Nancy J. Puleo

Partner and Labor, Employment & OSHA Practice Leader

Nancy provides employment law counseling and advice to executives, managers, human resource professionals, and in-house counsel.

Nancy Puleo

Nancy provides employment and labor law counseling and advice to executives, managers, human resource professionals, and in-house counsel. She also litigates employment and labor disputes before administrative agencies and in court. 

Nancy is the Boston Office Vice-Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. She is also the co-chair of the firm’s Reproductive Health Task Force.

Nancy serves as trusted advisor to her clients, providing experienced advice and counseling on employment law issues tracking the life cycle of employees, including hiring, performance management, investigations, wage and hour compliance, navigating leaves of absence and the reasonable accommodation process, and reductions in force.  She also drafts employee handbooks, employment agreements, including non-competition agreements, and severance agreements. Her practice includes advising clients on labor-related matters such as the unionization process and managing a unionized workforce. She also conducts harassment and discrimination prevention training for companies.

In her litigation practice, she represents clients in discrimination and retaliation claims, wage and hour violations, traditional labor disputes, contract disputes, and common law employment torts. Two growing areas of Nancy’s practice are advising employers on issues involving employees’ social media activities and working with emerging companies on developing and implementing their employment practices.  Her clients operate nationally and regionally in numerous industries, including health care, technology, financial services, human services, and traditional manufacturing settings. Nancy has significant experience working with not-for-profit organizations, particularly in the health care space.

Client Work

  • Represented employers in union organizing campaigns and labor negotiations.
  • Successfully moved to dismiss federal court litigation alleging violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act.
  • Represented employers in audits and investigations by the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, Fair Labor Division and U.S. Department of Labor.
  • Represented a national employer in “John Doe” litigation against a former employee who anonymously posted defamatory comments and disclosed confidential information on Twitter, including successfully identifying the former employee through discovery.
  • Defended employers in class action lawsuits arising out of the Massachusetts Wage Act and federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • Obtained numerous lack of probable cause findings in discrimination and retaliation claims pending before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
  • Successfully negotiated employment and severance agreements for executives at some of the country’s leading companies.
  • Represented employees and employers in non-competition and non-solicitation matters.

Awards & Recognition

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyer in 2017 and 2018
  • “Top Female Attorney in Massachusetts” in 2016 by Super Lawyers
  • “Top Woman of Law” in 2015 by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyer – Rising Star every year from 2009 – 2015

Memberships

  • Boston Bar Association, Section on Labor and Employment
  • Dana-Farber Leadership Counsel, Member
  • Read to a Child, Boston Regional Board of Directors, Member

In The News

Life Beyond the Law

Nancy is a foodie, voracious reader, animal lover (especially bulldogs), enjoys shoe shopping, documentaries, and her favorite place, Nantucket.

Perspectives