Vincent T. Norwillo

Biography

Vincent T. Norwillo is an experienced labor and employment lawyer. Prior to joining Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan, Mr. Norwillo was National Labor and Employment Counsel for twelve years with Tradesmen International, Inc., where he was responsible for development and administration of national labor relations and employment policies for this construction labor staffing firm. He provided advice and counsel to Tradesmen on a complete range of traditional labor and employment issues, including employment discrimination, retaliation, and discharge issues; state workers’ compensation and federal USL&H claims; state and federal wage and hour; Davis-Bacon and state prevailing wage; OSHA and MSHA compliance matters; ERISA/benefits administration; immigration; and post-employment restriction issues. He handled licensing, apprenticeship, and other regulatory compliance matters; investigated and litigated scores of unfair labor practice charges; and successfully defended representation petitions filed by building and construction trade unions in various NLRB Regional Offices.

While at Tradesmen International, Mr. Norwillo successfully litigated federal and state employment and workers’ compensation cases, including successful jury trials. Mr. Norwillo also monitored and interpreted legislative, regulatory, and case law developments and explained their impact on Company policies and procedures to executive and operations management. In addition, he provided regular training and counseling on topics, including union avoidance, workplace harassment, hiring, discipline and discharge, as well as wage and hour and OSHA compliance.

From this experience, Mr. Norwillo has developed a specialty in the labor and employment legal challenges facing the construction industry and contingent employers, specifically those funded and directed by organized labor, and he is a frequent lecturer on these topics. A highlight of successful reported cases includes Chao v. Tradesmen International, Inc., 310 F.3d 904 (6 th Cir. 2002); Tradesmen International, Inc. v. NLRB, 275 F.3d 1137 (D.C. Cir. 2002); and Tradesmen International, Inc., 338 NLRB No. 49 (2002).

Prior to his tenure at Tradesmen International, Mr. Norwillo spent seven years as an associate with Divin, Cahn and Hutton, a labor and employment boutique law firm in Cleveland, Ohio. As an associate with the Duvin firm (now Littler Mendelson) Mr. Norwillo represented private and public sector employers in wrongful discharge and employment discrimination matters involving Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act. He also counseled employers on union avoidance, workplace violence, and post-employment restrictions. Finally, Mr. Norwillo negotiated public and private sector collective bargaining agreements, handled contractual grievance arbitrations, and litigated unfair labor practice and other administrative charges before the National Labor Relations Board, the Ohio State Employment Relations Board, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Mr. Norwillo earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in Economics at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and his J.D., with honors, at The George Washington University – The National Law Center. He is admitted to practice in Ohio and New York; U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th, 6th, and 7th Circuits; and the Ohio Supreme Court.

Education & Bar Admissions

Education

• George Washington University-The National Law Center, J.D., with honors
• King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, B.S., summa cum laude, Economics

Bar Admissions

• Ohio
• U.S. District Court, Northern and Southern Districts of Ohio
• Ohio Supreme Court
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Circuits

In the News

• 1/4/2010 – Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan welcomes Vincent T. Norwillo

Publications