Julia M. Herzing, Esq. - Erie, PA

Strategic Labor and Employment Counsel for Pennsylvania Employers

Managing a modern workforce requires nuanced legal guidance to prevent costly employment disputes. Based in downtown Erie at Knox McLaughlin Gornall and Sennett, P.C., shareholder Julia M. Herzing provides management-focused labor and employment representation. Practicing since 2008, attorney Herzing advises private enterprises and public sector employers throughout Northwestern Pennsylvania. Her practice balances preventative human resources counseling with vigorous defense litigation. For executives and school districts seeking to find an attorney who delivers practical compliance strategies, attorney Julia M. Herzing offers distinguished legal leadership.

Proactive Employment Counseling and Regulatory Compliance

Preventative legal guidance avoids disruptive workplace controversies and regulatory audits. Attorney Herzing partners with human resources directors and executive leadership to implement compliant policies. When business owners seek to hire a lawyer to safeguard operations, she provides dedicated guidance covering:

• Policy Development and Employee Handbooks: Drafting customized personnel manuals, anti-harassment standards, and disciplinary guidelines that satisfy federal, Pennsylvania, and local labor mandates.
• Wage and Hour Compliance: Providing counsel under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Pennsylvania wage statutes, focusing on exempt classifications, overtime rules, and prevailing wage regulations.
• Workplace Accommodation and Leave Management: Advising employers on complex requests under the Americans with Disabilities Act and managing concurrent Family and Medical Leave Act obligations.
• Executive Agreements and Restrictive Covenants: Structuring employment contracts, non-disclosure agreements, non-compete covenants, and enforceable severance packages.

Employment Litigation Defense and Agency Proceedings

When workplace disputes escalate to administrative charges or federal lawsuits, seasoned defense is imperative. Attorney Herzing defends employers before state and federal courts and regulatory agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. When companies need to consult an attorney for defense litigation, she handles:

• Workplace Discrimination Defense: Defending against allegations of disparate treatment, retaliatory discharge, and hostile work environments based on race, sex, age, disability, or religion.
• Wrongful Termination Defense: Defending public and private organizations against breach of contract claims, whistleblower accusations, and common law wrongful discharge suits.
• Collective Bargaining and Grievance Arbitration: Representing public entities and private employers during labor negotiations, unfair labor practice charges, and binding grievance arbitrations.

Title IX Compliance and Independent Workplace Investigations

Attorney Herzing is a recognized regional authority on Title IX compliance and educational law, regularly training school administrators and coordinators on investigating sex discrimination and sexual misconduct. Furthermore, she conducts objective, impartial third-party workplace investigations into sensitive executive harassment and employee misconduct claims, delivering comprehensive factual findings that protect organizational integrity.

Recognized Excellence in Labor and Employment Law

Julia M. Herzing has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment, as well as the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars list. Backed by the extensive multidisciplinary resources of Knox McLaughlin Gornall and Sennett, P.C., established in 1958, she provides employers with the sophisticated counsel necessary to foster lawful, productive workplaces. When your organization requires knowledgeable employment defense or preventative compliance guidance in Erie County, attorney Julia M. Herzing provides premier legal advocacy.