August W. Heckman III has a diverse practice handling wage and hour class and collective action matters, restrictive covenant and trade secrets litigation, employee benefits litigation, and a full panoply of discrimination, retaliation, contract and common law claims on behalf of employers in courts, arbitral tribunals and agencies around the US. His clients operate in a wide group of industry sectors that include financial services, transportation, media, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, ecommerce, social media, and retail industries.
Using his experience as a litigator, August also counsels clients in how to avoid or prepare for litigation and provides practical advice on matters such as employee discipline and termination; preventing and investigating harassment, discrimination, and whistleblower claims; and employee recruiting and hiring practices.
August’s litigation matters involve claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage and hour laws; claims of defamation, breach of contract, and intentional torts; and claims involving restrictive covenants and employee recruitment practices. He represents employers in state and federal court through trial and at the appellate level in litigation matters, including noncompete injunction matters, single-plaintiff, multiple-plaintiff, class action, and collective action cases, as well as US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) pattern and practice cases, and American Arbitration Association (AAA) arbitrations.
He was selected by New Jersey Super Lawyers as a 2014-15 Rising Star in New Jersey in the area of Employment Litigation Defense. Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, August attended culinary school and enjoyed a successful career as a chef. Before joining the firm, August practiced labor and employment law at a nationally recognized firm and while in law school, August was a Moot Court member and served as a judicial intern to Judge William J. Martini of the District Court for the District of New Jersey. August enjoys an active pro bono practice and is a recipient of the Equal Justice Medal from Legal Services of New Jersey for Outstanding Pro Bono Efforts (2007), and has been an Empire State Counsel Honoree (NY) in 2008, 2009, and 2015.
Recommended, Labor and employment: Workplace and employment counseling, The Legal 500 US (2022)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2017, 2019)
Rising Star, New Jersey Super Lawyers (2014–2015)
The New Jersey Law Journal's Litigation Department of the Year – Labor and Employment: Winner 2013, Finalist 2014, Winner 2015
Recipient, Equal Justice Medal from Legal Services of New Jersey for Outstanding Pro Bono Efforts (2007)
Empire State Counsel 2008, 2009, and 2015 Honoree
Member, Labor & Employment Law Section Executive Committee – Wage & Hour, New Jersey State Bar Association
Editorial Board Member, NJSBA Labor and Employment Law Quarterly