Employment Cases (with Faith C. Isenhath) · Northern Kentucky Law Review, Vol. 33, No. 3, 2006
• Employers' Responsibilities and Duties to Today's Citizen Soldier · Cincinnati Bar Association Report
• Employers' Responsibilities and Duties to Today's Citizen Soldier · Employee Relations Law Journal, Vol. 29, No. 4, Spring 2004
• Episcopal Retirement Homes, Inc. v. Ohio Dept. Of Industrial Relations; Judicial Rehearing in the Ohio Supreme Court · Northern Kentucky Law Review, 1992

• Online Social Networking: Risks, Benefits and Practical Considerations, Lorman Educational Services, March 17, 2011
• Discrimination and Harassment, Formica Executive Committee, March 11, 2011
• Online Social Networking, Butler/Warren Human Resources Association, March 30, 2010
• Online Social Networking, Greater Cincinnati Human Resources Association, November 19, 2009
• Online Social Networking, Webinar, September 16, 2009
• Employment Law Update, Pro Mach HR Conference, October 2008
• Wage & Hour Issues, Human Resources Assn. of S.W. Ohio, October 2008
• Wage & Hour Update, Greater Cincinnati Human Resources Association, September 2008
• Seven Deadly Wage/Hour Mistakes, Thompson Hine L&E Annual Seminar, May 2008
• Wage & Hour Update, Cincinnati Bar Association Corporate Counsel Committee, May 8, 2008
• What to Do When a Key Employee Departs, Thompson Hine L&E Annual Seminar, May 2008
• Identifying Wage/Hour Issues, Pro Mach HR Conference, October 2007
• Are You the Next Wage/Hour Class Action?, Thompson Hine L&E Annual Seminar, May 2007
• Avoiding Wage/Hour Class Actions, Cincinnati Time Recorders Annual Seminar, May 2007
• Evaluating Candidates with Non-Compete Agreements, Greater Cincinnati Human Resources Association, November 2006
• Are Medical Absences Making You Sick? Exploring the Interplay Between FMLA, ADA, PDA and Workers' Comp., ProMach HR Conference, September 2006
• Are Medical Absences Making You Sick? Exploring the Interplay Between FMLA, ADA, PDA and Workers' Comp., Thompson Hine L&E Annual Seminar, May 2006
• Union Avoidance, Greater Cincinnati Human Resources Association HR Academy, March 2006
• Workplace Violence, May 2005
• Exempt or Non-exempt, May 2005
• Changes to "White Collar" Regulations, September 2004
• Workplace Violence, September 2004
• Non-Compete Agreements and Injunctive Relief, April 2004
• ADA, FMLA and Workers' Compensation, February 2004
• Avoiding Liability in Hiring and Firing, September 2003
• Proposed Changes to FLSA, June 2003
• Best Practice in FMLA Administration, January 2003
• Managing Employee Relationships in Ohio, September 2002
• New Millennium Employment Strategies, May 2002
• Ohio Public Employment Law Conference, April 2002
• Disability Discrimination, March 2002
• FMLA - The Good, Bad and Ugly, May 23, 2002
• How to Avoid Liability When Hiring and Firing, March 2000
• ADA, FMLA and Workers’ Compensation Seminar, June 2000
• Buying and Selling a Business in Ohio, July 2000
• Wage and Hour Law Update, February 2001
• Treating Employees with Dignity and Respect, February 2001
• Family and Medical Leave Act in Ohio, April 2001

• Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers by Ohio Super Lawyer magazine in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012

• Latin