Peter J. Ennis

Member

Recent Publication:

How Anti-DEI Bill Could Affect Employers' Diversity Efforts

Peter Ennis authored a Law360 article discussing The Dismantle DEI Act of 2024, a proposed legislation aimed at curbing the implementation and promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices across federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients.

For over 30 years, Peter has advised clients on difficult and complex employment law matters, advocated on his clients' behalf, and, when needed, litigated to represent their interests. He provides advice on virtually every employment decision, including hiring and firing employees; compensation and compliance with the FLSA and state wage and hour laws; reasonable accommodations under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act and comparable state laws; succession planning and reductions-in-force; and complying with laws governing leaves of absence, including the FMLA and USERRA.

Peter represents employers before state and federal courts and agencies involving such claims as sexual harassment, race, sex, age, and disability discrimination; wrongful discharge; breaches of covenants not to compete; cases arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act and ERISA; and various types of injunction proceedings. He has also handled many labor arbitrations and unfair labor practice charges involving a broad range of contract interpretation and disciplinary issues, including discharges arising from drug and alcohol related offenses, theft, fraud, insubordination, and absenteeism.

Peter's practice includes counseling employers on such diverse personnel-related issues as compliance with discrimination laws; hiring, evaluating, and discharging employees; drug and alcohol testing; developing record-keeping and personnel policies and employee handbooks, pay practices and employee benefits; negotiating and administering collective bargaining agreements; and health and safety issues. He is also responsible for advising employers of their affirmative action obligations, if any, under federal and state law. In this regard, he has drafted and revised affirmative action obligations and assisted clients in responding to OFCCP audits.

As general outside counsel to two non-profits and special counsel to numerous additional non-profits, Peter has been involved in a wide range of issues, including reviewing and revising corporate by-laws; training board members on fiduciary obligations; drafting and revising employee handbooks and numerous other policies relating to board members, staff and clients; succession planning; responding to government claims of misuse of funds and failure to comply with applicable regulations; real estate acquisition and development; obtaining status as an institute of purely public charity under Pennsylvania law; advising and responding to allegations of sexual abuse against clients; custody issues; and determining "in loco parentis" status.

Upon graduating from law school, he served as a law clerk to Justice Arthur H. Healy of the Supreme Court of Connecticut. He has also been honored by his peers and selected multiple times to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers® list. Peter also serves as editor-in-chief of Pennsylvania Employment Law Deskbook, which is currently in its Fourth Edition and published by PBI Press.

Experience

News

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its Best Lawyers in America 2025 Edition

August 15, 2024

Best Lawyers selected 242 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.

Best Lawyers Honors More Than 200 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys to its Best Lawyers in America 2024 Edition

August 17, 2023

Best Lawyers selected 232 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s U.S. offices for inclusion in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

More Than 205 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 19, 2021

Best Lawyers selected 210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

47 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

May 28, 2021

Super Lawyers has selected 47 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2021 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch By The Best Lawyers In America

August 20, 2020

Best Lawyers selected 200 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 23 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© (Copyright 2020 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC).

Fifty-Eight Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

June 05, 2020

Super Lawyers has selected 58 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2020 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts

April 15, 2020

Peter Ennis was featured in the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council “Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts" Coronavirus edition newsletter.

What businesses must disclose when a worker is diagnosed with COVID-19

April 13, 2020

Peter Ennis discussed with Newsday what actions employers should take when an employee tests positive for coronavirus.

64 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys Named Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

May 21, 2019

Super Lawyers has selected 64 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to the 2019 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Fifty-four Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars

June 12, 2018

Super Lawyers has named 54 Cozen O'Connor attorneys to its 2018 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Publications

How Anti-DEI Bill Could Affect Employers' Diversity Efforts

August 28, 2024

Peter Ennis authored a Law360 article discussing The Dismantle DEI Act of 2024, a proposed legislation aimed at curbing the implementation and promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices across federal agencies, contractors, and grant recipients.

NLRB Makes it Harder to Discipline Employees who Engage in Abusive Behavior [Alert]

May 04, 2023

The NRLB recently revisited the issue of what happens when an employee engages in abusive or inappropriate conduct while protected by Section 7 of the NLRA.

City of Pittsburgh Enacts Ordinance Mandating Paid Time Off Related to COVID-19 [Alert]

December 17, 2020

Peter Ennis discusses the ordinance signed by Mayor Bill Peduto covering employers with 50 or more employees and requiring them to provide paid time off for employees working in the city who miss work due to reasons related to COVID-19.

States of Flux — What Employers Need to Know About Election 2020 and New State Laws [Alert]

November 23, 2020

David Barron, Joseph Quinn, Jake Rubinstein, Di Addy Tang, Peter Ennis, Adam Gutmann, and Anne discuss various state laws that may impact employers.

Enhanced Employer Record-Keeping Requirements Relating to COVID-19 [HR Headaches Blog]

November 09, 2020

One subject that has not received a lot of attention relating to COVID-19 requirements for employers is the obligation to make and preserve certain records. Depending on what the record is, and who is making it, these mandates will require employers to maintain records for longer periods of time...

Employer Obligations Relating to Employee Voting [Alert]

October 20, 2020

Peter Ennis and Brett Greving breakdown, by state, what employees are entitled to when it comes to their right to vote.

Duty to Report Employees Who Test Positive for COVID-19

April 08, 2020

John Ho and Peter Ennis describe whether employers should report, under federal or state law, an employee who has tested positive.

Layoffs, Furloughs, and the Impact of WARN Acts on Reorganizations [Alert]

March 20, 2020

Jen Williams, Peter Ennis, Arielle Eisenberg, and Nandini Sane discuss what employers must consider under state and federal WARN Acts before laying off or furloughing employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working from Home in the Age of COVID-19 — Answers to 10 Questions Employers Should Be Asking [Alert]

March 17, 2020

Peter Ennis and Michael Hanlon answer the questions employers should be asking as the workforce moves to telecommute.

Should My Company Have Independent Contractors or Employees? [COpilot Blog]

December 10, 2019

While an independent contractor and an employee may receive the same compensation for the same work, the legal differences between the two types of workers can have serious consequences.

Events & Seminars

Past Events

What’s Trending in Labor and Employment Law

May 23, 2019 - Pittsburgh, PA

Hot Issues in Labor and Employment Law

April 17, 2018 - Pittsburgh, PA

PBI Employment Law Institute West

November 16, 2017 - Pittsburgh, PA

Education

  • New England School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude, 1982
  • Colgate University, B.A., 1978

Awards & Honors

Best Lawyers in America 2019-2025

Pennsylvania Super Lawyers 2019-2021

  • Pennsylvania
  • West Virginia
  • Virginia
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court -- Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of West Virginia
  • U.S. Bankruptcy Court -- Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of West Virginia

Justice Arthur H. Healy, Connecticut Supreme Court