Tom Harrington has retired from the practice of law, and he no longer works at The Employment Law Group. Please direct any questions about Tom or his cases to Nicholas Woodfield, TELG principal and general counsel.
John Thomas Harrington, known as Tom, retired from the practice of law on April 5, 2024. He was a principal at The Employment Law Group® law firm — the first principal to have joined the firm as a clerk.
Mr. Harrington represented employees in discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblowing cases. He had a special focus on vindicating licensed professionals — doctors, CPAs, and lawyers — whose credentials were unjustly threatened by employer actions.
Among Mr. Harrington’s notable victories was a $2 million jury verdict for two clients whose employer was found to have violated the anti-retaliation provisions of the False Claims Act and the National Defense Authorization Act.
Law was Mr. Harrington’s second full career. Before becoming a lawyer, he worked for 19 years in the financial industry, including at the National Association of Securities Dealers (now known as FINRA) and the NASDAQ Stock Market.
After years of considering law school, Mr. Harrington finally decided to take the plunge. He joined The Employment Law Group as a litigation law clerk, working during the day while he attended the George Mason University School of Law at night. After receiving his license, Mr. Harrington was named as a TELG associate attorney. In 2013 he became the first former law clerk to ascend to ownership at the firm.
Mr. Harrington represented TELG clients in federal courts nationwide, and before state and federal administrative bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and various arms of the U.S. Department of Labor.
For five years in a row, Mr. Harrington was honored by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star,” a title given to only 2.5% of practicing lawyers in each state. He continued to receive professional recognition every year until his retirement, including from The Best Lawyers in America and Lawdragon.
Articles
How to Avoid or Dispute an Unfair NPDB Report, , May-2022
25 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Corporate Counsel, Aug-2015
Bring On the Babysitters: Testing the Boundaries of Lawson V. FMR LLC, Connecticut Lawyer, Jun-2015
The Front Burner: Mandatory Vaccinations for Workers? No: Companies shouldn’t serve as surrogate parents, The Orlando Sentinel, Jul-2015
Don’t Just ‘Walk it Off’: Protections in the Workplace for Employees With HIV, HIV Plus, May-2015
Corporate Knowledge Doctrine And The ‘Cat’s Paw’ Theory, Westlaw Journal Employment, May-2015
Doctors and Lawyers—Employers That Incentivize Good Health May Need to Consult Both, Corporate Law Advisory, Apr-2015
Dismissiveness of Mental Illness in the Workplace and Protections for Employees, HealthNewsDigest.com, Apr-2015
Transcending the Workplace: Sexual Harassment in the 21st Century, Occupational Health & Safety, Apr-2015
Incentivizing good health: The legal issues presented by health-contingent wellness plans, Westlaw Journal Employment, Feb-2015
Even Without Passage, Legislation Could Encourage Unionization, Hospitality Law Magazine , Jan-2015
Moving on? The top 5 steps to take when your company loses a contract, Westlaw Journal Government Contract, Jan-2015
With All Due Deference: Following the ARB’s Lead in Defining Protected Activity, Employment Law Strategist, Dec-2014
When Employers Must Pay Leave Benefits on Employees’ Separation, SHRM.org, Dec-2014
Defining Protected Activity Under SOX, Corporate Counsel, Dec-2014
With All Due Deference: Following the ARB’s Lead in Defining Protected Activity under SOX, The Corporate Counselor, Nov-2014
Extraterritoriality And Whistleblower Retaliation: Crossing the Line, The Corporate Counselor, Oct-2014
Temporary impairments under the ADAAA and the impact on government contractors, Westlaw Government Contractor, Sep-2014
Leaving with what you brought: Non-compete agreements when you bring your book with you, The Government Contract Litigation Reporter , Sep-2014
The Best Defense is a Good Offense – Invalidating Non-Competition Agreements when Departing from a Company, The Government Contract Litigation Reporter, Aug-2014
Workplace Rights and Discrimination Laws, Small Business Opportunities, Jul-2014
Company liability and employee protections for FCC whistleblowers, Compliance & Ethics Professional, Jul-2014
Where do employee rights start, and how far do they go?, Employee Benefit News, Jun-2014
