Renee C. Mattei Montgomery
Member
Chair, Associates Committee
Overview
Renee Mattei Montgomery focuses her practice on a wide variety of labor and employment matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Pennsylvania. She has experience defending employers against discrimination claims under Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
Renee represents employers before administrative agencies including the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor. She also designs and implements training sessions for managers and supervisors on employment law issues, conducts audits of employer policies, and provides general employment advice to human resource managers in a wide range of industries on matters including hiring, discipline and discharge, family and medical leave issues, wage and hour issues, and reductions-in-force.
Renee serves as the chair of the firm’s Associates Committee.
Representative Matters
- Represented a newly elected district attorney in an age discrimination lawsuit and received summary judgment ruling that was affirmed in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Received a summary judgment ruling in a race discrimination and harassment lawsuit for a central Pennsylvania entertainment establishment.
- Represented a national educational technical institute in age discrimination and whistleblower lawsuit and was successful in receiving a summary judgment ruling which was affirmed in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Represented a national communication company in religious discrimination lawsuit in federal court and was granted summary judgment on all claims.
- Successfully represented a large multi-state insurer in state and federal court regarding claims of disability discrimination and ERISA violations.
- Successfully represented a municipality in a series of claims by former employees before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission following the sale of the municipality’s nursing home facility.
- Designed and implemented a series of full-day training sessions for a private educational institution for all managers and supervisors.
Spotlight:
Professional Affiliations
- Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA), Member and Co-Chair of the PBA Large Law Firm Committee
- PBA Commission on Women in the Profession, former Co-Chair of Executive Council
- PBA Commission on Women in the Profession Mentoring Program, Mentor
- PBA House of Delegates, Former Member
- James S. Bowman American Inn of Courts, Alumnus
- Dauphin County Bar Association (DCBA), Board Member, Personnel Committee Chair, and Past President
- DCBA Young Lawyers Division, Former Chair
Community Involvement
- Salvation Army Harrisburg, Women INvolved
- United Way, Women’s Leadership Network
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society Leadership Council, Former Member
- Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Volunteer and Former Board Member
- Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, Volunteer Strategy Committee Member, Service Unit Co-Director, Troop Leader, and Volunteer
- Dauphin County Children and Youth Gifts for Kids Program Coordinator for Eckert Seamans, helping provide Christmas gifts to over 30 children in the foster care system (2002-Present)
Awards and Recognition:
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2024 for Litigation – Labor and Employment as the “Lawyer of the Year” in Harrisburg
- Recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association 2023 Lynette Norton Award, May 2023
- Selected for inclusion as The Best Lawyers in America 2023 – Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association President’s Award (2022)
- Selected for inclusion as The Best Lawyers in America 2022 Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year” in Harrisburg
- Selected for inclusion as The Best Lawyers in America 2020 Litigation – Labor and Employment “Lawyer of the Year” in Harrisburg
- Recognized by Harrisburg Magazine as a “Legal Leader” in Central Pennsylvania
- Recognized by Susquehanna Style magazine as a “Select Lawyer” in Central Pennsylvania
- Recognized by the Dauphin County Bar Association with the DIVA Award for her mentoring, leadership, and involvement with women in the association
- Recognized by the Central Penn Business Journal as one of Central Pennsylvania’s Women of Influence
- Chosen as one of the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg’s Women of Excellence
- Selected for inclusion in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers
- Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Litigation – Labor and Employment
- Recognized by the Central Penn Business Journal as one of Central Pennsylvania’s “40 under 40”
- National MS Society Leadership Class
- Peer-rated by Martindale Hubble as AV Preeminent
News and Insights
Publications
- “‘Tis the season: Tips for Keeping It a Happy One for Employees and Employers,” HR Daily Advisor, December 2019.
- “The Virtual Work Space: What Are the Benefits and Risks?” HR Daily Advisor, September 2019.
- “Guest view: In face of gender pay gap, revisit questions about salary history,” Central Penn Business Journal, November 2017.
- “Let’s Talk About Sex … and Salary History,” HR Daily Advisory, September 2017.
- “Don’t Believe the Hype — The Real Effect of Hobby Lobby on Employers & Employees,” Jurist, July 2014.
- Frequent speaker and author on employment law related topics including the ADA, FMLA, sexual harassment, and employee privacy rights.
Media Coverage
- “K-12 Vaccine Mandates: What Educators Need to Know,” Tech & Learning, August 2021.
- “Working At Home VS The Commute,” KDKA Newsradio 1020, June 29, 2021.
- “Colleges may require COVID-19 vaccination,” WTAE-TV, April 2021.
- “Vaccine Passports in Higher Ed: 5 Things to Know,” Tech & Learning, April 2021.
- “Rutgers to require Covid-19 vaccine for students this fall,” CNN.com, March 2021.
- “Can colleges make students get Covid vaccines? Here’s what experts say,” CNBC.com, February 2021.
- “N.H. college students among last to receive vaccine,” The New Hampshire, January 2021.
- “A major chain of senior living facilities will require more than 10,000 workers to get COVID-19 shots,” Business Insider, January 2021.
News Releases
Speaking Engagements
- “New Rules and New Strategies: Accommodating Employees in a Post Pandemic Workplace,” co-presenter, Eckert Seamans’ Legal Primer Virtual CLE (Part 3), December 7, 2021.
- “ADA Accommodations and COVID-19 Vaccines: What Employers Need to Know”, co-presenter, Eckert Seamans Zoom Webinar, January 21, 2021.
- “Key Considerations for Your Next Workplace Investigation,” presenter, Eckert Seamans’ Human Resource Forum, November 2019.
- “Gender, Equal Pay and Salary History,” webinar, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, February 2018.
- “Employees Behaving Badly: Mistakes Employers Make and How to Fix Them,” co-presenter, Eckert Seamans’ Continuing Legal Education Seminar, September 2015.
- “The Confluence of Issues Between the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family Medical Leave Act,” co-presenter, Eckert Seamans Human Resources Forum, April 2014.
- “Managing Time and Attendance: FLSA, FMLA, Sick Leave,” co-presenter, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Human Resources and Labor Management Institute, December 2013.
- “Social Media for Municipal Employers,” co-presenter, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Human Resources and Labor Management Institute, December 2013.
- “Overcoming Obstacles to Success ,” panelist, Pennsylvania Bar Association Women in the Profession annual retreat, November 2013.
- “Hot Issues in Social Media — Handling Gripe Content,” co-presenter, Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s 19th Annual Business Lawyer’s Institute, November 2013.
- “The Americans With Disabilities Act and How the Rules of the Game Have Changed for Employers: What the Case Law Is Now Telling Employers,” co-presenter at the Eckert Seamans Human Resources Forum, April 2013.
- “Social Media Use in the Workplace,” presented to the York County Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, September 2012.
- “Social Media and Employment Law: Recipe for Disaster or Helpful Tool?,” co-presenter at the Eckert Seamans Human Resources Forum, May 2012.
- “Sexual Harassment, The Basics and Beyond,” Dauphin County Bar Association Lunch and Learn CLE series, March 27, 2012.
- “Unemployment Insurance 101: Assessing and Responding to Claims for U.I. Benefits,” Pennsylvania Bar Institute seminar, December 2010.