Jose Francisco Irias

Jose Francisco Irias counsels employers on global and US employment issues and has experience defending employers in litigation and before state and federal administrative agencies.

On the global employment front, Jose advises multinational companies on global employment matters, including employment, independent contractor, proprietary information, confidentiality, and restrictive covenant agreements; employment policies and procedures; union and works council issues; global mobility programs; expanding global workforces; and workforce restructuring, reductions in force, and other employee-related cost-savings initiatives.

Jose also advises employers on labor and employment implications of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, post-acquisition workforce integrations, and global outsourcing. He has drafted the employment aspects of deal agreements and regularly advises on employee transfers, consultations with unions and works councils, and benefits harmonization.

On the US domestic front, Jose has counselled employers on a broad range of issues, including with respect to hiring, discipline, employment discrimination, retaliation, termination, reductions in force, and restrictive covenants. He also advises clients on compliance with applicable labor and employment laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Title VII, Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), wage and hour and paid sick leave laws, and other federal, state, and local statutes.

Jose also has experience representing employers in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, in single plaintiff and class and collective actions. He has defended employers against wage and hour, discrimination, and retaliation claims and against unfair labor practice charges.

As a former U.S. Marine, Jose regularly assists veterans in various pro-bono matters, including with respect to discharge upgrades and Veterans Affairs issues.