Practice Areas

EMPLOYMENT LAW

Mr. Norwillo has extensive experience in all aspects of employment law, from day-to-day advice and counsel to complex employment litigation.  His counsel includes advice on employment agreements, employer policies, employee performance counseling and discharge, as well as matters involving protection of trade secrets and confidential business information, and restrictive covenants on competition and client/employee solicitation.

His litigation experience includes cases involving the complete scope of laws governing the workplace, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and state law equivalents, and other federal and state laws regulating the employer-employee relationship.

TRADITIONAL LABOR

Mr. Norwillo has considerable experience in a range of traditional labor law matters. He has advised and represented primarily construction industry employers of all sizes in connection with union organizing, corporate, and salting campaigns, as well as collective bargaining negotiations, strike preparations, contractual grievance and arbitration matters, as well as a comprehensive range of unfair labor practice and representation proceedings before Regional Offices of the National Labor Relations Board across the country.

Mr. Norwillo has also counseled and represented contractors and other employers in negotiating “project only” and other Section 8(f) recognition agreements and handled multiple disputes involving union trust fund audits as well as withdrawal liability contests.

STAFFING / CONTINGENT EMPLOYMENT

Mr. Norwillo has an extensive history representing employers in all arenas of the staffing industry. He has represented global, national, regional, and local staffing companies servicing the construction, maritime, technology, healthcare, and other business sectors.  He has prepared staffing services agreements compliant with state and local tax, licensing, bonding and other requirements in every state across multiple service lines.

He has successfully handled hundreds of matters for staffing clients in  wage and hour and discrimination cases, as well as disputes involving joint-employer relationships, traditional labor, OSHA, MSHA, Davis-Bacon and Related Acts compliance, ACA and other benefits issues, immigration, employee torts, non-compete litigation, workers’ compensation, collection proceedings including mechanics’ liens and payment bond claims, and provided general advice on matters ranging from employee compensation plans to the enforcement of employee non-solicitation restrictions in staffing agreements.

His 28 years of experience in these different practice areas enables Mr. Norwillo to provide comprehensive legal services to staffing firms of any size, in any service sector. Mr. Norwillo is dedicated to addressing the needs of staffing firm employers through active membership in the American Staffing Association (ASA) and related industry trade associations.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

The firm represents self-insured, stated fund, group rated, and public employers in all phases of workers’ compensation matters.  Mr. Norwillo is adept at designing safety and claim cost management strategies for employers.  Cost reduction strategies may include exploring available discount programs, alternative Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) rating programs, and self-insurance. We evaluate an employer’s specific circumstances and objectives to design the most effective claims management strategy and defense.

The firm represents employers before the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Ohio Industrial Commission in all injury and occupational disease compensability matters, requests for authorization of medical treatment, eligibility for compensation issues, and Violation of Specific Safety Requirements claims.  The firm has also prosecuted appeals to the BWC Adjudicating Committee regarding experience, rate, and successorship issues.

The firm has successfully defended clients in jury trials on contested claim allowance appeals before Ohio’s courts of common pleas. The firm has also successfully represented employers in mandamus appellate matters on extent of disability issues related to a claim.

CONSTRUCTION LAW

Mr. Norwillo provides counseling and legal service to national, regional, and local contractors, and subcontractors in the construction industry.  Mr. Norwillo assists clients in all business aspects of construction contracting, from bid preparation through project close-out.  He counsels clients in labor and employment matters, wage and hour compliance, contract preparation, and project administration. Mr. Norwillo also assists eligible subcontractors secure MBE, WBE, and DBE certification.

Mr. Norwillo handles construction claims involving contract disputes, change orders, work delays, unforeseen conditions, workmanship and construction defects. Mr. Norwillo also resolves payment disputes through the perfection and foreclosure of statutory mechanic’s liens as well as payment bond claims on both private and public works projects.

OSHA / WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH

Mr. Norwillo has represented and counseled employers regarding compliance with OSHA general industry and construction standards, through safety and health programs, best practices, and safety and health audits.  He is experienced at effectively handling OSHA inspections and negotiating favorable informal settlements of OSHA citations.  Mr. Norwillo has also represented employers in litigation of contested OSHA citations before the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, corresponding OSHA state-plan adjudicatory agencies, and appellate courts.  Mr. Norwillo has also successfully defended employers faced with safety whistleblower claims under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act.

WAGE AND HOUR

Mr. Norwillo has counseled numerous national employers on compliance with the minimum wage, overtime, and other wage payment obligations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the Davis-Bacon and related Acts, as well as state law counterparts.  He has developed and implemented internal audit programs to ensure compliance with critical issues such as proper designation of exempt and non-exempt employee classification, accountable and non-accountable per-diem plans, payment of all hours worked, and proper payroll deductions.  Mr. Norwillo has represented employers in investigations and audits by the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. DOL and state enforcement agencies, preparing employers for on-site investigations and handling investigations from opening conferences to resolution after closing conferences.

Employers with multi-state operations must do more than simply comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act.   Mr. Norwillo has extensive experience assisting national employers satisfy the myriad of different wage and hour requirements imposed by state laws.   He has modified policies of construction and staffing employers on a state-by state basis including meal and rest break requirements, wage payment rules, permissible wage deductions, use-it-or-lose it paid time off policies, and limitations on the use of pay cards and direct deposit.   Such proactive measures prevent unexpected payroll issues and protect the profitability of business operations.