Jonathan Sterling
Associate

Connecticut

Email: js@jordenusa.com
Phone: 860.392.5042
Fax: 860.392.5058

Jonathan Sterling specializes in employment law, with a concentration on defending organizations, municipalities and individuals against claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Mr. Sterling has obtained numerous dismissals of administrative complaints from the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO), and has successfully defended employers in CHRO administrative fact-finding conferences. Mr. Sterling has drafted and argued successful dispositive motions before state and federal courts. He has also defended employers before state and federal courts and administrative agencies in cases involving FLSA, FMLA, ERISA, freedom of expression, worker's compensation retaliation and common law claims.

Mr. Sterling has performed extensive consulting and compliance work for employers, including reviewing and drafting employee handbooks, employment agreements, non-compete agreements and arbitration agreements. His compliance work has been wide-ranging; from WARN Act compliance to wage and hour issues. Mr. Sterling also conducts sexual harassment training for employers.

Representative Matters

• Brooks v. Sweeney, 2007 WL 1976089 (Conn.Super. 2007)
• Goldfarb v. Town of West Hartford, 474 F.Supp.2d 356 (D.Conn. 2007)
• Santoro v. Town of Hamden, 2006 WL 2536595 (Conn.Super. 2006)
• Rivera v. Men's Wearhouse, Inc., 2006 WL 1801705 (D.Conn. 2006)
• Deguzman v. Kramer, 2005 WL 2030447 (D.Conn. 2005)
• Strohmeyer v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 2005 WL 3963770 (D.Conn. 2005)
• Strohmeyer v. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co., 365 F.Supp.2d 258 (D.Conn. 2005)
• Russ v. Watertown, 2005 WL 734344 (D.Conn. 2005)
• McEwan v. Town of New Canaan, 2004 WL 1897116 (D.Conn. 2004)
• Jenkins v. Area Co-op Educ. Services, 2004 WL 413267 (D.Conn. 2004)

