Judith E. Harris

Senior Counsel

Judith E. Harris is a senior counsel in Morgan Lewis's Labor and Employment Practice. Ms. Harris counsels and represents employers in matters involving discrimination, trade secret, non-compete, employee compensation, including stock options and employee benefits, and other issues arising under federal and state employment laws. Ms. Harris represents employers in multiparty (class action and collective action) and single plaintiff litigation. She has successfully tried numerous complex jury and non-jury cases. In addition, she has argued in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third, Seventh and Eleventh Circuits, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Pennsylvania intermediate appellate courts.

From 2005 through 2011, Ms. Harris was named one of the leading U.S. lawyers for employment law by Chambers USA, based on the views of clients, peers, and other industry professionals. Chambers noted that clients appreciate Ms. Harris's "sharp ability to see where a case is going and think three steps ahead. She does an excellent job of managing complex situations."

Ms. Harris served as City Solicitor for the City of Philadelphia, where she directed and managed the City’s 270-employee law department. In that capacity, Ms. Harris was the general counsel to the City of Philadelphia and its officials, including the Mayor, the City Council, the executive branch of the City, and its boards and commissions. As City Solicitor, she provided advice, counsel and representation in all of the city’s commercial, tort, tax, employment and regulatory litigation, and the City’s transactional matters.

Ms. Harris is active in professional organizations. She is a frequent speaker at employment law and litigation continuing education programs and serves as an instructor in trial advocacy programs relating to employment matters.

Ms. Harris is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Supreme Court.