Joseph Quinn

Member

Pittsburgh

(412) 620-6514

(412) 275-2390

Joe listens, counsels, and litigates to help clients resolve the problems they face with labor and employment law. He has represented employers in a wide range of labor-management issues, including contract negotiation and administration before mediators, fact-finders, and arbitrators. He has also represented employers in litigation before administrative agencies as well as federal and state court.

Joe has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® list each year since 2011 and has garnered an AV® Preeminent distinction, the highest available mark for professional excellence from Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Ratings.

Joe represents employers in a variety of jurisdictions across the country and a wide range of litigation matters, including those involving ERISA, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, FMLA, and the ADA. He has experience in representing clients before the National and the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Boards, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Joe's work has spanned a broad range of industries in both the public and private sectors. From energy to education, to health care. He also has experience in matters related to collective bargaining for public sector employers, including the use of interest arbitration for police, fire, prison guard and court-related bargaining units.

Joe's practice also includes employment counseling to advise clients on major acquisitions or reductions in force, decisions involving day-to-day activities and/or employee discipline, compensation-related issues and federal or state audits of pay practices, employment policies, handbooks, agreements and severance packages, leadership training on how to avoid harassment and other unlawful practices in the workplace as well as how to investigate allegations of wrongdoing and handle claims as they arise, issues related to the protection of trade secrets, intellectual property agreements and non-compete covenants.

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.

NLRB Broadens Scope of Protected Concerted Activity

September 08, 2023

Joseph Quinn spoke with SHRM about a new ruling from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that is intended to make it easier for workers to have legal protection for concerted activity in the workplace.

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.

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).

Publications

Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Dismissal of ADA Lawsuit for Failure to Exhaust Administrative Remedies

April 07, 2021

Joseph Quinn discusses the Simko v. U.S. Steel Corp decision and what it means for employers.

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.

Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act Going Into Effect Amidst Uncertainty [Alert]

March 04, 2020

Joseph Quinn details what employers need to know about Pittsburgh new Act, including who is impacted and what they need to do now.

Circuit Court Once Again Reins in NLRB Over Jurisdiction [Alert]

February 03, 2020

Joe Quinn discusses the court's decision in Duquesne University v. NLRB and its impact on future attempts at organizing by faculty and non-faculty employees at religious schools.

Harrisburg May Be on Cusp of Grand Compromise Regarding Employee Pay

December 03, 2019

Joe Quinn discusses the fate of the increase to the salary test for EAP exemptions and the minimum wage in Pennsylvania.

Education

  • University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D., 1982
  • Washington Theological Union, M.A., 1979
  • St. Fidelis College, B.A., cum laude, 1974

Awards & Honors

Best Lawyers in America 2011-2025

2022 and 2024 Employment Law - Management Lawyer of the Year in Pittsburgh by The Best Lawyers in America 

  • Pennsylvania