Current trends in EEOC enforcement: Trends that suggest creative and progressive legal arguments, Plaintiff, Jun-2014
The Rebranding Of “But-For” Causation In Title VII Cases, Law360, Jun-2014
Whistleblowers in the Intelligence Community, Corporate Compliance Insights, Apr-2014
HR Is Employer’s First Line of Defense Against Lawsuits, SHRM.com (Society for Human Resource Management), Apr-2014
Acquiring More Than Just Assets: The Impact of Teed v. Thomas & Betts Power Solutions, LLC, The Corporate Counselor, Mar-2014
Media Mentions
The Long, Hard Road of Fighting Age Bias in the Workplace, Kiplinger, May 2022
VERIFY: Yes, if you are fired for not getting a required vaccine, you can be denied unemployment benefits, WUSA9, August 2021
What companies can and can’t do when trying to increase diversity, Washington Business Journal, June 2021
ManTech to pay $2M in damages to former employees alleging retaliation, Washington Business Journal, November 2016
Bellmorite sues Capitol Police for sex discrimination, Bellmore Herald, December 2016
Hate Speech, Fresh Outlook, January 2016
Providers Must Tread Carefully if Patient Objects to Caregiver, Healthcare Risk Management, September 2015
Moves To Protect Workers From Financial Loss But May Cost Some Thousands, Mainstreet.com, May 2015
Breaking Down Employment Barriers, CAREERS & the disABLED, January 1970
3 Tips For Keeping Noncompetes in Check, Law360, October 2014
On the anniversary of the ADA, some say barriers still remain, Monster.com, July 2014
People on the Move: Tom Harrington, Washington Business Journal, January 1970
The Employment Law Group practices what it preaches as first night-student law clerk is named firm principal, Employment Law Daily, March 2014
Speaking Engagements
The ADA and FMLA: Protections, Recent Developments, and Interaction between Two Statutes, Bloomberg BNA, May-2015
The ADA and FMLA: Protections, Recent Developments, and Interaction between Two Statutes, American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights, May-2015
Accommodating Workers with Disabilities: Best Practices for Employers and Employees, American Bar Association, Mar-2015
Finding Talent & Labor Laws, Washington, DC Economic Partnership, Jun-2014
Testimonials
Client:
"He was very thorough and his understanding of my situation made me comfortable with the experience"
Also worked with this client:
R. Scott Oswald
Tom Harrington (Ret.)
Former Principal
Tom Harrington has retired from the practice of law, and he no longer works at The Employment Law Group. Please direct any questions about Tom or his cases to Nicholas Woodfield, TELG principal and general counsel.
John Thomas Harrington, known as Tom, retired from the practice of law on April 5, 2024. He was a principal at The Employment Law Group® law firm — the first principal to have joined the firm as a clerk.
Mr. Harrington represented employees in discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblowing cases. He had a special focus on vindicating licensed professionals — doctors, CPAs, and lawyers — whose credentials were unjustly threatened by employer actions.
Among Mr. Harrington’s notable victories was a $2 million jury verdict for two clients whose employer was found to have violated the anti-retaliation provisions of the False Claims Act and the National Defense Authorization Act.
Law was Mr. Harrington’s second full career. Before becoming a lawyer, he worked for 19 years in the financial industry, including at the National Association of Securities Dealers (now known as FINRA) and the NASDAQ Stock Market.
After years of considering law school, Mr. Harrington finally decided to take the plunge. He joined The Employment Law Group as a litigation law clerk, working during the day while he attended the George Mason University School of Law at night. After receiving his license, Mr. Harrington was named as a TELG associate attorney. In 2013 he became the first former law clerk to ascend to ownership at the firm.
Mr. Harrington represented TELG clients in federal courts nationwide, and before state and federal administrative bodies including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit Systems Protection Board, and various arms of the U.S. Department of Labor.
For five years in a row, Mr. Harrington was honored by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star,” a title given to only 2.5% of practicing lawyers in each state. He continued to receive professional recognition every year until his retirement, including from The Best Lawyers in America and Lawdragon.
