As part of its ongoing effort to bring a full-service office to the Boston/New England market, Cozen O’Connor today welcomed one of the country’s leading labor and employment attorneys, Walter M. Foster, to its Boston office. Foster, a former Massachusetts assistant attorney general, brings to the firm a 30-plus year practice in employment law, business litigation, municipal law, and pension law — providing counsel to both private and public sector employers on the legal and regulatory standards driving today’s workplace. Foster comes to the firm from Eckert Seamans and joins Cozen O’Connor’s national Labor & Employment Department as a shareholder.
Foster’s track record includes more than three decades of trial and appellate experience, handling business disputes, non-compete litigation, and employment-related disputes, as well as major class action matters involving Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and commensurate state law wage claims. Employers regularly rely on him to manage jury trials and public hearings involving claims of sexual harassment, disability, race, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, and religious discrimination — before state and federal courts, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He has also appeared before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, including a case concerning the constitutional right of a jury trial in discrimination law cases.
“Walter’s addition not only supports, but underscores our strategic objective of building a full-service office in Boston, which is by any measure one of the premier U.S. markets,” Wendy K. Venoit, managing partner of the Boston office. “With a labor and employment resume that is essentially unmatched, Walter is the ideal choice to help us continue to build strong relationships with New England businesses that are both national and international in scope. He’s a great addition and I’m thrilled to welcome him aboard.”
“Walter brings to us an impeccable record of handling significant class action matters involving FLSA and state law wage claims, as well as advising HR professionals and managers on handling internal complaints of discrimination,” said Thomas S. Giotto, chair of the firm’s Labor & Employment Department. “Boston is a diverse and vibrant business community comprising a broad range of businesses, including exchange-listed companies, private enterprises, nonprofits, governments, and trade associations. Walter’s background makes him a perfect fit. I’m happy to welcome him to our group.”
In addition to his work as a litigator, Foster conducts discrimination and workplace investigations, drafts workplace policies (including data security breach policies), and advises on employment contracts, non-competition agreements, and wage and hour compliance issues. He also leads training sessions to help business clients design employment policies that are fully compliant with state and federal laws, thereby reducing or preventing disruptive employment-related claims.
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2023 for Employment Law – Management, as well as inclusion in Massachusetts Super Lawyers, Foster teaches an employment law class at the New England School of Law and regularly authors news articles concerning ongoing developments in the employment law arena.
"I’m very much looking forward to working with Tom and Wendy to help build a full-service office here in Boston,” Foster said. “New England is a robust business community and Cozen O’Connor is a firm well known for its labor and employment business acumen. As such, I believe I can help leverage that reputation and develop what will be Boston’s go-to labor and employment practice. I’m very happy to be here and I’m looking forward to working with my new colleagues.”
Foster earned his J.D. at the Columbia University School of Law, and his B.A. at Dartmouth College.
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