Speeches and Publications

• Speaker: "Top Ten Employment Issues In 2008," Human Resource Association of Central Connecticut, January 23, 2008.
• Financial Services Sector Targeted In Litigation, Connecticut law Tribune, January 22, 2007
• Contributing Author: "50 Employment Laws in 50 States," M. Lee Smith Publishing, 2005-2008.
• Court OK's Tracking Employees in Company Vehicles, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2008
• Employer Deemed Less Than Accommodating, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2008
• Employer Not Powerless To Stop Departing Employees From Telling All, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2008
• A Primer On the CHRO Process, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, December 2007
• Rehab Center Must Clean Up Its Act, pay More Than $1 Million in Fines, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, November 2007
• You Want My Honest Opinion? Connecticut High Court Says Yes, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2007
• Speaker: "Family and Medical Leave Act Master Class," September 19, 2007, Middletown, CT
• Connecticut Employees Get Longer Period to File Discrimination Lawsuits, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, September 2007
• Revoked "Paper Suspension" Qualifies as Adverse Action, Leading to Possible Litigation, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, September, 2007
• Connecticut Employers With Out-of-State Workers, Beware, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, August 2007
• GEICO Adjusters Say "Show Me the Money," Expect Focus, Summer 2007
• "Use-it-or-Lose-it" Vacation Policy Upheld, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, August 2007
• No Pay Required for Time Spent Clearing Plant Security, Says Appeals Court, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2007
• Arbitrator Upheld, Employee's Discharge for Downloading Information Set Aside, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2007
• Appellate Court Clarifies Jury Duty Leave Protection, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2007
• Speaker: "Family and Medical Leave Act Master Class," May 8, 2007, Cromwell, CT
• Workplace Bullying Legislation Bill Being Considered by State Legislature, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, May 2007
• Employer Not Liable to "On Call" Employee, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2008
• Court Recognizes Broad Immunity for Municipal Officials, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2007
• Single-Employer Test Not Applicable to State-Law Unpaid Wage Claim, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2007
• Discrimination Laws Don't Apply to Clergy, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2007
• No Exculpatory Agreements for Independent Contractors, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2007
• Connecticut Employees Can't Waive Negligence Claims, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, December 2006
• Employees Can Still Sue After Winning CHRO Public Hearing, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, November 2006
• Some Good News on Retaliation Claims, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, November 2006
• Speaker: "Crisis Management," 2006 Advanced Employment Issues Symposium, October 5, 2006, Chicago, IL
• Forfeiture Clause Was Really a Noncompete, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2006
• Burden of Proof is Squarely on Employees in Discrimination Cases, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, September 2006
• Accumulated Sick Leave Defined Under CTFMLA, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, August 2006
• That Diligent Employee Working Through Lunch Could Cost You Thousands, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2006
• Court Finds Employer Duty-Bound To Aid Dying Employee, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2006
• Court Says Job Offer Isn't a Guarantee of Employment, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2006
• Benefits Waiver Held To Be Valid, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2006
• Departing Employees may Be Held Liable for Deleting Files, Legal Horizons, 2006
• Appeals Court Explains Free Speech Claims, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, May 2006
• Engineer-Theologian Told He Can't Compete With Former Employer, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2006
• Spidermen Lose Appeal, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2006
• Don't Forget About That Other Protected Class: State Legislators, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2006
• Overtime Claims by Employees on the Rise, Legal Horizons, 2006
• Court Finds No Evidence of Implied Contract, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2006
• State Proposes Increased Health Care Spending By Large Corporations, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2006
• Employees Can Be On Call, Yet Off the Clock, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, December 2005
• Civil Union Law takes Effect, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, November 2005
• Connecticut Supreme Court Rules on FMLA Reinstatement Issue, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, November 2005
• Court Expands Title VII Retaliation Protection, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2005
• Getting Smart About Employee Medical Files, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2005
• California Case on Workplace Affairs Unlikely To Change Much in Connecticut, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, September 2005
• California Recognizes Harassment Claim Based on Supervisor/Subordinate Affairs, Legal Horizons, 2005.
• "Same Actor" Defense Dealt Serious Blow, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, August 2005
• Rules for Hiring Young Workers, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, August 2005
• Why employers need not fear employment agreements, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2005
• Important Case Helps Small Employers Avoid Big Surprises, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2005
• Employees Can't Be Both At Will And Contractual, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2005
• Court Finds That Spidermen Must Cover Up Before Fighting Crime, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, May 2005
• Court Puts New Arrow In Your Legal Quiver, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2005
• Please Be Nice To Your Employees When Firing Them, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2005
• Court OK's HIV Records Disclosure, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2005
• FMLA Statute Of Limitations Clarified, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2005
• Court Finds That One Reason Is Good Enough To Deny A Promotion, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2005
• When Can I Fire My Problem Contract Employee?, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2005
• Employee Fired For Eyebrow Ring Claims Discrimination Laws Were Pierced, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2005
• That Quiet Guy In The Corner May File Your Next Lawsuit, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, December 2004
• Yet Another Reason To Have A Nondiscrimination Policy And Enforce It, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2004
• Employees Must Exhaust Grievance Procedures Before Suing, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, September 2004
• Employer Sinks for Employee's Drinks, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2004
• Court Says Confidentiality Agreements Must Be Reasonable, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2004
• Court Finds Promise Despite Language To Contrary, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2004
• Sad Songs: Employer Liability For Employees Downloading Music At Work, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2004
• Speaker: "Problem Employees & the Law," Sterling Education Services, February 15, 2004, East Hartford, CT
• Court Says Confidentiality Agreements Must Be Reasonable, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2004
• Supervisors And Sexual Harassment, Connecticut Lawyer, December 2003/January 2004
• Court Finds Employee Handbooks Can Be Your Friend - And Your Enemy, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2004
• Misclassification Of Temporary Workers Can Cause Permanent Problems, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, December 2003
• Not Hungry? You Might Be Disabled, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, November 2003
• Where Does An Employee's Right To Free Speech End?, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2003
• Court Finds State and Federal Disability Discrimination Laws Are Different, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2003
• Pennsylvania Court Limits Fun Of Blondes, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, August 2003
• New 'Supervisor' Definition Expands Employer Liability for Sexual Harassment, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, July 2003
• Demystifying The CHRO process, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, June 2003
• Employee Handbooks - Court Finds Promise Despite Language To Contrary, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2004
• Court Finds State And Federal Disability Discrimination Laws Are Different, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2003
• What's A Disability Anyway, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, April 2003
• Sexual Harassment Training Q & A: What Are My Responsibilities?, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, March 2003
• Employer Not Required To Reimburse For Gender-Reassignment Surgery, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, February 2003
• Pay For Snow Days?, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2003
• If You Have Employees Who Are Under 18, Know These Rules, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2003
• Scandals Open Door For Unions, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, January 2003
• How Do The New HIPAA Privacy Rules Affect My Company, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, December 2002
• Whistleblower Law Seeks Culture Change, Connecticut Financial Tribune, November 2002
• Employers' Responsibilities For Employees Who Serve On Juries Or In The Armed Forces, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2002
• Watch Out For Whistleblowers!, Connecticut Employment Law Letter, October 2002