Jaime S. Tuite

The heart of every business is its people. Both outside and inside of court, Jaime Tuite, shareholder and Head of the firm's Pittsburgh office, helps businesses of every size and kind resolve their employment issues. Having litigated more than 150 cases in state and federal courts as well as arbitrations, Jaime taps into her past wins to bring creative solutions that help her clients overcome their most pressing employment challenges. She is flexible to work with but unyielding in her pursuit of the end goal. Her dedication to both her clients and work was recently recognized when she was named to the Pittsburgh Business Times "Pittsburgh Power 100 2023" list.

How Jaime Helps Clients

Jaime tenaciously defends employers in discrimination, whistleblower and wage and hour lawsuits in trials as well as before the appellate courts. She also routinely conducts internal employment investigations, litigates restrictive covenant cases and obtains temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions for employers enforcing employment agreements. In Pennsylvania, Florida, West Virginia and Ohio, Jaime’s clients represent a highly diverse range of industries, including finance, higher education, life sciences, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, energy, pharmaceutical and hospitality.

In addition to litigation, Jaime counsels employers on:

• Hiring
• Disciplining and firing employees
• Complying with disability and leave obligations
• Drafting employment agreements and policies
• Assisting in large reductions in force
• Providing workplace and management training
• Investigating claims of harassment and discrimination
• Title IX and compliance investigations
• Advice related to employment issues before a merger or acquisition

Non-compete and Non-solicitation Litigation

Jaime assists employers in enforcement actions related to employment agreements, including:

• Obtaining temporary and permanent restraining orders and injunctions preventing former employees from working for competitors
• Protecting clients’ trade secrets from former employees working for competitors in violation of non-compete agreements and misappropriating trade secrets
• Obtaining court orders restricting professionals from working for competitors or with certain customers based upon the inevitable disclosure doctrine
• Helping employers prevent former employees from violating non-solicitation agreements
• Preventing employees from misappropriating trade secrets, Protected Health Information (PHI) and other confidential information
• Assisting employers with hiring employees with post-employment obligations

Employment Discrimination Litigation

Jaime defends employers against all types of discrimination-related claims, including:

• Sex discrimination
• Disability discrimination
• Age discrimination
• Equal Pay Act
• National origin
• Race discrimination
• Family Medical Leave Act interference
• Retaliation

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Law (WPCL) Disputes

Jaime works to land strong outcomes in many types of wage actions, including:

• Actions involving misclassification of independent contractors and employees as well as failure to pay overtime
• FLSA retaliation and wrongful termination cases
• Breach of contract, promissory estoppel, breach of implied covenants and WPCL claims under various state laws, including PA, MA, CT, DE and OH
• FLSA and WPCL collective actions
• Disputes involving failure to pay commissions, bonuses and incentive compensation

Other Defense Litigation

These are among the many other types of matters with which Jaime assists clients:

• Dodd Frank Act whistleblower claims
• Sarbanes Oxley Act whistleblower claims
• False Claims Act whistleblower claims
• Pennsylvania Whistleblower Act
• FINRA arbitration regarding many types of claims
• Section 1983 claims
• ADA-compliance issues, such as website litigation
• Constitutional issues
• Tort claims

What Clients Can Expect

In a litigious world where fewer lawyers can claim extensive trial experience, Jaime is no stranger to trial courts, appellate courts, and arbitration proceedings. Advising her clients on strategies developed through years of litigation, Jaime protects her client’s most valuable assets – their trade secrets and their reputations – with results that derive from her practical, goal-focused approach. Clients also appreciate the diversity of Jaime’s industry experience and that she is licensed in four states.

My clients deserve to have their interests fiercely protected and defended. Whether I’m sharing best practices or defending my clients in court, I bring my intensity and passion to every matter.

Proof Points

• Named Leader of the Year by the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association in 2023. 
• Recognized on the Pittsburgh Business Times, "Pittsburgh Power 100 2023" list.
• Recognized as a leading Labor & Employment attorney in Pennsylvania by Chambers USA in 2022 and 2023.
• Recognized on the Pittsburgh Business Times, "2022 Women of Influence" list.
• Named a 2022 Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer which is determined by client feedback.
• Recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times, "2021 20 People to Know in Law."
• Serves on Buchanan's E-Discovery Team, Cybersecurity Team, and Pro-Bono Committee. She has also chaired the Associates Committee and coordinated Buchanan's Summer Associate Program.
• Appointed in 2015 by the District Court Judges from the Western District of Pennsylvania to serve on the Lawyers Advisory Committee of the Judicial Council of the Third Circuit for a three-year term, where she served as liaison between the court and legal community.
• Appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania's Local Rules Advisory Committee to review their current Local Civil, Admiralty and Criminal Rules of Court. As part of the appointment, Jaime served on the ESI Issues subcommittee.
• Successfully argued a constitutional due process issue that involved the intersection of health care and higher education issues before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The precedential decision resulted in the reversal of a jury verdict. See Borrell v. Bloomsburg University, et al., 870 F.3d 154 (3d Cir. 2017), cert. denied (2018).
• Successfully argued an arbitration issue before the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 2021, resulting in an arbitration in October 2022.
• Updated the Employment Libel & Privacy Law Treatise for many years regarding recent Pennsylvania developments.
• Recognized among "Women on the Verge" as part of a special supplement of The Legal Intelligencer's "Women in the Profession."
• Pennsylvania Super Lawyers consecutively since 2018.
• Pennsylvania Rising Stars 2010-2018.
• The Best Lawyers in America^® consecutively since 2016 under the Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment categories.

Jaime speaks and publishes frequently on current issues in employment law.