Jeff Burke is a Partner at MacElree Harvey, Ltd., working in both the firm’s Business and Litigation practice groups, with an emphasis on employment law. Jeff counsels businesses and individuals on equal employment opportunity (EEO) policies, disability accommodation, employment & severance agreements, restrictive covenants, executive compensation, independent contracting, workforce audits, and other employment-related matters. In the employment law field, Jeff has provided employee and management training to businesses as well as continuing education seminars to other attorneys. Jeff also provides legal counsel in merger and acquisition transactions for employment-related due diligence and contract negotiations.

In his litigation practice, Jeff has successfully resolved numerous disputes in state and federal court and before administrative agencies, including Title VII discrimination claims based upon sex, race, national origin, and religion, Americans with Disability Act claims, compensation claims under state and federal wage and hour laws, and restrictive covenant / non-competition claims, to name a few. Jeff also applies his considerable litigation experience to select complex commercial disputes, working with his partners on contract, real estate, construction and shareholder cases.

Prior to joining MacElree Harvey, Jeff worked for 6 years at an insurance defense litigation firm, where he represented clients across multiple disciplines in state and federal court, including employment discrimination, personal injury, civil rights, product liability and construction litigation. Before that, Jeff was an associate with a small-size, general practice law firm focusing on criminal defense as well as civil and domestic litigation.

Jeff is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he was a recipient of the Class of 2008 Community Service Award. Before attending law school, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, with minors in Economics and Political Science.

Notable Representations

• Obtained summary judgment in favor of employer in United States District Court against claims of alleged Title VII sex discrimination and alleged violations of Equal Pay Act
• Negotiated executive employment agreements for selling principals in multi-million dollar merger and acquisition transaction
• Obtained favorable, confidential settlements in cases of alleged sex discrimination for multiple Pennsylvania employers, ranging from complex, multi-entity enterprises down to a small family-owned store
• Obtained favorable, confidential settlement through Mediation in favor of Pennsylvania business in a case seeking wages under Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection law and alleging discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Obtained favorable, confidential settlement through Mediation in favor of Pennsylvania employer in case of alleged national origin discrimination
• Successfully obtained transfers of venue from Philadelphia County to favorable outlying Pennsylvania counties in multiple personal injury lawsuits brought against Fortune 500 Company
• Defended and successfully resolved numerous personal injury and property damage claims brought against Pennsylvania businesses and individuals in the areas of premises liability, motor vehicle liability and construction
• Obtained Summary Judgment before United States District Court in favor of multiple police officer defendants and City alleged to have committed Constitutional rights violations against detainee
• Litigated numerous cases to judgment involving recovery of possession of real property and unpaid rent
• Successfully defended and obtained dismissal of numerous Pennsylvania criminal charges, from First Degree Felonies to Summary offenses

Memberships

• Chester County Bar Association, Civil Litigation Section
• Chester County Bar Association, Employment Law Section
• Chester County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division
• Stively Inn of Court
• Pennsylvania Bar Association

Admissions

• Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Community Involvement

• West Chester Downtown Foundation, Board Member

Articles

• Employment Law Update January 2023
• Employment Law Update December 2022
• Employment Law Update November 2022
• Employment Law Update October 2022
• Employment Law Update September 2022
• 23 Attorneys Named as Main Line Today Top Lawyers 2022
• Employment Law Update July 2022
• PENNSYLVANIA EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS: Why Federal Courts are the Venue of Choice and Why that Could Change in the Near Future
• Employment Law Update April 2022
• Employment Law Update March 2022
• Employment Law Update February 2022
• MacElree Harvey, Ltd. Names New Shareholders and Partners
• Employment Law Update January 2022
• Employment Law Update November 2021
• Employment Law Update October 2021
• Employment Law Update August 2021
• Employment Law Update July 2021
• If it’s “Mandatory” then it’s Compensable: Employer Compliance with the Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act post-Heimbach
• Employment Law Update June 2021
• Employment Law Update May 2021
• Employment Law Update March 2021
• When (and how) can a business use a “coronavirus scanner” or other instant coronavirus tests for its employees?
• Employment Law Update January 2021
• Can Pennsylvania Employers Mandate that Employees take a COVID-19 Vaccine?
• Employment Law Update November, 2020
• Employment Law Update for October, 2020
• Seeing through the Haze: 3 Things to Remember About Employee Marijuana Use in Pennsylvania
• Unemployment Compensation for Pennsylvania Business Owners: The Self-Employment Exception, The CARES Act and Beyond
• Responding to Employee Accommodation Requests under the ADA: Navigating the Interactive Process
• Discovery of Social Media in Pennsylvania: Be Careful What You Post Online
• Department of Labor Announces New Standards Affecting Overtime Pay for Salaried Employees