PRACTICE FOCUS
Neil A. Morris is Chair of the firm's Philadelphia Labor and Employment Group. He has passionately represented employers for the last 35 years. He concentrates in the areas of labor and employment, municipal labor law, employment discrimination, defamation defense, commercial litigation, and business litigation. He has served as Special/Labor Counsel for more than 35 Pennsylvania Townships and Boroughs, the County of Bucks and many private employers. He is often brought into municipalities to handle "crisis" situations involving employees and/or management.
Mr. Morris handles cases throughout the country including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia. In 1999, he achieved one of the highest defamation jury awards ever in Pennsylvania for a business client. He also has extensive appellate experience arguing appellate cases before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court and Commonwealth Court as well as various Federal District Courts and before the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third, Fourth and Tenth Circuits. Mr. Morris has also argued successfully before the Mississippi Supreme Court.
Mr. Morris practices before many federal and state administrative agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board; the United States Department of Labor; the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
- Representing management in collective bargaining negotiations including binding arbitration, non-binding mediation and in all aspects of union contract negotiations, grievances involving contract interpretation, suspension and discharge.
- Defending employers from unfair labor practice charges, civil rights and other claims, including Title VII, Section 1983, Constitutional claims, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, etc.
- Counsel and draft employment policies, practices and handbooks.
- Counsel management on opposing union elections successfully.
- Defending employers and officials in court.
- All elements of trial and appellate work
- Drafting and applying Civil Service Regulations and interpretations
- Litigating Civil Service Issues
- Representing and defending individuals and businesses and individuals in all disputes, including defamation
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
- Judge Pro Tempore and Settlement Master by the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1997 to 2006
- Master at the Temple American Inn of Court 2007-2020
- Designated as one of Pennsylvania's Super Lawyers in labor and employment law 2004-2010, 2014-2023 by Philadelphia Magazine
- Appreciation Award from New Britain Township, 2004, "For Accomplishing Feats of Biblical Proportions."
- Smart CEO Elite Top Lawyers in Philadelphia, 2011 to 2015.
- Smart CEO, Philadelphia Lawyer of the Year Finalist, 2014
- Lawyers.com/Martindale Hubbell, Highest Peer Rating (AV)
- Best Lawyers in America for Labor and Employment Litigation, U. S. News & World Reports, 2013 to 2023
Neil Morris has been featured in many news articles and TV stories, including:
- Mayor's Scheme Hits Roadblock – An Honest Lawyer – Bucks County Courier Times, November 15, 1998;
- $15 Million Jury Award for Business Defamation, March, 1999; and
- Township Wins Back $10 Million in Pension Funds – Bucks County Courier Times. The $15 Million and $10 Million dollar awards were the 11th and 15th largest reported awards in the State of Pennsylvania in 1999, according to The Philadelphia Legal Intelligencer.
- Radnor Ex-Manager in Court, Delaware County Times, Dec. 17, 2009
- Loan to Radnor Official Disputed, Philadelphia Inquirer, March 9, 2009
- "Hard Hitting" attorney tapped to negotiate with security guards, Bucks County Courier Times, June 21, 2012
- In a Labor Dispute? Then Threaten Away! Philadelphia Daily News, February 27, 2014
- Attorney denies officials Invoked 5th Amendment, Bucks County Courier Times, March 9, 2014
- Full out Septa Strike is Possible - Philadelphia Inquirer, March 21, 2014
- Former Solebury detective forfeits pension – The Intelligencer, Bucks County, March 7, 2016.
- Quoted in ‘Breaking Down Ezekiel Elliott’s Ongoing Problem With the NFL,’ Stephen Young, Dallas, Observer, November 14, 2016
- Simpson retires as chief of regional of regional police department, Chester County Press, December 2022
KEY APPELLATE DECISIONS
ARTICLES AND PRESENTATIONS
- Speaker, Chester County Chiefs of Police Association, the Police Tenure Act, due process, Loudermill/Weingarten Rights, 1995
- Co-authored the article "Steering Clear of Employment Lawsuits" in Pennsylvania Borough News Magazine, March 2004 issue.
- Speaker, Bucks County Bar Association, Municipal Labor Law Issues, 2004
- Speaker, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Solicitors (“PSATS”), Solicitor’s conference – Municipal Liability Employee Issues – the Police Tenure Act, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 2008
- Speaker, PBI (Pennsylvania Bar Institute), federal court employment evidentiary issues, 2008.
- Speaker, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Solicitors (“PSATS”) conference, Municipal Liability Issues, Enola, Pennsylvania, 2009.
- Speaker, Bucks County Bar Association, Municipal Labor Law Issues, 2004.
- Speaker, Bucks County Chiefs of Police Association on Police Chief Employment Contracts and the Pennsylvania Heart & Lung Act, 2011.
- Speaker, Lancaster County Chiefs of Police Association on the Pennsylvania Heart & Lung Act, 2011.
