Joshua D. Nadreau
Regional Managing Partner and Vice Chair, Labor Relations Group
Overview
Joshua Nadreau is the Regional Managing Partner of Fisher Phillips Boston office and Vice Chair of the firm’s Labor Relations Group. He represents clients across the country in traditional labor matters, complex employment litigation, and high-stakes issues at the intersection of law, sports, and higher education, among others.
Josh is widely recognized for his work advising employers through all phases of union organizing campaigns, representation proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and collective bargaining. He has successfully defended clients against unfair labor practice charges, led internal labor strategy for publicly traded companies and major universities, and negotiated successor agreements in some of the country’s most union-dense industries. He also counsels buyers and sellers in transactions involving unionized workforces, helping clients assess and mitigate labor risks in corporate acquisitions.
A significant portion of Josh’s practice focuses on sports law and the rapidly evolving legal issues in college athletics. He is a trusted advisor to NCAA Division I institutions and conferences navigating compliance with name, image, and likeness (NIL) laws, student-athlete employment challenges, and related concerns. He has been quoted in The Athletic, Politico, Law360, and Bloomberg Law on legal developments shaping the future of college sports, including student-athlete unionization and landmark litigation such as Johnson v. NCAA and House v. NCAA.
Josh also maintains an active employment litigation practice. He defends employers in class and collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage laws, with a focus on claims involving timekeeping, misclassification, off-the-clock work, and meal/rest break violations. He regularly handles investigations and audits before the U.S. Department of Labor and state agencies.
Josh has first-chaired numerous arbitration hearings involving employee discipline, discharge, and contract interpretation. He advises clients daily on operating in unionized environments, from managing grievances to policy development and supervisory training.
Josh represents a broad range of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to regional employers in industries including sports, higher education, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail, and health care.
Outside the office, Josh is a certified high school football referee and a proud father to two boys and Watson the Beagle.