Labor and employment counsel with business objectives top of mind

Chris Nickels helps employers understand and navigate the technical and sometimes nuanced confines of labor and employment law and litigation. He helps them devise and implement strategic plans that address leadership, accountability, policies, procedures and training. Areas in which he advises clients include:

• Workplace safety and OSHA matters
• Leave and accommodation issues
• Class action defense
• Health and life sciences
• Franchise

Corporate clients seeking to innovate and improve their talent culture look to Chris for his experience and practical advice. He considers their broader business objectives, resources and industry in determining which approach is best. Chris investigates, evaluates and develops an effective legal solution or litigation strategy for his clients, all while keeping a keen eye on budget parameters.

A frequent speaker on employment law issues, Chris often provides on-site, customized training for his clients. He has been recognized by the State Bar of Wisconsin for his pro bono work and commitment to the community.

Bar Admissions

• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• Wisconsin

Education

• University of Wisconsin - Madison (B.S., with honors, 2001)
  • Study abroad: London (2000)

• Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2005)
  • Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, managing editor of student work
  • Joseph R. Wenk Award for outstanding contribution to the Civil Justice Clinic

• Chris Nickels Quoted in American City Business Journals Article About Significance for Employers of Latest COVID Guidance from CDC

  By Christopher Nickels |August 2022

• "Cannabis and Employment Law"
• "Developments at the National Labor Relations Board and Their Impact on Employers and Franchisors"
• "Ethical Pitfalls in Employment Situations"
• "Love It or Leave It: Embracing Leave Law Challenges Before They Strangle You"
• "OSHA Considerations for Employers in Year Two of the COVID-19 Pandemic"
• Biden Administration Takes Action to Expand Definition of “Employee” and Protect Gig Workers
• Bill To Narrow Joint Employment Passes In The House
• Browning-Ferris Joint Employer Standard Reinstated, For Now
• Bye, Bye Browning-Ferris: NLRB Overturns Browning-Ferris Joint Employer Standard
• California Employers Beware: Ninth Circuit Holds That Dynamex “ABC Test” Applies Retroactively
• Chris Nickels and Amanda Collins Author Article About New OSHA Inspection Walkaround Rule for Employee Relations Law Journal
• Chris Nickels Outlines Vaccine Mandate Considerations for Employers in Milwaukee Business Journal Article
• Congress Bars Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Harassment Claims
• Department of Labor Shifts Course on Joint Employment and Independent Contractor Classification
• DOL Abolishes the 80/20 Rule For Tipped Employees
• DOL Issues Final Joint Employment Rule
• DOL Offers Additional Guidance Regarding FFCRA Sick Leave and Expanded FMLA
• DOL Overtime Rule Officially Struck Down, What To Expect Next
• DOL Proposes New Joint Employer Rule
• DOL Publishes New Rule for Determining Whether Individuals are Independent Contractors under the Fair Labor Standard Act
• DOL Restores the 80/20 Rule for Tipped Employees and Creates a New Employee Wage Protection
• Employers May Voluntarily Extend Unused FFCRA Leave Benefits and Receive a Tax Credit Through March 2021
• FFCRA Leave Provisions Effective April 1 and CARES Act Provide Relief for Small Businesses and Unemployed Workers
• FTC Issues Proposed Rule Banning All Non-Compete Agreements
• FTC Seeks to Ban Most Non-Compete Agreements
• Getting Immediate Employer Tax Credit for FFCRA Sick Leave & EFMLA: IRS Releases Documentation Requirements and Expedited Process
• Impacts of the American Rescue Plan Act on Employers and Extension of FFCRA Tax Credit for COVID-19 Related Paid Leave
• Increasing Awareness of OSHA's Updated COVID-19 Guidance Important for Employers
• Law360 Article by Chris Nickels and Tyler Roth Outlines Employer Considerations in Reacting to Employee Speech on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
• Lights Out on Class Action Arbitration: What Employers Now Need to Consider
• National Labor Relations Board Finds Employer’s Offer of Severance Agreements Unlawful Due to Their Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Provisions
• Navigating the New Terrain - NLRB's New Joint Employment Standard
• New DOL Tip Credit Rule Clarifies When Managers can Keep Tips and Lays Hefty Fines for FLSA Violations
• New Executive Order Limits Workplace Diversity Training Offered by Federal Contractors
• NLRB Overturns Browning-Ferris Industries Joint Employer Standard with Sweeping New Rule
• NLRB Returns to Its Long-Standing Independent Contractor Test
• NLRB Takes Aim at Employers that Classify Workers as Independent Contractors
• Open Doors: Navigating OSHA’s New Walkaround Rule
• Open for Business? Navigating COVID-19’s Impact on Reopening Businesses and Returning Employees to the Workplace
• OSHA Issues New Guidance for Reopening Nonessential Businesses
• OSHA Update: Work-Related COVID-19 Cases are Recordable, and Increased In-Person Inspections are on the Horizon
• OSHA Updates its COVID-19 Guidance for Non-Healthcare Industries
• OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Standard for Healthcare Employers
• OSHA’s COVID-19 Recording and Reporting Requirements
• President Biden’s Impact on Employers in His First Three Weeks
• Russia’s War in Ukraine No Excuse for National Origin Discrimination
• Supreme Court Decision Gives Businesses A Powerful Tool Against Employee Class Actions
• Supreme Court Shifts FLSA Exemption Standard In Employers’ Favor By Ruling Automobile Service Advisors Exempt
• Ted Hollis, Chris Nickels and Tyler Roth Author Indiana Lawyer Article About DOL Final Rule to Determine if Workers are Employees or Independent Contractors
• Temporary Non-Enforcement of Families First Coronavirus Response Act and Workplace Posting Requirements
• Threats to Franchise Model: Where is Labor Law Taking Us?
• What Should Employers Expect in 2022, Non-COVID Edition

Seminar

• Annual Labor & Employment Law Symposium - Listen. Execute. Succeed.
• Annual Labor & Employment Symposium
• Annual Labor & Employment Symposium - Get the Big Picture
• BREAKING - New DOL Overtime Rules Announced, Minimum Salary Of $47,476, What You Need To Know To Be Compliant
• Business Law Training: The Shifting Sands of Non-Compete Law: What Employers Need to Know
• Developments at the National Labor Relations Board and Their Impact on Employers And Franchisors
• EXTRA WEBINAR ADDED – New DOL Overtime Rules Announced, Minimum Salary Of $47,476, What You Need To Know To Be Compliant
• Handling Difficult Disability Accommodation Requests
• How Employers Should Handle Political and Divisive Speech by Employees
• Navigating the New Joint-Employment Terrain 2024
• Open for Business? Navigating COVID-19's Impact on Reopening Businesses and Returning Employees to the Workplace
• Post-Pandemic Spring Cleaning! Brushing Up on Important Employment Practices