Matthew R. Kissling
Partner
Matt is a partner in the Labor & Employment practice group. He primarily focuses his practice on advising government contractors and subcontractors on all aspects of their employment-related obligations under federal, state and local laws and regulations. Matt possesses significant experience defending contractors during compliance audits from the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, as well as guiding contractors on fulfilling their affirmative action obligations under Executive Order 11246, VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. He also regularly advises contractors on wage & hour issues under the Service Contract Act, Davis-Bacon Act, and state prevailing wage laws.
Outside of issues unique to government contractors, Matt also maintains an active practice litigating and counseling management clients on a broad range of employment-related issues, including discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, workers’ compensation, trade secrets and restrictive covenants. He regularly appears in state and federal courts, as well as before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights, and the Industrial Commission of Ohio. Matt is highly-knowledgeable in matters arising under Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, and Title 41 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Matt was an Attorney Advisor to The Honorable Alice M. Craft of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Administrative Law Judges, where he handled matters involving whistleblower complaints, wage and hour disputes, and workers compensation claims arising under a number of federal laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Defense Base Act, and the Service Contract Act.
- “OFCCP Releases 2022 Corporate Scheduling Announcement List,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, May 2022
- "Final Countdown – EEO-1 Survey’s May 17 Deadline is Fast Approaching," Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, May 2022
- "U.S. Supreme Court Stays OSHA ETS; Health Care Worker Mandate Moves Forward," Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, January 2022
- "Federal Court Issues Nationwide Injunction Against Federal Contractor Vaccination Mandate," Thompson Hine Government Contracts/Labor & Employment Update, December 8, 2021
- "Federal Court Enjoins Enforcement of Federal Contractor Vaccination Mandate in Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee," Thompson Hine Government Contracts Update, December 2021
- “New COVID-19 Workplace Safety Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, September 2021
- “NYSDOL Issues Guidance Regarding New York COVID-19 Vaccine Leave Requirements,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, March 2021
- "EEOC Issues Updated Guidance on Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccinations," Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, December 2020
- “Ohio Issues Stay at Home Order,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, March 2020
- “New York State Enacts Paid Sick Leave for COVID-19 Quarantines, Lowers Percentage of Employees Allowed Onsite," Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, March 2020
- “OFCCP Issues National Interest Exemption for Coronavirus Relief Contracts,” Thompson Hine COVID-19 Update, March 2020
- "Renewed Restrictions on the Use of Mandatory Employment Arbitration Agreements," Thompson Hine Government Contracts Update, January 2020
- Thompson Hine Compliance Check 2020: OFCCP Audits, June 2019
- “OFCCP to Electronically Post Corporate Scheduling Announcement List in March 2019,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, February 2019
- “EEO-1 Survey Deadline Extended Until May 31, 2019,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, February 2019
- “California and Maryland General Contractors Liable for Subcontractors’ Wage and Hour Violations,” Thompson Hine Update, June 2018
- “Supreme Court Holds Class and Collective Action Waivers Are Enforceable in Employment Arbitration Agreements,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, May 2018
- “Locked and Loaded: State Law Expansions of the Right to Bear Arms and What They Mean for Your Workplace Safety Policies,” Thompson Hine The Law@Work Newsletter, Spring 2017
- “OMB Renews OFCCP Mandatory Disability Self-Identification Form,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, February 2017
- “Texas Court Issues Nationwide Injunction Against Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Final Rule,” Thompson Hine Government Contracts Update, October 2016
- “Effective Dates Approaching for Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Final Rule Implementation,” Thompson Hine Government Contracts Update, October 2016
- “Department of Labor Issues Final Rule Requiring Government Contractors to Provide Paid Sick Leave,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, October 2016
- “Are You Covered? Navigating the Illusive Definition and Ever-Expanding Consequences of Coverage as a ‘Government Subcontractor,’” Thompson Hine The Law@Work Newsletter, Summer 2016
- “Putting Health & Families First: Executive Order 13706 & What it Means for Government Contractors,” Thompson Hine The Law@Work Newsletter, Spring 2016
- “OFCCP Issues Final Rule on Pay Transparency for Government Contractors,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, September 2015
- “OFCCP Issues New Proposed Antiretaliation Regulations for Government Contractors,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, October 2014
- “Government Contractors Face Additional Equal Pay Obligations,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, April 2014
- “Minimum Wage to Increase for Certain Federal Contractors,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, March 2014
- “OFCCP Releases New Self-Identification Form for Federal Contractors,” Thompson Hine Labor & Employment @lert, January 2014
- "A Sure and Expedited Resolution of Disputes: The Federal Arbitration Act and the One-Year Requirement for Summary Confirmation of Arbitration Awards," 60 CASE W. RES. L. REV. 889, 2010
- Received a 2022 Best Lawyers: Ones To Watch recognition for Labor and Employment Law-Management; included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Labor and Employment Law-Management
- Case Western Reserve University School of Law Leadership Award
- Don M. Larrabee Prize for the Best Thesis on History
Professional Associations
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
Professional Activities
- Alpha Chapter House Corporation of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, Inc., board member, 2009 to 2015
- The HUGS Foundation, board member, 2016 to present
Thompson Hine Elects Six New Partners Thompson Hine LLP
January 13, 2022