Labor and Employment in Rhode Island: A Guide to Employment Laws, Regulations, and Practices

JEFFREY L. HIRSCH PARTNER, HIRSCH ROBERTS WEINSTEIN LLP
jhirsch@hrwlawyers.com
One Liberty Square,  12th Floor
Boston, MA 02109 
(617) 348-4315

Jeff Hirsch is a founding partner of the boutique law firm of Hirsch Roberts Weinstein LLP which focuses on litigation, labor and employment. He has been practicing since 1982, and deals extensively in all areas of labor and employment law. This includes representing both union and nonunion employers in matters such as union organizing campaigns, labor negotiations labor arbitration, wrongful discharge, and sexual harassment cases. He has appeared before the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and other agencies. Mr. Hirsch was appointed by the governor in 1995 to the Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and continues to serve.

In 2005, Mr. Hirsch was elected a Fellow in The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, which is a non-profit professional associate honoring the leading lawyers nationwide in the practice of labor and employment law. Membership to the College is by invitation only reserved for those who have the highest level of character, integrity, professional expertise and leadership. Mr. Hirsch, who is ranked by both Chambers USA and the “Best Lawyers in America” as one of the top labor and employment lawyers in Massachusetts, has lectured and written extensively on employment topics. His books have included Labor and Employment in Massachusetts, Labor and Employment in Connecticut, Labor and Employment in New Hampshire, Labor and Employment in Rhode Island, and the Occupational Safety and Health Handbook, all published by LEXIS NEXIS. His books have been used by thousands of lawyers, human resources professionals, and managers.

Mr. Hirsch received his B.S. from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and his J.D. from Boston University. He taught in Boston University’s M.B.A. program and is a Fellow in the school’s Human Resource Policy Institute.

THOMAS C. WIGAND
Middletown, RI 02842
tomw@wigandassociates.com
(401) 842-0300

Tom Wigand is a management-side employment & labor law attorney and human resources professional; he is admitted to practice law in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and has the SPHR certification. His practice focuses on proactive employment law (compliance - employee relations - preventative employment law) and proactive labor law (union avoidance), providing next level coaching for Human Resource leaders and company management. He has represented clients in EEOC, DOL and NLRB matters.

Attorney Wigand has provided professional services to everything from "micro" through Fortune 500 companies, most notably having conducted (on a subcontract basis) an airline's front-line union avoidance efforts for Washington, D.C., NYC and Boston - successfully repelling two unions' organizing drives targeting multiple workgroups and tens of thousands of employees.

In addition to legal experience, Mr. Wigand has prior management experience, including having served as part of the executive management team for a group of sub-corporations (automobile retailers), during which time he was responsible for general corporate matters, litigation management, acquisition of commercial properties, led two "ground up" construction projects and handled franchise development as the business grew from 9 to 20 franchises (including Audi; BMW; Cadillac; Ferrari; Infiniti; Lamborghini; Lexus; Mercedes; Porsche and Rolls Royce-Bentley).

Mr. Wigand received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University, and his B.A. from Boston University.