Loren Lee Forrest Jr.

Loren L. Forrest Jr. is a partner in Holland & Knight's New York office and practices exclusively in the firm's Labor, Employment and Benefits Group where he represents management in all aspects of employment litigation, labor relations management and human resources counseling. Mr. Forrest has extensive experience litigating employment issues and representing management before the state and federal courts in New York and Connecticut, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the New York State Division of Human Rights and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. In addition, Mr. Forrest has handled a variety of matters through arbitration.

Mr. Forrest advises employers on a wide variety of employment policies and practices, including, but not limited to employee handbooks, accommodations for individuals with disabilities, racial and sexual harassment investigations, wage and hour compliance, anti-harassment training and matters arising under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). He also represents employers in breach of contract, defamation and restrictive covenant actions in state and federal court.

Mr. Forrest represents a broad range of clients in the areas of wage and hour, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and labor law compliance, and provides counsel on white collar exemptions, employee misclassifications and complex overtime calculations. He advises many types of hospitality clients on tip sharing and tip pooling, service charge and commission-based pay issues. He also advises home healthcare agencies on a variety of wage and hour, general employment and traditional labor issues.

Mr. Forrest has extensive experience related to anti-harassment and discrimination issues, employee accommodations and employee discipline. He counsels clients on the ever-expanding application of the NLRA on non-unionized workplaces, with a particular emphasis on employees' use of social media and the expanding definition of "protected concerted activity," as defined by the NLRB.

In addition, Mr. Forrest represents and advises clients on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access and accommodation issues. His substantial experience includes the defense of several clients facing federal and state disability access claims, including the negotiation of a voluntary compliance agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on behalf of a firm client.

Notable Accomplishments

• Obtaining successful dismissal of a New Jersey Law Against Discrimination complaint from federal court brought by an independent contractor alleging racial discrimination in the termination of a contract by national railroad company
• Obtaining successful summary judgment and dismissal of a Title VII complaint alleging discrimination from federal court, where the plaintiff alleged that she was jointly employed by two nonprofit defendants
• Advising professional sports teams regarding ADA accommodations as well as anti-harassment and anti-discrimination training

Mr. Forrest was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics and a member of the Fordham Environmental Law Journal while attending the Fordham University School of Law.