James M. "Jim" Coleman

Jim Coleman has forty years of experience in counseling employers on wage and hour matters, as well as defending employers in wage and hour litigation and administrative proceedings. His expertise includes in-depth knowledge of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and many comparable state wage and hour laws. Jim served as General Counsel for the National Council of Chain Restaurants for two decades, and through his representation of the trade association, as well as many of its member companies, he has developed considerable expertise in addressing legal issues of particular concern to the food service industry. Jim has also represented the chain restaurant industry before Congress in connection with legislative matters involving the FLSA and the NLRA.

Jim is widely regarded for his expertise in counseling employers on numerous labor law issues, including wage and hour standards, child labor restrictions, occupational safety and health standards, and employment discrimination. He has successfully defended many large chain restaurant employers in litigation brought by the U.S. Department of Labor concerning wage and hour, child labor, and OSHA matters. Jim has also defended many employers against lawsuits involving claims of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, and related charges. Jim's litigation speciality is the defense of wage and hour class and collective actions. Jim serves as the Co-Chair of the firm’s Wage & Hour Practice Group.