James M. Stone

James M. Stone is a Principal of the Cleveland, Ohio, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. From the opening of the office in 2006 until early 2020, Jim served as Office Managing Principal in Cleveland, when he stepped down to focus on his busy practice and increased task force activities within practice and industry groups.

With more than 25 years of experience in labor and employment law, he has conducted more than 120 negotiations with unions, represented companies in hundreds of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and other claims in court and before administrative agencies such as the EEOC, NLRB, and Department of Labor, as well as handling many cases involving non-competition agreements.

Mr. Stone has defended companies against a broad range of challenges including wrongful discharge claims, wage and hour actions, large multi-plaintiff discrimination claims, as well as counseling large, middle market, and smaller clients in a wide variety of employment and labor law matters. Several matters handled by Mr. Stone and his colleagues have been reported in the national media, including major cases involving the use of neutrality agreements in the automotive industry in Michigan.

He has also litigated a large number of employment cases through jury trial or dismissal, including those involving restructuring and reductions in force and restructuring of benefits. He has counseled clients and written on topics as diverse as the ADA, ADEA, WARN Act, the FMLA, sexual harassment, and other forms of discrimination, non-competition agreements, wrongful discharge, and hiring practices. Mr. Stone also has extensive familiarity with international employment law issues, especially those of Canada and Mexico.

Mr. Stone is particularly knowledgeable about the manufacturing, construction, automotive, gaming, hospitality and steel industries. He often consults with clients regarding the legal aspects of employment terminations and restructuring. Mr. Stone believes that clients should take a pragmatic approach to their employment relations, combining the best practices from human resource, labor relations, and legal strategies, while aggressively defending themselves against unwarranted attacks on their management rights. Mr. Stone has also provided representation and advice in many successful union free campaigns, labor negotiations, arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges and actions involving neutrality agreements.

Prior to joining Jackson Lewis, Mr. Stone was chairman of the Labor and Employment Law Group at a prominent regional law firm with more than 130 lawyers. Mr. Stone has been extensively quoted in the local and national media on employment and labor matters, including several interviews in HR Magazine, HR Executive, Ideas and Trends, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cleveland Bar Journal, Crain’s Cleveland Business, and WCPN Public Radio. He is a past contributing editor to The Developing Labor Law.

Honors and Recognitions

•Who’s Who in America
•Who’s Who in American Law

Pro Bono and Community Involvement

•Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Chairman of the Board of Directors
•Museum of Contemporary Art (Cleveland), Board of Directors, Head of Human Resources Committee
•Union Club - Cleveland, Arts and Culture Committee

Published Works

•The Developing Labor Law. BNA, 1994. [Contributing Editor]
• Taking Sides In Neutrality, Cleveland Bar Journal (April 2005) [Author]

James M. Stone In the News

Jackson Lewis and Its Attorneys Receive Top Rankings in Chambers USA 2020

April 23, 2020 • Jackson Lewis

James Stone and Jim Verdi Discuss Implications of Mexico’s New Labor Laws

October 31, 2019 • GlobalAutoIndustry.com

The Best Lawyers in America 2020 Honors Jackson Lewis Attorneys

August 15, 2019 • Jackson Lewis

James M. Stone Publications

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Manufacturing Employers’ Options to Detect, Prevent Spread of COVID-19

May 1, 2020

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Hidden Costs of an OSHA Citation for Manufacturers

February 27, 2020

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New 2019 Data Shows U.S. Workers Participated in Strike Actions at Highest Rate in 30 Years

February 26, 2020

Webinars

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Reimagining the Workplace in Your Industry: Daily Briefing - Manufacturing

4 - 4:30 PM EST
Archived

webinar

Best Practices for Managing Manufacturing & Distribution Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic

12 - 1:15 PM EST
Archived

webinar

Mexico’s New Labor Laws: Union Organizing and New Regulations Increase Challenges for US Companies

2 - 3:15 PM EST
Archived

James M. Stone Blog Posts

California Workplace Law

Labor Board Sets New Standard for Determining Joint Employer Status

September 2, 2015