Neil Jacobs was a partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group. He joined the firm in 1977 and retired in 2016. Mr. Jacobs had extensive experience in the negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements. He also had significant experience in employment and labor law litigation in state and federal courts, and administrative proceedings before state and federal fair employment agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program, and Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He was admitted to practice before the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the US Court of Appeals for the First and Seventh Circuits and in all state courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Practice

Mr. Jacobs acted as counsel in employment and labor law matters to numerous clients of the firm. His clients included technology and life sciences companies, healthcare institutions, professional sports teams, transportation companies, warehouse and distribution companies, accounting firms, manufacturers in a variety of industries and educational institutions. He had experience negotiating with the major unions in the following areas: warehouse and distribution, trucking, education, healthcare, manufacturing and retail sales.

Mr. Jacobs was responsible for acting as lead trial or appellate counsel in major employment litigation involving ERISA litigation, unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board and in the US Courts of Appeals, predatory hiring cases, employee theft of trade secrets, wrongful discharge litigation and discrimination litigation.

Prior to joining the firm in 1977, Mr. Jacobs worked in the Appellate Enforcement Division of the National Labor Relations Board.

As a member of the American Bar Association's Developing Labor Law Committee, Mr. Jacobs wrote an article published by the committee, "Striker Replacements: The Duty to Bargain Over Terms and Conditions of Employment." He was also a contributing editor to The Developing Labor Law and was the editor of the MBA Labor Section newsletter.

Professional Activities

Mr. Jacobs was an adjunct professor of labor law at Northeastern University, and lectured at presentations sponsored by the Boston Bar Association and Massachusetts Bar Association on various aspects of labor law. He also served as a trustee at the Jewish Vocational Services, The Fessenden School and the Meadowbrook School.