Ken has nearly 40 years of experience in all areas of labor and employment law and acts as primary counsel for many companies throughout the United States in a wide range of industries, including financial services, biotechnology, high technology, healthcare, consulting services, manufacturing, retail and hospitality services. His clients also include venture and private equity institutions, as well as related portfolio entities.
Ken regularly acts as lead trial counsel in defending employers in discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage-hour and overtime, wrongful discharge, whistleblowing and other employment related lawsuits, as well as in litigating non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality disputes. He has been lead counsel in multiple class action lawsuits involving claims for overtime and other statutory compensation, as well as the federal plant closing (WARN) law. Among other significant matters, he recently and successfully defended a company in the first in the United States class gender compensation case brought by OFCCP and the Solicitor’s office of Department of Labor. He also has extensive experience in traditional labor-management relations, including union organizing drives, collective bargaining negotiations, grievance and arbitration cases, and matters before the National Labor Relations Board.
Ken also provides clients with day-to-day advice on a myriad of employment issues, ranging from hiring, performance management, allegations of discrimination, harassment, whistle-blowing, and other claims of wrongful conduct. He works with clients in responding to employee misconduct, including violations of employment agreements, restrictive covenants (including non-competes and non-solicitation), and misappropriation of confidential information and trade secrets. He also advises companies in connection with local, state and federal laws applicable to the employment relationship, including all matters relating to payment of wages and overtime, affirmative action, workplace safety, leaves of absence, layoffs and plant closings, medical, drug and alcohol testing, and privacy, to name a few.
Ken also has served as an Arbitrator in connection with employment related disputes.
Along with the Firm, Ken has been individually recognized by Chambers & Partners for more than 15 years as one of “America’s Leading Lawyers For Business,” in which he is cited for being a “highly experienced litigator” and providing “pragmatic legal advice set in a business context.” Ken has also been named one of the Best Lawyers in America, and a “Super Lawyer” for many years. Ken was one of seven editors and authors of Model Jury Instructions in Employment Cases, published by the American Bar Association (ABA), and is an author for a second ABA book, Employment Law Deskbook. He regularly speaks before bar associations and industry groups on legal issues relating to labor and employment law.
Outside of his law practice, Ken serves as a Trustee to Hebrew Senior Life, and previously was a member of the Board for the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Prior to co-founding Bello Welsh, Ken was a senior partner in the Employment, Labor and Benefits Section of Mintz Levin, one of the largest law firms in the United States, where he practiced for 21 years. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and before the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, the First Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He received his B.A. from Brandeis University (magna cum laude) in 1978 and his J.D. from Boston College Law School (magna cum laude and Order of the Coif) in 1981.