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Kristin McGurn

Kristin McGurn

Seyfarth Shaw LLP, United States

Work Department

Labor & Employment; Health Law

Position

Partner, Seyfarth Shaw; Co-Chair of the firm’s interdisciplinary Health Law Group

Career

Ms. McGurn is a partner in Seyfarth Shaw LLP’s Boston office and a co-chair of the firm’s interdisciplinary Health Law Group. She practices in the area of labor and employment litigation and counseling, specializing in wage and hour compliance and class actions.  Ms. McGurn is an experienced litigator, whose expertise spans federal employment law and analogous state common law and statutory claims, including Title VII, ADEA, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, civil and equal rights, fair employment practices and wage payment claims.  Ms. McGurn counsels and defends scores of employers in many business sectors, with an emphasis on issues affecting the health care, pharmaceutical retail, and hospitality industries. 

Ms. McGurn assists private and public businesses to negotiate and draft employment policies, contracts and covenants, as well as separation and severance agreements.  She prosecutes and defends a wide variety of business and employment-related disputes including agency enforcement actions and discrimination, harassment and retaliation, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, non-competition, non-solicitation unfair competition, and whistle-blower claims.  Her experience also includes defending ERISA claims in court and before the United States Department of Labor.

Ms. McGurn has significant expertise in developing and implementing employment-related training programs.  She assists employers to conduct reductions in force and on-boarding, performs confidential investigations, and implements compliance assessments in areas such as leave management, worker classification and pay practices, and independent contractor, trainee and volunteer status.

Ms. McGurn has tried cases to verdict and has briefed and argued appeals in federal and state court.  She regularly defends employers at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and EEOC.  Ms. McGurn’s expertise covers all stages of litigation including case management, motion practice, electronic, expert and other discovery.  She has noteworthy ADR experience including in mediations, arbitration and conciliations.

Ms. McGurn co-leads the firm's Health Law Group and is a member of the firm’s Health Care Reform, Retail and Whistleblower Teams.

Ms. McGurn frequently counsels and writes for trade and industry-specific publications, and  regularly presents for clients and industry groups on employment-related issues. 

Ms. McGurn chairs the Lawyer Development Committee of Seyfarth’s Boston Office, and serves on Seyfarth’s Women’s Network’s (SWN) National Leadership Team for the firm’s women attorneys’ affinity group.  She is the firm’s national co-chair of the SWN’s Alternative Work Arrangement Subcommittee, which is dedicated to attracting and retaining talented female attorneys.

Memberships

Boston Bar AssociationMassachusetts Bar AssociationAmerican Health Lawyers Association (Vice Chair of the Labor and Employment Practice Group (in charge of Publications))The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers (Fellow)The New England Council (Healthcare Committee Member)

Education

J.D., Northeastern University School of LawB.S., University of Connecticut, magna cum laudeHonors Program