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Joseph Ambash photo

Joseph W. Ambash

Partner


Boston

t:617.532.9320

f:617.532.5899

Email

Service Focus

  • Counseling and Advice
  • Employment Discrimination and Harassment
  • Labor Relations
  • Litigation and Trials

Industry Focus

  • Automotive Dealership
  • Education
  • Higher Education
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Overview
Credentials
Recognitions
Affiliations
Insights

Overview

Joe Ambash is a partner in the Boston office. His practice includes all aspects of employment law, including labor-management relations, employment discrimination and wrongful discharge litigation, and preventive labor relations.

He also has an extensive practice training managers in all areas of employment law compliance. Joe represents management in a broad range of industries, including health care, higher education, financial services, retail, media, sports and state and local government.

He has represented clients before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Massachusetts Division of Labor Relations, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), and in Massachusetts state and federal courts, the U.S. Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court.

Joe's experience in labor-management relations extends over several decades and involves representing management in representation cases, unfair labor practice cases, strikes and other labor disputes. He represented Brown University in the landmark NLRB case holding that graduate students are not employees under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), and he represented New Process Steel in the Supreme Court case invalidating decisions by a two-member NLRB.

Joe is frequently quoted by such notable publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Bloomberg BNA, WGBH News, Boston Business Journal, among others. He also lectures extensively on labor and employment topics. He was listed in the Massachusetts Super Lawyers since 2013, Chambers USA since 2015, America's Leading Business Lawyers in 2013 and he has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America since 2006.

Joe has been selected for inclusion in Who's Who Legal USA - Management Labour & Employment by the researchers at the International Who's Who publication. He was also selected for inclusion in The Legal 500 – Litigation in 2015.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., 1973, cum laude, Harvard Law School
  • A.B., 1970, magna cum laude, Yale University

Bar Admissions

  • Massachusetts

Court Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Recognitions

  • Benchmark Litigation 2023 – Labor & Employment Star
  • Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (2011 – 2024)
  • Recommended as a leading practitioner for Labor and Employment Disputes: Defense by The Legal 500 United States (2021)
  • Chambers USA, Labor & Employment (2015 – 2024)
  • Served as the executive editor of the Massachusetts Labor Relations Reporter
  • Served as the executive editor of the Massachusetts Discrimination Law Reporter
  • Served as the executive editor of the Employment-At-Will Reporter
    "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Listed in Massachusetts Super Lawyers since 2013
  • Named one of the ten Leaders in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in 2010
  • Recognized in New England Super Lawyers and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly since 2004

Affiliations

Professional Activities

  • Fellow, College of Labor and Employment Lawyers
  • Member, Boston Bar Association
  • Member, American Bar Association

Insights

  • News

    06/10/24

    Fisher Phillips Earns Top Rankings Again as a Leading Firm in Labor and Employment Law by Chambers USA

    Edwin G. Foulke Jr., Andrew J. Sommer, Travis Vance, Kristin R.B. White, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Micah Dawson, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Charles S. Caulkins, Christine E. Howard, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Cathy M. Stutin, Michael P. Elkon, Shanon R. Stevenson, Terri R. Stewart, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Emily N. Litzinger, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Michelle I. Anderson, Edward F. Harold, Timothy H. Scott, David W. Erb, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Barbara Jean D’Aquila, Steven R. Cupp, Gregory D. Ballew, J. Randall Coffey, James R. Holland II, Brian J. Finucane, Melody L. Rayl, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Marra, David Klass, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Todd A. Lyon, Michael P. Avila, Nan Sato, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, David S. Jones, Greg Grisham, Jeff Weintraub, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Ralph Hua, Radhika Mehta, Suzanne Kelly Michael

    Read more 

  • Event

    10/26/23

    Higher Education Institutions: Implementing Successful Strategies for Responding to the Latest Wave of Organizing Activity

    Joseph W. Ambash, Joshua D. Nadreau

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  • News

    06/06/23

    Fisher Phillips Once Again Recognized as a Top Labor and Employment Law Firm by Chambers USA

