Michael J. Ball
Practice Areas
Education
- The University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., 2008, cum laude
- University of Virginia, B.A., 2003, with distinction
Bar & Court Admissions
Mike is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the labor and employment practice group. He primarily represents employers and assists them in litigation matters, focusing on complex employment litigation such as wage and hour class actions and collective actions. Mike is also involved in all aspects of traditional labor law, including practicing before the National Labor Relations Board, union avoidance, defense of unfair labor practice charges, collective bargaining negotiations, and labor arbitrations. In addition, he counsels clients on issues pertaining to policies, reductions-in-force, terminations, employment agreements, severance agreements, non-compete matters, and unemployment tax issues.
Career Highlights Include:
- Defeated class certification for employer in putative wage and hour class action and collective action removed to federal court in California
- Obtained summary judgment for an employer in PAGA representative action in federal court in California
- Represented employers in numerous class action and collective matters filed in various jurisdictions across the country
Mike is a member of the Ohio State Bar Association.
Mike received his J.D. cum laude from The University of Notre Dame Law School. He received his B.A. with distinction from the University of Virginia.
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2022
News
- 8/19/2021One hundred and sixteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 edition. In addition, 34 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 1/3/2017Vorys announced that Michael J. Ball, Colleen M. Devanney, J.B. Lind, Natalie M. McLaughlin, Martha Brewer Motley, Adam J. Rocco, Benjamin A. Shepler and Nancy Nicole Workman have been named partners of the firm.
Events
- 4/15/2020In this Vorys at Work webinar on April 15, 2020, Vorys attorneys Dan Clark, Michael Ball and Akilah Craig answered the questions they are frequently fielding from our unionized clients and provided tips to reduce risk during these unprecedented times.
- 1/30/2019Mike Ball and Jen Dunsizer, partners in the Vorys labor and employment group, presented a complimentary webinar on how to avoid hidden traps within employment and severance agreements on January 30, 2019.
- 11/4/2015Vorys attorneys Michael Ball and Adam Rocco presented a webinar hosted by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce HR Academy of November 4, 2015.
- 11/5/2014Vorys attorneys Michael Ball and Adam Rocco presented a webinar hosted by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce on November 5, 2014.
Insights
- 9/10/2020Across the country, numerous class and collective actions have been filed against food delivery companies, especially pizza restaurants, by drivers claiming they are not paid enough for delivery-related expenses.
- 5/29/2020As employers begin to reopen their businesses and employees start to return to work, Virginia employers will need to contend with a significant expansion of the Virginia Human Rights Act.
- 5/27/2020As employers begin to reopen their businesses and employees start to return to work, Virginia employers will need to contend with several new workplace laws (in addition to confronting the myriad workplace changes wrought by COVID-19).
- 7/2/2019State laws vary on whether employers must provide current and former employees with access to their personnel records and, if so, what information is included within those records.
- 1/28/2019Companies in Illinois that use or collect biometric information from customers or employees must take immediate steps to ensure that they are complying with BIPA given a recent Illinois Supreme Court finding.
- 12/31/2018Massachusetts is one of 11 states that currently mandate removing criminal history questions from job applications for private employers. These states are California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. At least 17 cities and counties across the country have also extended these requirements to private employers. The beginning of the new year is a good time for employers to review their hiring policies and procedures and what information they collect from applicants in this regard.
- 6/13/2018A newly filed collective action in Ohio federal court against an oil and gas company highlights the importance of wage-hour law compliance and the potential ramifications for failing to do so.
- 4/25/2018Washington recently enacted the “Fair Chance Act” and in doing so joined the expanding list of state and local jurisdictions to “ban-the-box” and limit employer access to a prospective employee’s criminal record.
- 3/2/2018Effective June 2018, Kansas City, Missouri, and Spokane, Washington, will become the latest cities to have ban-the-box laws for private employers.
- 1/23/2018As we previously reported, the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) requires individuals and companies to provide notice and obtain consent before collecting or using biometric data and then ensure the proper storage and disposal of that data.
- 12/22/2017Companies are increasingly turning to technology to track customers and employers. For example, employers use fingerprint readers as means of employee timekeeping.
- 10/18/2017California law generally prohibits an employer from asking applicants to disclose, or from using as a factor in determining any condition of employment, information concerning arrests or detentions not resulting in a conviction.
- 6/26/2017California law already prohibits employers from using certain criminal history in hiring, discipline, termination and other employment decisions.
- 1/25/2017Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney recently signed into law an ordinance designed to address gender-based wage disparities by prohibiting employers from inquiring about a job applicant’s wage history. This ordinance follows a similar law enacted by Massachusetts in August 2016 which became the first state to prohibit employers from asking about or requiring a job applicant to disclose his or her wage history. Similar legislation has since been introduced in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York City.
- 1/18/2017California generally requires employers to provide their non-exempt employees with a 10 minute rest period for each four hours of work or major fraction thereof.
- 3/21/2014As discussed in Vorys’ September 3, 2013 Client Alert, the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) previously issued final rules interpreting Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 503) and the Vietnam Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). The final rules, aimed to improve hiring and employment opportunities for disabled and veteran workers, impose numerous new affirmative action obligations on federal contractors or subcontractors covered by Executive Order 11246 (contractors). The final rules take effect on March 24, 2014. However, any contractor with an affirmative action plan (AAP) already in place may maintain that AAP until the end of the AAP year.
- 9/3/2013On August 27, 2013, the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued final rules interpreting Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 503) and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA).
- 3/22/2013Recently, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) officially withdrew the Bush-era guidance regarding pay discrimination. In its place, the OFCCP issued Directive 307, accompanied by a fact sheet and answers to frequently asked questions.
- 5/2/2011The impact of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act ("GINA") of 2008 upon workers’ compensation requests for medical information is not entirely clear from the regulations in Title II and the explanatory notes in the Preamble to the regulations
- 2/24/2011
- 3/22/2010