Michael J. Shoenfelt

Michael is a partner in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the labor and employment group.  He has experience litigating and counseling clients on employment discrimination, retaliation, wrongful discharge, wage and hour, and accommodation issues.  Michael also has substantial experience defending wage and hour collective and class actions in state and federal court.  Michael’s practice also involves all aspects of traditional labor law, including union avoidance, appearing before the National Labor Relations Board, collective bargaining negotiations, and labor arbitrations.  He also has experience drafting and reviewing employment-related documents, and performing due diligence regarding employment litigation relevant to corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Notable experience includes:

• Defeating class certification for employer in putative wage and hour class action in California
• Defending clients in various nationwide Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective actions
• Obtaining summary judgment for employers in various state and federal discrimination cases
• Defending employers in labor arbitrations

Michael received his J.D. magna cum laude from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where he was an articles editor for the Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution and a member of Order of the Coif.  He received his BA magna cum laude with honors from The Ohio State University.  While in law school, Michael served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Amul R. Thapar in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and the Honorable Algenon L. Marbley in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Honors & Recognitions

Best Lawyers in America, 'Ones to Watch,' Labor and Employment Law - Management, 2021-2023

Ohio Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Labor & Employment, 2022-2023