Alison Willard

Associate

Alison Willard is an associate in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice. Ms. Willard represents and counsels employers in all facets of employment law and the employment relationship. She has focused her practice on defending employers in wage and hour class, multiple-plaintiff, and collective actions brought under various states' laws and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Her wage and hour experience includes litigation regarding exempt status, off-the-clock work, and independent contractor status issues. She has represented clients in a variety of industries, including the financial services, airline, trucking, technology, cable services, healthcare, newspaper, and construction industries.

Ms. Willard counsels employers on compliance with employment laws, and she has drafted and reviewed employee handbooks and employment policies. She has also participated in an extensive internal investigation of allegations of fraud and represented clients in federal and state Department of Labor audits.

Ms. Willard's litigation practice includes complex litigation, as well as single-plaintiff matters. She has litigated a variety of employment law matters before various administrative agencies and in state and federal courts. These matters have included claims under the FLSA, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, and ERISA. Her ERISA litigation background includes lawsuits alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with employer securities, retiree medical health benefits, and interference with benefits.

Ms. Willard received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2001 and her B.A. in English and criminal justice from Indiana University in 1998.

Ms. Willard is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the U.S. District Court of Colorado; the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana; the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois; and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.