Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Labor & Employment Department; Chicago & Los Angeles offices

Mr. Lapp is a partner in Seyfarth Shaw LLP's Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles offices. His practice centers on high-consequence litigation. Fortune 500 companies have sought Mr. Lapp’s unique combination of legal expertise, business acumen, and strategic focus in contexts ranging from litigation to high-sensitivity boardroom investigations. He has successfully defended his clients against allegations of worker misclassification, discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, whistleblower retaliation, and wage and hour class actions before regulatory agencies and state and federal courts. Mr. Lapp has also represented Fortune 500 companies in affirmative commercial litigation, non-compete and trade secrets litigation. His diverse, cross-sector corporate clientele spans logistics, retail, consumer products manufacturing, financial services, technology services and products, and healthcare. An active litigator, Rich's practice currently extends across the nation, with recent victories secured in significant matters in California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York. 

A cum laude graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Law, Rich previously clerked for the Honorable Daniel A. Manion on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Rich is a contributing member of several Seyfarth specialty groups, including its Appellate team, Whistleblower team, Employment Whistleblower team, Fraud & Abuse, False Claims and Internal Investigations team, and Corporate Internal Investigations team. In 2015 he was recognized by Best Lawyers (Woodward/White Inc.) as a best lawyer in Chicago for labor & employment litigation, and The Legal 500 (Legalese Ltd.) called him "truly outstanding." He has been recognized  in the area of Labor & Employment Litigation by The Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) recognized Rich in the area of Labor & Employment Litigation (2015-2020), and he was selected for mention in the International Who's Who of Business Lawyers (Law Business Research Ltd.). Rich speaks and publishes on a variety of issues facing employers, and he has authored law review articles on significant labor issues in scholarly journals including The University of Wisconsin Law Review and The University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor Law.

Mr. Lapp has been a partner at Seyfarth Shaw since 1994 and is a contributing member of several Seyfarth Specialty Groups, including its Appellate Practice Team, Whistleblower Team, Employment Whistleblower Team, Fraud & Abuse, False Claims and Internal Investigations Team, and Corporate Internal Investigations Team. He previously clerked for the Hon. Daniel A. Manion on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and is the author of “A Call for a Simpler Approach: Examining the NLRA’s 10(j) Standard,” (University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor and Employment Law 251, Winter 2001 and “Remedial Gap at the NLRB; the Demise of the Nonmajority Bargaining Order” (1985 University of Wisconsin Law Review 1193).

English.

American Bar Association (Labor and Employment, Dispute Resolution, Litigation (including the Committee on Class and Derivative Actions and Business Law Sections), International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (Employment Disputes Committee), Chicago Bar Association, Seventh Circuit Bar Association, American Employment Law Council.

J.D., University of Wisconsin School of Law, cum laude (1985); Order of the Coif; Deans Academic Achievement Award; Law Review Member; Am. Jur. Book Award; B.A., Michigan State University (1981).