Overview
Heather Steele is a partner in the firm's Philadelphia and Pittsburgh offices. Heather's practice includes defending employers against employment-related claims and advising clients on personnel management and statutory compliance issues.
Heather is routinely involved in defending employers in matters in which former employees have alleged race, national origin, age, disability, gender, and other discrimination claims as well as claims against employers for sexual harassment, breach of employment contract, defamation, and wrongful termination.
Additionally, Heather assists clients in conducting trainings and investigations, as well as drafting employment agreements and implementing employee handbooks and personnel policies and procedures.
Heather also works extensively on prosecuting and defending legal claims that arise when an employee leaves his/her employer to join a competitive firm. She has worked on numerous issues in this context, including covenants not to compete, non-solicitation covenants, non-disclosure agreements, fiduciary duty/duty of loyalty claims, tortious interference with contract, unfair competition and misappropriation of trade secrets.
Her experience in employee defection and recruitment cases includes representation of clients in at least 25 states and numerous industries, including insurance, securities brokerage, medical temporary staffing, radio, retail, and asset appraisal.
Heather has represented clients both seeking and opposing applications for injunctive relief with concomitant claims for damages.
She also counsels clients regarding employee defection and recruitment issues, and has assisted corporate clients in developing policies to protect trade secrets and proprietary information.