Patrick O. Peters

Patrick O. Peters is a principal and office litigation manager in the Cleveland, Ohio, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Clients rely on Pat for practical, coordinated counsel that integrates seamlessly with their in-house legal teams. He serves as a relationship partner to Fortune 100 companies and other large national employers, including organizations in the automotive, diversified industrial, and insurance sectors. Pat is recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, and Ohio Super Lawyers for his management-side employment law practice.

Pat believes effective outside counsel should anticipate client needs, promote consistency, and provide a single point of accountability. He serves on the firm’s Advisory Committee, co-leads its Manufacturing industry group, and helps employers develop enterprise-wide strategies for litigation management, regulatory compliance, and workforce risk. His practice encompasses hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination decisions; executive employment and separation agreements; restrictive covenants; employee policies and handbooks; and complex compliance initiatives. He also coordinates policy rollouts, handbook updates, and regulatory audits for geographically dispersed organizations.

As a first-chair trial lawyer, Pat represents employers before state and federal administrative agencies and in courts across the country. He defends claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, breach of contract, wage and hour laws, and leaves of absence. His litigation practice also includes trade secret and non-compete disputes, the enforcement of alternative dispute resolution agreements, and ERISA matters involving employer-sponsored benefit plans and fiduciaries. For clients with traditional labor needs, Pat draws on the firm’s labor resources to address collective bargaining, union organizing campaigns, National Labor Relations Board proceedings, strikes and picketing disputes, labor arbitrations, and post-transaction labor integration.

Outside his legal practice, Pat is active in the Cleveland community. He is the immediate past president of the Cleveland Employment American Inn of Courts and served on the Board of Directors of Julie Billiart Schools for a decade.

Clients turn to Pat for:

• Employment litigation management: Coordinating the defense of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, and wage and hour claims through a single point of contact.
• Complex compliance initiatives: Leading policy rollouts, handbook updates, and regulatory audits for geographically dispersed employers.
• Executive employment agreements: Drafting and negotiating employment agreements, separation agreements, and restrictive covenants for senior leaders.
• Trade secret and non-compete disputes: Prosecuting and defending claims involving departing employees, confidential information, and competitive restrictions.
• Traditional labor coordination: Connecting clients with the firm’s labor attorneys for collective bargaining, union campaigns, National Labor Relations Board proceedings, and labor arbitrations.
• ERISA litigation: Defending employer-sponsored benefit plans and fiduciaries in benefits disputes.