
Paul Evans
Biography
Paul Evans is the New York and East Coast leader for the Employment & Compensation Practice Group, residing in Baker McKenzie's New York office. He is also a member of the Steering Committee for the Firm's North American Employment & Compensation Practice. For over 20 years, Paul's practice has included representation of employers at the US state, federal and appellate level in employment discrimination class actions, ERISA class actions, employment testing and validation matters, wage and hour class and collective actions, multiplaintiff and other complex labor and employment litigation.
Practice Focus
Paul has extensive experience representing employers in all forms of employment discrimination, wage and hour and ERISA matters. A skilled litigator and practical counselor, Paul defends clients in the entertainment, retail, telecommunications, technology and insurance industries with matters in jurisdictions across the United States. He has deep experience with employment class and collective actions, ERISA class actions, government agency actions, background check and Fair Credit Reporting Act matters, employment testing, test validation, sexual harassment, disability discrimination, wage and hour advice and litigation, workforce change initiatives, succession planning and family/medial leave.
Paul also focuses on working with experts on statistical and financial analyses in employment counseling and disputes, including in discrimination, ERISA and wage and hour class and collective action litigation, as well as in supporting internal diversity and pay equity projects.
Paul also focuses on working with experts on statistical and financial analyses in employment counseling and disputes, including in discrimination, ERISA and wage and hour class and collective action litigation, as well as in supporting internal diversity and pay equity projects.
Representative Legal Matters
Prior to joining the firm, Paul handled the following matters:
- Defended one of the largest employment discrimination class actions ever filed against a nationwide retailer, obtaining a preliminary denial of class certification after over four years of litigation.
- Defended multiple wage and hour collective and class actions for a nationwide employer challenging independent contractor status under federal and various state laws.
- Defended company in a long-running ERISA breach of fiduciary duty class action, successfully defeating certification of the class and trying the claims of 16 bell-weather individuals actions.
- Defended a multi-employer pension plan in ERISA class action alleging self-dealing and breaches of fiduciary duties of loyalty and prudence, successfully obtain complete dismissal on a motion to dismiss.
- Defended employers in dozens of FINRA, AAA and JAMS arbitrations.
- Defended a large public relations employer in a nationwide gender discrimination class action.
- Defended a large retailer in numerous Fair Credit Reporting Act class actions, including one covering over 400,000 class members.
- Successfully arbitrated first bell-weather business dispute for national company covering topic that impacted hundreds of individuals nationwide.
- Counseled large automotive company through nationwide reorganization, including large scale transfer of operations and related employee separations.
Professional Honors
- Member, Practice Group of the Year, Employment, Law360, 2017
- Listed, Acritas Star Lawyer, 2017 - 2019
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Law360 Employment Editorial Advisory Board - Member (2016)
Admissions
- New York~United States (2020)
- New Jersey~United States (1999)
- Pennsylvania~United States (1999)
Education
- University of Virginia School of Law (JD) (1999)
- Allegheny College (BA) (1996)
Languages
- English
Baker & McKenzie LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership organized under the laws of the State of Illinois (USA) and is a member of Baker & McKenzie International, a Verein organized under the laws of Switzerland.