Jeff Donahue helps people deal with serious challenges that they may face at work.

Part of the firm’s Labor & Employment and Alternative Dispute Resolution group, Jeff protects the rights of employees affected by termination and wrongful discharge, disciplinary actions, workplace discrimination, failure to provide reasonable accommodation, and Family & Medical Leave denials. Additionally, he assists workers recover unpaid compensation caused by employers’ unlawful withholding of wages and overtime, employee misclassification, and violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the Michigan Sales Commission Act. When employees wish to transition out of jobs and careers, Jeff provides counsel on retirement and severance packages and non-competition and non-solicitation agreements.

The people Jeff represents span a number of industries, professions, and occupations – physicians, hospital CEOs, K-12 teachers, university professors, attorneys, administrative law judges, bus drivers, janitors, state civil service workers, and others – and include union and non-union employees alike. He also represents public and private sector unions in grievances, labor arbitrations and mediations, election rules challenges, unit clarification petitions, and duty of fair representation charges.

Atop the list of Jeff’s proudest achievements is his involvement in the successful effort to re-open the Michigan Capitol building after state lawmakers locked the doors in the midst of union protests over proposed right-to-work bills. Claiming the Legislature violated the Michigan Open Meetings Act by preventing access to visitors opposing the bills, he and the rest of the legal team sought an emergency injunction to order the state police to open the Capitol. After an Ingham County Circuit Court judge agreed with their position and granted the injunction, the few thousand protestors assembled outside cleared a path for Jeff and the team as they marched from the courthouse to the Capitol steps, cheering them on and applauding their victory. That experience, its successful outcome, and the people whose livelihoods it impacted served as a powerful reminder to Jeff of why he decided to become a lawyer.

In his free time, Jeff is a lifelong soccer player and fan.  He is also the proud dad of five beautiful children.