Professional Experience

Recently selected by Ohio Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in his field, an honor going to only 2.5% of eligible attorneys, Eric J. Johnson focuses his practice on labor and employment law and school law. Eric has represented private and public sector employers in litigating a wide range of employment-related matters, including defending companies against discrimination, harassment and wrongful discharge allegations, FMLA and FLSA claims, non-compete issues and various tort causes of action. Similarly, he has defended clients' interests at administrative proceedings before the State Employment Relations Board, the National Labor Relations Board, the Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as multiple state fair employment agencies, including Ohio, Florida, Missouri and Kentucky. Building off of this experience, Eric regularly counsels both public and private sector clients on employment-related matters, including litigation risk management, and provides training in a variety of areas, including harassment prevention, employee privacy and technology concerns in the workplace.

In addition to employment litigation and counseling, Eric has substantial traditional labor experience. He has represented employers at the bargaining table as lead negotiator with a variety of labor organizations and likewise has counseled employers on bargaining issues from behind the scenes. Eric has successfully represented clients' interests in the arbitration of claims brought by employees and unions and has prosecuted and defended unfair labor practice charges with SERB and the NLRB.

Eric also represents boards of education throughout Ohio in all facets of school law, providing general counsel to those entities. Eric's school law experience is as diverse as the school districts he serves, including defending a First Amendment challenge brought by a student newspaper, defending against a coach's claims of defamation and prosecuting breach of contract and fraud claims against individuals who defrauded the school district. In this capacity as general counsel, Eric regularly deals with student and employee discipline issues, policy development and technology issues in education.

Walter & Haverfield LLP




Eric was named in the 2009, 2010 and 2012 issues of Ohio Super Lawyers - Rising Stars Edition, a listing which honors those individuals, as chosen by their peers, who are considered to be among the top up-and-coming lawyers either 40 years old or younger, or who have been practicing law for 10 years or less.

Recently selected by Ohio Super Lawyers as a "Rising Star" in his field, an honor going to only 2.5% of eligible attorneys, Eric focuses his practice on labor and employment law and school law.

Areas Of Emphasis

Education Law

As the Chair of the Education Group, in addition to representing boards of education in litigation matters and labor relations, Eric has provided regular advice and counsel to school law clients in the following areas:

  • Board policy formulation, implementation and administration;

  • Contract advice, guidance and drafting, including but not limited to employment contracts and third-party agreements;

  • Employment and personnel issues, including hiring, firing, evaluation and corrective action counseling;

  • Collective bargaining with teaching and non-teaching personnel, along with assisting clients to interpret, apply and administer the collective bargaining agreements;

  • Defending the interests of boards of education in arbitration proceedings, including those based on contract interpretation and employee discipline;

  • Public records and the sunshine law, along with privacy concerns of employees and students;

  • Student legal issues, including challenges to Board policies, discipline and First Amendment issues; and

  • Technology in education, including its proper use and assisting boards in addressing student web sites that harm the educational process.

Eric is a frequent speaker on various issues affecting Ohio schools at events sponsored by the Ohio School Boards Association, Buckeye Association of School Administrators, Ohio Association of School Business Officials and eTech Ohio. Likewise, Eric has written numerous articles on school law issues in various publications.

Presentations

  • "Pitfalls of Social Media," Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC) Chamber Leadership Meeting, Sandusky, Ohio, April 29, 2011.
  • "Ohio Senate Bill 5: The Negotiator's Perspective," presentation at program sponsored by the Ohio School Boards Association, Columbus, Ohio, April 19, 2011.
  • "Managing Your Child's Use of Technology," Julie Billiart School Parent Action Committee (PAC) program, Lyndhurst, Ohio, March 10, 2011.
  • "The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Social Media," presentation at seminar titled, "Growing Your Business in Geauga County," sponsored by the Geauga County Job & Family Services-Workplace, Chesterland, Ohio, March 8, 2011.
  • "2010 Walter & Haverfield LLP Labor and Employment Law Seminar, "Developing Issues in Employment Law," Outline, Presentation, Holiday Inn in Independence, September 30, 2010.
  • "Spring School Law Seminar," Holiday Inn Cleveland West, April 14, 2010.
  • "Spring School Law Seminar," Quail Hollow, April 13, 2010.
  • "Developing Issues in Wage-Hour Law: Preparing Employers for the Increased Governmental Enforcement Initiatives," ADP Seminar, Embassy Suites Hotel, April 7, 2010.
  • "Keeping Your Workforce Union-Free Under the Threat of the Employee Free Choice Act ("EFCA")," Corporate College, April 15, 2009.
  • "Public Labor and Employment Law: What's New and What's Coming," Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, March 13, 2009.

  • "Change is Coming! How Will Employment Laws Be Affected" in Cleveland, Ohio. The event was sponsored by the National Business Institute (NBI), January 7, 2009. (Note: This is an MP3 audio file. Right-click 'Save Target As')

  • "Employment Laws Made Simple," National Business Institute, December 10, 2008.

  • Employment & Labor Seminar on "Managing Employee Leaves of Absence", Marriott Cleveland East, September 23, 2008. (Note: This is an MP3 audio file. Right-click 'Save Target As')

  • "Responding to Frequently Asked Questions in Employment Law", Marriott, Cleveland East, June 17, 2008. (Note: This is an MP3 audio file. Right-click 'Save Target As')

  • "Employment Laws Made Simple; Ensure compliance with employment law procedures and practices!", National Business Institute Seminar, December 11, 2007.

  • Ohio School Board Association's Capital Conference; "Can You Hear and See Me Now? Podcasting in Education" - November 2006.

Community Involvement

In addition to serving as pro bono legal counsel to a number of non-profit entities, Eric serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees for Youth Opportunities Unlimited. Eric is also a volunteer instructor for Junior Achievement and is active in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In 2004, City Year awarded Eric the Idealism in Action Award in recognition of his community service efforts in the Greater Cleveland area.

Eric also serves on the Superintendent's Business Advisory Committee for Riverside Local School District in Painesville Township.

Professional & Community Associations

  • Cleveland Employment Law Inns of Court
  • Ohio Council of School Board Attorneys
  • National Council of School Attorneys

Education

Duke University, J.D., 2000
Denison University, B.A., 1997 (summa cum laude)

Licensed to Practice

  • All Ohio courts
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio

Awards & Recognitions

In the November 30, 2009 issue of Crain’s Cleveland Business, Eric Johnson was named to the publication’s prestigious “Forty under 40” list. In this annual listing, Crain’s honored forty of Greater Cleveland’s young professionals, from a variety of fields and industries, who have taken an active role in the local business community and demonstrated leadership and vision in helping to revitalize the region’s economy.

In the June 2009 issue of Inside Business magazine, Eric J. Johnson was featured in the special section, "High Bars," which highlighted fifteen of Northeast Ohio's leading young lawyers.

2007; 2009; 2011-2012 - Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers magazine, as a member of its Rising Stars list. Areas of practice: Employment & Labor; Schools & Education.

Articles by Eric J. Johnson

March 2011 - "Summary of Changes to the Collective Bargaining Process for Public Employers"

February 2011 - "Supreme Court Recognizes Third-Party Right To Pursue Retaliation Claims Under Title VII"

March 2007 – Ohio Career and Technical Administrators, "Don't Get ‘Blogged' Down with the Legal Implications of Posting to the Internet"

August 2006 – Client Briefing on Employment Law: New law requires Ohio entities to respond to data security breaches or face significant penalties.

Spring 2004 – Crain's Cleveland Business, "Supreme Court Decision Boosts Power of Noncompete Pacts"
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