Dane Steffenson is a nationally recognized employment litigator, trusted advisor, and skilled problem solver with unique insight into the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) enforcement strategies, policies and procedures. Dane spent more than 17 years litigating some of the DOL's most complex, novel and high-profile cases. He served as lead counsel on hundreds of employment law cases, including more than 25 trials and many mediations involving complex matters under the:
• Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)
• Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
• Service Contract Act (SCA)
• Executive Order 11246 (OFCCP)
• H1-B visa program for temporary specialty workers
• Various whistleblower statutes
In 2016, Dane's peers and the Solicitor of Labor recognized him as the DOL's top litigator. Dane applies creative problem solving and sound business acumen to balance client objectives with effective strategies for minimizing legal risk. He effectively diffuses high-pressure situations and works collaboratively with adversaries to creatively expand available options, opportunities and solutions to resolve complex issues. When matters cannot be resolved early, Dane consistently and successfully crafts efficient litigation strategies to maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses. His discovery methods are designed to win summary judgment, successfully limit or strike opposing experts, and obtain favorable trial verdicts.
Dane focuses his practice on employment law, including OSHA, ERISA, and wage and hour litigation and other FLSA matters His unique insights and years of experience working with and training DOL investigators proves invaluable to clients successfully navigating DOL investigations. His FLSA and ERISA practice ranges from single plaintiff to large, complex class or collective actions, and he has particular experience with contingent workforces, independent contractor misclassification and Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). Dane manages OSHA inspections, including those resulting from fatalities and catastrophes, and any resulting litigation for small subcontractors to large multinationals in general industry and construction. Dane's practice involves many industries, including:
• Airlines and aerospace
• Construction
• Cable and dish installers
• Healthcare
• Insurance
• Manufacturing
• Restaurant
• Retail
• Staffing agencies and PEOs
• Transportation
Dane is a regular speaker on wage and hour issues, OSHA, ERISA and DOL investigations. In addition to training many DOL attorneys and investigators, he co-produced training materials for the federal judiciary on the FLSA and appears in the current FLSA training video for federal law clerks. He is a co-chair of the American Bar Association's Fair Labor Legislation Standards committee, editor for the Collective Actions and "Hybrid" Class Actions chapter of the Fair Labor Standards Act (BNA Third Edition), and regular contributor to FLSA and ERISA annual case updates.
Honors
• College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, Fellow
• Recipient, Bobbye Spears Award for Litigation Excellence, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Solicitor
• Recipient, Exceptional Achievement Awards Related to more than a dozen cases and litigation initiatives Secretary of Labor
• Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Research and Writing
Professional Associations
• Fair Labor Standards Legislation Committee, American Bar Association, Co-Chair, 2016 to Present
• Federal Law Clerk Training Committee, American Bar Association, Co-Chair, 2014 to Present
• Annual Labor and Employment Conferences, American Bar Association, Coordinator, Wage and Hour Track, 2014 to 2019
• Webinar Committee, American Bar Association, Co-Chair, 2013 to 2016
