Stephen T. Paterniti

Stephen T. Paterniti is a principal in the Boston, Massachusetts, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He concentrates his practice in the area of employment litigation and counseling on behalf of management.

Steve advises and defends employers on employment issues including employment discrimination and harassment, non-competition, non-solicitation, and misappropriation of trade secrets, medical leave, defamation, wage and hour, OSHA, and reductions in force. He has extensive trial experience and appears frequently in state and federal courts, as well as administrative agencies such as the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has successfully represented clients in federal and state discrimination litigation, class actions, EEOC pattern and practice litigation, restrictive covenant litigation, employment contract claims, and other employment-related litigation.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, he worked as a criminal prosecutor, both as an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in its white collar crimes unit and also as an Assistant District Attorney in Hampden County.

Steve lectures frequently on many topics including employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, harassment, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Representative Case Results

• Obtained defense verdict in MCAD public hearing in ADA disability claim alleging failure to accommodate and wrongful termination of pregnant employee
• Obtained defense verdict at trial in a Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower case involving allegations by financial executive of financial impropriety pertaining to complex tax valuation issues
• Obtained dismissal of disability discrimination claim alleging employer failed to accommodate and then terminated security guard with multiple sclerosis
• Successful defense and resolution of several lawsuits involving senior executives
• Successful defense and resolution of multiple class action wage and hour claims against restaurant chains and high tech companies
• Obtained favorable resolution in OSHA fatality cases involving factory accident at worksite with history of OSHA violations
• Obtained favorable resolution in EEOC race discrimination, retaliation and harassment pattern and practice litigation involving multiple Plaintiffs
• Obtained favorable resolutions in multiple just cause labor arbitrations pertaining to drug diversion by nurses

Honors and Recognitions

• BTI Consulting Group, "Client Service All-Stars" (2023)
• The Best Lawyers in America©, "Litigation - Labor and Employment" (2020-present)
• Massachusetts Super Lawyers®, "Super Lawyers" (2012-present)