Attorneys
Michael A. Curley
In founding and leading Curley, Hessinger & Johnsrud LLP, Michael Curley brings more than 25 years of experience in advising clients throughout the country and around the world with regard to labor and employment law matters. In those years, he has litigated numerous high-profile cases before the National Labor Relations Board, at FINRA, in various arbitration forums, and in state and federal courts located throughout the country.
Gregory J. Hessinger
Greg Hessinger is a traditional labor lawyer who brings the unique combination of big firm, in-house and labor union experience to Curley, Hessinger & Johnsrud LLP. He represents a variety of regional and national employers in collective bargaining, labor arbitrations, NLRB proceedings and employment-related litigation. He regularly counsels clients on a host of employment issues, including employment contracts, severance agreements, reductions-in-force, terminations, employee discipline, restrictive covenants, discrimination and union organizing.
David Silverman
David Silverman brings broad experience as a top legal and business executive to the practice of law at Curley, Hessinger & Johnsrud LLP and to the management of its operations. Mr. Silverman has been a general counsel and part of the senior management teams of three financial services companies. Most recently, he was an Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of LEAF Financial Corporation, a large national commercial finance and equipment leasing company. Before joining LEAF, Mr. Silverman worked for more than nine years at Sovereign Bank, a large regional financial services company, for most of that time as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Sovereign Bank and Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. Before joining Sovereign, Mr. Silverman was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Meridian Mortgage Corporation, a large national mortgage lender and servicer.
Brian Lee Johnsrud
Brian Lee Johnsrud is a litigator with substantial experience and expertise in representing technology, financial services, and transportation companies. He works closely with clients to develop credible litigation avoidance strategies in high-risk employment disputes, and has arbitrated and tried a number of cases to defense verdict. He is a frequent speaker on employment law trends and emerging issues, and has been recognized as a Northern California Super Lawyer for Labor and Employment (Defense).
Christie Del Rey-Cone
Christie Del Rey-Cone represents employers in the full range of employment litigation and counseling matters. She has litigated a wide variety of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour, restrictive covenant, ERISA, contract, and tort claims. Her litigation experience includes single plaintiff, multi-plaintiff, class action, and collective action claims arising under federal and state law. She also has worked on several appellate matters in the Second Circuit Federal Court of Appeals.
Debra Morway
Debra Morway is an experienced litigator with an extensive big firm background. She has represented numerous financial services, energy, technology, media and retail firms in single and multiple plaintiff cases in state and federal courts as well as in various arbitral forums. These include discrimination cases brought under Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Bankruptcy Code. Ms. Morway also has litigated tort and contract cases and several class and collective actions under Title VII and the Fair Labor Standards Act. She also maintains a substantial counseling practice.
Lindsay L. Vest
Lindsay Vest brings big firm legal experience as well as substantial business experience to Curley, Hessinger & Johnsrud LLP. Most recently, Ms. Vest was an associate in the Philadelphia labor and employment group of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. At Morgan Lewis, she gained vital experience in many aspects of labor and employment law, with a particular focus in employment discrimination law; wage and hour; traditional labor law; restructurings and layoffs; litigation avoidance; and counseling. Ms. Vest has extensive experience defending against both single-plaintiff and class action discrimination suits and advising senior executive management on related matters. While at Morgan Lewis, she established a strong counseling practice early in her career and quickly became Morgan Lewis's go-to expert on USERRA (Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act), advising firm clients nationwide.
Alison L. Tomasco
Alison Tomasco brings large firm legal experience to Curley, Hessinger & Johnsrud LLP. Most recently, Ms. Tomasco was an associate in the Philadelphia labor and employment group of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. At Morgan Lewis, she gained vital experience in many aspects of labor and employment law, with a particular focus in employment discrimination law; wage and hour; restructurings and layoffs; litigation avoidance; and counseling. Ms. Tomasco has extensive experience defending against single-plaintiff suits and advising senior executive management on related matters.
Patrick M. Sherman
Patrick Sherman brings substantial employment litigation and counseling experience to Curley, Hessinger & Johnsrud LLP. In his litigation practice, Mr. Sherman has defended employers against claims of discrimination, retaliation, wage and hour violations, breach of contract, unfair competition and trade secret misappropriation. He has successfully opposed class action claims for wage and hour violations.
Lindsey Schroeder
Lindsey K. Schroeder's practice focuses on employment counseling and litigation. With regard to counseling, Ms. Schroeder has substantial experience drafting employee handbooks and related policies, severance plans, executive employment agreements, corporate wellness plans, background check policies, and social media and network policies. She also regularly provides risk management advice on high-risk employee termination decisions, wage and hour compliance (including audits), disability and accommodation issues, and recruiting and hiring. Ms. Schroeder also provides a wide range of management training.
Emilie Smith
Emilie Smith has substantial employment litigation experience, including the defense of statutory discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, as well as contract and common law tort claims. She also has litigated several restrictive covenant, trade secret, and unfair competition cases, including successfully obtaining and opposing temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. Ms. Smith has led e-discovery teams in the efficient management of those projects.