Thomas H. Severson represents employers in class, collective, and single-plaintiff actions arising under a wide range of US federal, state, and local laws, including Title VII, the FMLA, the ADA, the ADEA, ERISA, OSHA, whistleblower statutes, common law, and contract theories. His employment practice focuses on wage-and-hour class actions, discrimination/retaliation claims, and ERISA litigation.
In addition to traditional employment defense work, Tom represents employers in several large multiemployer pension and health plans, including by providing practical counseling on day-to-day plan administration and compliance, plan funding, and plan modification and termination. He also advises participating employers on pension withdrawal liability and represents them in any resulting litigation/arbitration. Finally, Tom maintains an active pro bono practice focused on counseling and assisting clients with civil rights and employment matters.
Before joining Morgan Lewis, Tom clerked for Judge Steve Kim of the US District Court for the Central District of California and practiced law at a well-known firm in Chicago.
In law school, Tom externed for the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in two capacities: first as a law clerk for Judge Marvin E. Aspen and later as a student attorney for the US Attorneys’ Office. He was also an editor for the Journal of Law & Social Policy and a member of Northwestern’s Employment Law Trial Team, which won the regional championship and placed fifth nationally.
Ones to Watch, Labor and Employment Law Management, Chicago, The Best Lawyers in America (2022–2024)
Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360 (2019)
Member, American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
Member, Federal Bar Association