Clare M. Gallagher
Member
Vice Chair, Labor & Employment
Board of Directors
Overview
Clare Gallagher concentrates her practice in traditional labor law, employment law, and litigation.
Prior to joining Eckert Seamans, Clare served as legal counsel and director of human resources for a large title agency in the real estate services industry. There she managed legal matters, including class action litigation and oversight of outside counsel, acquisitions, corporate finance, governance, and employment-related legal matters. As director of human resources, Clare supervised all aspects of human resources management, including payroll and benefits administration; employee orientation and training; legal compliance in employee recruitment and selection, compensation, discipline, and discharge; reduction in force planning and implementation; employee retention programs; employee safety and security; and workers’ compensation cost containment.
Representative Matters
- Counseling clients on a variety of labor and employment issues.
- Chairing labor negotiations ranging from traditional collective bargaining, concessionary negotiations and effects bargaining.
- Advising on employment and employee benefit issues, employment litigation, executive employment agreements, non-competition agreements, discrimination and harassment issues and labor and employment issues involved in merger and acquisition projects.
- Representing clients in jury and non-jury trials, appellate advocacy and practice before state and federal courts, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), National Labor Relations Board, U.S. Department of Labor (Wage and Hour), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and various state human relations commissions.
- Conducting management training in the areas of sexual harassment, diversity, union avoidance, FMLA administration, and ADA compliance.
Spotlight:
Professional Affiliations
- Pittsburgh Human Resources Association
- Society for Human Resource Management
- Pennsylvania Bar Association
Community Involvement
- Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh, elementary school reading mentor
News and Insights
Publications
- “An Employer’s Response to Coronavirus,” Eckert Seamans’ Labor & Employment Alert, March 3, 2020.
- “Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act,” Eckert Seamans’ Labor & Employment Alert, February 28, 2020.
- “Is It OK To Fingerprint Your Employees?” Engineering News-Record, May 2017.
- “Assessing the viability of biometric technology as a new method of timekeeping in the construction industry,” Eckert Seamans’ Construction Law Update, Fall 2016.
- “Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act Could Change Employment Litigation Landscape for Years to Come,” Eckert Seamans’ Legal Update, November 2009.
Media Coverage
- “To mandate or not: Employers, businesses consider whether vaccine policies are good strategy,” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 2021.
- “Here are the legal risks employers need to know about workplace vaccination policies and restarting business travel,” Business Insider, June 2021.
- “Contractor or employee? The Department of Labor gets into the debate of how to classify some workers,” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 2021.
- “9 Coronavirus Scenarios That Could Trip Up Employers,” featured commentary for Law360.com, March 2020.
Speaking Engagements
- “Employment Arbitration: Is it right for your organization and how do recent developments impact the use of arbitration agreements?” co-presented at Eckert Seamans’ Human Resources Forum, April 2019.
- “Show Me the Money: What You Need to Know to Survive the New FLSA Overtime Regulations and Some Recent Court Decisions Affecting Employees’ Break Time and Restrictive Covenants,” presenter, Eckert Seamans’ Continuing Legal Education Seminar, August 2016.
- “Pittsburgh Hotels: Why So Many New Ones and Who Employs All These People?” co-presenter, Eckert Seamans’ Continuing Legal Education Seminar, August 2016.
- “The Potholes, Pitfalls, and Perils of Employment Policies, and How to Avoid Them,” co-presented at Eckert Seamans’ Human Resources Forum, May 2015.
- “News You Can Use: A review of recent judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments of significance to employers,” co-presented at Eckert Seamans’ Human Resources Forum, January 2015.
- “News You Can Use: A review of recent judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments of significance to employers,” co-presented at Eckert Seamans’ Human Resources Forum, January 2013.
- “News You Can Use: A review of recent judicial, legislative, and regulatory developments of significance to employers,” co-presenter, at Eckert Seamans’ Human Resources Forum, May 2012.
- “Who’s Knocking at Your Door?” co-presenter, Eckert Seamans Human Resources Forum, December 2010.
- “ADA Amendments Act Update: A Discussion of the EEOC’s Proposed Regulatory Roadmap to the New Landscape of Disability Law,” co-presenter, Eckert Seamans Human Resources Forum, December 2009.
- “The Anatomy of a Unionization Attempt,” co-presenter, Association of Corporate Counsel, Western Pennsylvania Chapter, January 2009.
- “FMLA Update: A discussion of legislative and judicial developments,” Eckert Seamans Human Resources Forum, November 2008.