    Edwin G. Foulke Jr., Andrew J. Sommer, Travis Vance, Kristin R.B. White, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Micah Dawson, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Charles S. Caulkins, Christine E. Howard, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Cathy M. Stutin, Shanon R. Stevenson, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Emily N. Litzinger, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Michelle I. Anderson, Edward F. Harold, Timothy H. Scott, David W. Erb, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Steven R. Cupp, Gregory D. Ballew, J. Randall Coffey, James R. Holland II, Brian J. Finucane, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Marra, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Todd A. Lyon, Nan Sato, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, David S. Jones, Jeff Weintraub, Arthur V. Lambert, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Ralph Hua, Radhika Mehta, Suzanne Kelly Michael, Barbara Jean D’Aquila

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  • News

    10/03/22

    Fisher Phillips Recognized by Benchmark Litigation 2023

    Barbara Jean D’Aquila, Joseph W. Ambash, Steven M. Bernstein, Todd A. Fredrickson, Lonnie D. Giamela, Rosemary S. Gousman, Karl R. Lindegren, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Stephen C. Mitchell, Sarah Moffett, Kristen J. Nesbit, Regina A. Petty, Timothy H. Scott, Christopher P. Stief, James Sullivan, J. Hagood Tighe, Teresa Valderrama

    Read more 

  • News

    06/01/22

    Fisher Phillips Recognized Again as a Top Labor and Employment Law Firm by Chambers USA

    Kristin R.B. White, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Micah Dawson, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Charles S. Caulkins, Christine E. Howard, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Cathy M. Stutin, Shanon R. Stevenson, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Michelle I. Anderson, Edward F. Harold, Keith M. Pyburn Jr., Timothy H. Scott, David W. Erb, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Steven R. Cupp, J. Randall Coffey, Brian J. Finucane, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Marra, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Nan Sato, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, David S. Jones, Jeff Weintraub, Arthur V. Lambert, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Ralph Hua, Radhika Mehta, Suzanne Kelly Michael

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  • News

    09/29/21

    Fisher Phillips Partner Speaks to New York Times on NLRB Classification of Student-Athletes

    Joseph W. Ambash

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  • News

    07/01/21

    Fisher Phillips Recognized Among Top Law Firms in U.S. by The Legal 500

    Davis C. Bae, Jessica T. Cook, David S. Jones, Angelica M. Ochoa, Shanon R. Stevenson, Joseph W. Ambash, Michelle I. Anderson, Clarence M. Belnavis, Christopher J. Boman, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Daniel E. Farrington, Jeffrey A. Fritz, Raymond C. Haley III, Danielle Hultenius Moore, Kristen J. Nesbit, Roger K. Quillen, Todd B. Scherwin, Terri R. Stewart, James Sullivan, Teresa Valderrama

    Read more 

  • News

    05/20/21

    Fisher Phillips Stands Out as a Top Labor and Employment Law Firm by Chambers USA

    Danielle Hultenius Moore, Jocelyn Campanaro, Todd A. Fredrickson, Angelica M. Ochoa, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, Christine E. Howard, Charles S. Caulkins, Jeffrey E. Mandel, Laurel K. Cornell, Raymond C. Haley III, Todd B. Logsdon, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Edward F. Harold, Keith M. Pyburn Jr., Timothy H. Scott, Daniel E. Farrington, Joseph W. Ambash, William E. Altman, Gregory V. Murray, Steven R. Cupp, J. Randall Coffey, Brian J. Finucane, David B. Dornak, Scott M. Mahoney, Mark J. Ricciardi, Rosemary S. Gousman, Richard A. Millisor, Clarence M. Belnavis, Christopher P. Stief, William D. Wright, Michael D. Carrouth, C. F. W. Manning II, Stephen C. Mitchell, J. Hagood Tighe, Jeff Weintraub, Stephen J. Roppolo, Teresa Valderrama, Theresa M. Connolly, Davis C. Bae, Radhika Mehta

