Edward Cerasia II

Partner

Edward Cerasia II is a partner in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice. Mr. Cerasia represents clients in employment, wage and hour, and employee benefits matters in the financial services, insurance, transportation, media, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, and retail industries. He has successfully handled jury and bench trials involving claims of sexual, racial, age, and disability harassment; race, age, disability, and gender discrimination; retaliation; constructive discharge; and entitlement to employee benefits. During the last five years alone, he successfully tried five cases to verdict.

Chambers recently noted that clients view Mr. Cerasia as an "incredible resource," who is "hailed as 'an outstandingly strong advocate' on a variety of litigation matters, including numerous discrimination and wrongful termination cases." Chambers also has described him as a "broad-based employers' attorney" and "an expert on employee benefits litigation." Clients told Chambers that Mr. Cerasia's "'prodigious memory' means 'he doesn't have to be told anything twice.'"

Mr. Cerasia's nationwide trial and appellate practice focuses on representing corporate clients against claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation; claims under the FLSA and state wage and hour laws; claims under ERISA involving breaches of fiduciary duty, prohibited transactions, 401(k) and ESOP issues, severance pay, and challenges to plan denials of benefits, plan amendments, and termination of benefits; claims of defamation, breach of contract, and intentional torts; and claims involving restrictive covenants and employee recruitment practices. Mr. Cerasia's litigation matters include single-plaintiff, multiple-plaintiff, class action, collective action, and EEOC pattern and practice cases.

Mr. Cerasia regularly counsels clients on how to avoid litigation and provides advice on matters such as employee discipline and termination; wage and hour law compliance and conducting nationwide compliance audits; designing and implementing reductions in force; strategies for preventing and investigating harassment, discrimination, and whistleblower claims; employee recruiting and hiring practices; and challenges to benefit plan determinations.

He also represents employers in labor arbitration, handles unfair labor practice charges and representation matters before the NLRB, and negotiates collective bargaining agreements.

Mr. Cerasia is a frequent speaker and writer on employment and benefits law issues. For two years, he was an adjunct professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law, where he taught employment discrimination law.

Mr. Cerasia received his J.D., summa cum laude, and graduated valedictorian from the University of Bridgeport School of Law in 1991, where he was an editor for the University of Bridgeport Law Review. He received a dual B.S. in industrial and labor relations and managerial law and public policy from Syracuse University in 1987.

Mr. Cerasia is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.