Catherine A. Cano

Catherine A. Cano is a principal in the Omaha, Nebraska, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Catherine represents management in all areas of labor and employment law.

Catherine helps clients navigate obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and state disability and leave laws. She also counsels clients on workplace drug and alcohol issues, including developing substance abuse policies. Catherine has defended more than 100 charges of discrimination filed with federal, state and local administrative agencies, and regularly appears before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Iowa Civil Rights Commission and Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission. Catherine represents in employers in federal and state court proceedings and has successfully defended multiple employment arbitrations.

Catherine's practice also includes assisting clients with union organization campaigns, collective bargaining, grievance arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges. Catherine also has experience defending employers against whistleblower claims filed with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Catherine's legal career has been influenced by her father, who had nearly 40 years of experience in the labor and employment area when he retired. Catherine practiced alongside her father for more than five years, an experience she treasures.  

During law school, Catherine interned at the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission, where she researched employment and fair housing related issues for the executive director and commissioners. As a research assistant at the University of Nebraska College of Law, Catherine researched case law regarding different statistical models for establishing discrimination for The Statistics of Discrimination: Using Statistical Evidence in Discrimination Cases, 2013-2014 Edition. In addition, Catherine was also a student editor of the Nebraska Transcript, the University of Nebraska’s alumni publication.

Catherine was raised in Omaha, Nebraska and spent part of her college years in Texas, where she met her husband. They moved to Nebraska within weeks of their wedding (and before he had an opportunity to experience winter in Nebraska) and now have a daughter and three dogs.

Honors and Recognitions

• Great Plains Super Lawyers^®, "Rising Stars" (2015-present) 

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

• girlFRIENDS Guild (Girls, Inc. of Omaha), Guild Member, Vice President Fundraising (2018-2020)
• Junior League of Omaha, Former Active Member
• Victory Boxing Club, Former Board Member (2015-2018)

Published Works

• "Watch Out for Wage-Hour Minefields," Provider Magazine (February 2020) [Co-Author] 
• “Balancing the Legal Obligations Arising From an Aging Workforce,” The Nebraska Lawyer (May/June 2018) [Co-Author]
• “Texting and Driving, Keep Your Employees’ Hands on the Wheel and Eyes on the Road,” HVACR Business, Vol. 11, Is. 2 (February 2016) [Co-Author]
• American Bar Association’s FMLA Treatise Supplement (2015-2019) [Contributing Author]

Speeches

• "Marijuana and CBD Use by Employees – The Critical Questions,” 2020 Upper Midwest Employment Law Institute (Virtual, September 2020) (presenter)
•  “Avoiding Predictable Labor Lawsuits,” Barkleigh Productions (Hershey, PA, November 2019) (presenter)
• “Employment Law for Administrators- Identifying Red Flags,” Nebraska Healthcare Association (Lincoln, NE, July 2019) (presenter)
• “Addressing Prescription Drugs and Marijuana in the Workplace,” Mid-States Distributing Co. (Las Vegas, NV, April 2018) (presenter)
• “Wellness Programs; Navigating the New Web of Regulations,” Lincoln Human Resource Management Association (Lincoln, NE, February 2017) (presenter)
• “What Would You Do? A Discussion About Navigating LGBT Issues,” Claims Litigation Management Alliance (Omaha, NE June 2016) (presenter)
• “Compliance with Emerging Human Resources Challenges in the Workplace,” Nebraska Healthcare Association (Lincoln, NE, March 2016) (presenter)