    Read more 

  • News

    08/20/20

    Fisher Phillips Attorneys Receive Top Honors in Best Lawyers in America©

    Michael V. Abcarian, Stephanie R. Alexander, William E. Altman, Christopher Alvarez, Joseph W. Ambash, Craig R. Annunziata, Davis C. Bae, Gregory D. Ballew, Kelsey E. Schiappacasse, Cheryl L. Behymer, Clarence M. Belnavis, Steven M. Bernstein, Suzanne K. Bogdan, D. Albert Brannen, Kathleen McLeod Caminiti, Jocelyn Campanaro, Christopher J. Capone, Michael D. Carrouth, Charles S. Caulkins, Lyle M. Chan, J. Randall Coffey, Theresa M. Connolly, Laurel K. Cornell, Steven R. Cupp, Kevin J. Dalton, J. Micah Dickie, Burton F. Dodd, David B. Dornak, Benjamin Dudek, Todd Alan Ewan, Daniel E. Farrington, Brian J. Finucane, Todd A. Fredrickson, Andrew Froman, Joseph W. Gagnon, Brian J. Gershengorn, Lauren G. Goetzl, Rosemary S. Gousman, Michael R. Greco, Paul Greco, Rick Grimaldi, Greg Grisham, Lori A. Guner, Raymond C. Haley III, Edward F. Harold, JonVieve D. Hill, Christopher C. Hoffman, James R. Holland II, Christine E. Howard, Clyde H. Jacob III, David S. Jones, Matthew R. Korn, Danielle Krauthamer Zobel, Edwina C. Kye, Arthur V. Lambert, Terry E. Lardakis, Aymara Ledezma, Courtney Leyes, Karl R. Lindegren, Steven M. Loewengart, Reyburn W. Lominack III, Nathan K. Low, Darin L. Mackender, Scott M. Mahoney, Jeffrey E. Mandel, C. F. W. Manning II, Howard A. Mavity, James J. McDonald Jr., Phillips L. McWilliams, Richard A. Millisor, Stephen C. Mitchell, Danielle Hultenius Moore, R. Henry Moore, Timothy J. Murphy, Gregory V. Murray, Warren L. Nelson, Steven M. Nobil, Daniel P. O'Brien, James Patrick, Jonathan P. Pearson, Regina A. Petty, Ann Margaret Pointer, James C. Polkinghorn, John M. Polson, Keith M. Pyburn Jr., Roger K. Quillen, Melody L. Rayl, Thomas Paul Rebel, Mark J. Ricciardi, Ashton M. Riley, Stephen J. Roppolo, Jeffrey A. Savarise, Susan M. Schaecher, Cheryl L. Schreck, David E. Schreiner, Stephen Scott, Timothy H. Scott, Joseph P. Shelton, Craig P. Siegenthaler, Jeffrey D. Smith, John W. Stapleton, Shanon R. Stevenson, Terri R. Stewart, Christopher P. Stief, Cathy M. Stutin, Douglas R. Sullenberger, James Sullivan, Martin F. Thompson, Megan Reese U'Sellis, Pavneet Singh Uppal, Teresa Valderrama, Joshua H. Viau, Timothy J. Weatherholt, Jeff Weintraub, Alexander A. Wheatley, Benton N. Wood, Robert Yonowitz, George D. Adams, Richard R. Meneghello, Hannah Sweiss, Robert M. Robenalt, Todd A. Lyon, Todd B. Logsdon, J. Hagood Tighe, Danielle S. Urban, Sheila M. Abron, Kristin R.B. White, Michelle I. Anderson

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  • Insights

    07/02/20

    June 2020: The Top 21 Labor And Employment Law Stories

    Joseph W. Ambash, Michelle I. Anderson, Davis C. Bae, Steven M. Bernstein, Jessica D. Causgrove, J. Randall Coffey, Jessica T. Cook, Patrick W. Dennison, J. Micah Dickie, Michael P. Elkon, Jason A. Geller, Lauren G. Goetzl, Rick Grimaldi, Darcey M. Groden, Nicholas S. Hulse, David Klass, Todd B. Logsdon, Howard A. Mavity, Richard R. Meneghello, Shanon R. Stevenson, James Sullivan, Megan E. Walker, Kristin R.B. White, Sarah Wieselthier, Franklin Z. Wolf, Cynthia J. Yarbrough

    Read more 

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