- Speaker and Lead Narrator, Archer & Greiner, P.C. Labor Law Seminar, Bensalem, Pennsylvania (140 attendees) municipal labor law issues, 2011.
- Speaker/Presenter, July 11, 2012 at the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) and National Academy of Arbitrators (“NAA”) program to educate new arbitrators in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Sole Presenter, October 13, 2012, Montgomery County Chiefs of Police Association.
- Sole Presenter, March 20, 2013, Lancaster County Chiefs of Police Association, Chiefs’ Contracts and Imposition of Discipline.
- Speaker/Presenter, April 23, 2013, PSATS Conference, Hershey, Pennsylvania, “Making Discipline Stick”.
- Speaker/Presenter, October 1, 2013, PSAT’s Solicitor’s Conference, Municipal Liability Issues.
- Speaker/Presenter, November 1, 2013, PSATS Solicitor's Conference on "A Discussion Of Important Legal Issues And Tactics Facing Townships Today" at PSATS Enola/Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
- Speaker/Presenter, December 5, 2013, Bucks County Bar Association CLE, Federal Court’s Section, A Discussion of Vance V. Ball State for purposes of a discrimination claim.
- Chair/Presenter, March 13, 2014, Government Financial Officers Association of Pennsylvania ("GFOA") on Act 111 issues, Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania.
- Speaker Presenter, April 2014, PSATS conference, Hershey PA, “Act III Arbitration, Can You Afford Not To Go”.
- Webinar Presenter, June 10, 2014, Government Financial Officer Association of Pennsylvania ("GFOA") on Act 111 issues.
- Speaker/Presenter, July 2014, Pennsylvania Chief’s Association Annual Conference, Recent Labor Issues, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
- Co-authored the article "Disciplining Employees For Comments About Work on Social Media" on Offit Kurman Legal Blog, April 2015.
- Co-authored the article "A New 'Bright Line' FMLA Test By The Third Circuit" on the Offit Kurman Legal Blog, July 2015.
- Speaker/Presenter, October 2015, Lehigh Valley Municipal Managers Association.
- Co-authored the article "Background Checks: Fertile Employment Litigation Ground. What Is An Employer To Do?" on the Offit Kurman Legal Blog, December 2015.
- Speaker/Presenter, April 18, 2016, PSATS Conference, Hershey, Pennsylvania, "Working With Millenials - Social Media, Tattoos, and Piercings"
- Speaker/Presenter, April 24, 2017, PSATS Conference, Hershey, Pennsylvania, "Legal Cannabis: Work & Weed - A Highly Thorny Situation For Employers"
- Speaker/Presenter, November 16, 2017, Delaware Valley Workers' Compensation Trust Annual Injury & Claim Prevention Update, Horsham, Pennsylvania, "Defense Unplugged"
- Speaker/Presenter, April 2019, PSATS Conference, Hershey, Pennsylvania, " The Heart & Lung Act: What You Don’t Know Will Hurt You"
- Speaker/Presenter, April 2021, PSATS Conference, Hershey, Pennsylvania, " Free Speech Can be Costly"
- Speaker/Presenter, May 2021, The Employment Review, "Understanding Sick Leave During a Global Pandemic"
- Speaker/ Presenter, April 2022, PSATS Conference, Hershey, PA, "Police Officer Background Disclosure: How, When, Why"
- Speaker/ Presenter, March 2023, Bensalem Township, Bensalem, PA, "How to Discipline Employees and Make It Stick"
- Speaker/ Presenter, April 2023, Bristol Township, Bristol, PA, "How to Discipline Employees and Make It Stick"
- Speaker/ Presenter, April 2023, PSATS Conference, Hershey, PA, "Fair Labor Standards Act Overhaul: Are You Paying Correctly?"
REPRESENTATIVE MUNICIPAL/GOVERNMENTAL CLIENTS
- Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (35 years)
- Bedminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Bristol Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Bristol Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- City of Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Coolbaugh Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania
- County of Bucks, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Doylestown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- East Brandywine Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
- Kennett Square Borough, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Lower Southampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Middletown Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- New Britain Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- New Britain Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- New Garden Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- New Holland Borough, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Northampton Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Northampton Township Municipal Authority, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Oxford Borough, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Pennridge Regional Police, East/West Rockhill, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Plainfield Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
- Plumstead Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department, Monroe County Pennsylvania
- Radnor Fire Company, Radnor, Pennsylvania
- Radnor Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
- Ridley Park Borough, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
- Ridley Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
- Sadsbury Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Towamencin Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Tullytown Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Valley Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Warminster Municipal Authority, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Warminster Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- West Pikeland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- West Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
- Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania
- Yeadon Borough, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
OTHER REPRESENTATIVE CLIENTS
- Arcadia University
- Bensalem Rescue Squad
- Dollar General Corporation
- Firstrust Bank
- Huntingdon Valley Bank
- Las Margaritas Restaurants, Inc.
- Nasty Gal Clothing, Inc.
- Project Management Institute, Inc.
- Sovereign Security, Inc.
- Urban Outfitters, Inc.
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