Jonathan R. Shank

Jonathan R. Shank is a principal and the office litigation manager of the Boston, Massachusetts office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He is also a principal in the firm’s Providence, Rhode Island, office. His practice focuses on representing employers in all areas of workplace law, including preventive advice and counseling, as well as the litigation of employment disputes.

Jonathan has represented employers in cases involving discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, defamation, ERISA, wage and hour laws, and breach of contract, as well as cases involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets. His practice includes the defense of single and multi-plaintiff cases, as well as collective and class actions. He litigates in state and federal courts, and has appeared in arbitrations and administrative proceedings before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and the American Arbitration Association.

Jonathan also regularly counsels clients with respect to day-to-day employment issues, including their rights and obligations under federal and state employment laws. Jonathan provides guidance to employers on matters related to disciplinary action, employee training, internal investigations, wage and hour compliance, reductions in force, disability management, leaves of absence, employee handbooks, and restrictive covenant agreements. 

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Jonathan was an associate at an international Am Law 100 law firm and he completed a judicial clerkship with the Honorable Francis X. Flaherty, Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. While attending law school, Jonathan served as note editor of the Suffolk University Law Review and won the Suffolk Law Jurisprudence Award in Labor Law.

Honors and Recognitions

• Thomson Reuters, “Stand-Out Lawyer” (2024)
• Massachusetts Super Lawyers, "Rising Stars" (2016-2020) and "Super Lawyers" (2022-present)

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• ALS Therapy Development Institute, "White Coat Affair" Gala Committee Member
• Rhode Islanders Sponsoring Education (RISE)
• Volunteers In Providence Schools (VIPS) Power Lunch Program

Published Works

• “Retaliation in the Wake of Burlington Northern: Making the Case for an Updated Standard for Proving an Adverse Action in Massachusetts Under Chapter 151B,” Suffolk University Law Review (December 2007) [Author]

Speeches

• "Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and Equal Pay Act - New Requirements on Employers,” Lorman Education Services Webinar, March 28, 2018 (presenter)
• “Overtime Rules & Pay Equity” - The Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce, December 13, 2016 (presenter)
• “Legal Update” – Rhode Island Lumber and Building Materials Dealers Association, March 23, 2016 (presenter)
• “ERISA Compliance 101 Webinar,” EBS Capstone (Newton, MA, February 2012) (co-presenter)