C.J.Eaton
Senior Counsel
Labor & Employment
ceaton@seyfarth.com
C.J. partners with clients to help them navigate the complex maze of state and federal employment laws and develop practical, business-friendly compliance solutions.
More About C.J.
The landscape of federal and state employment laws is complex and constantly evolving. For most employers, keeping track of these changing laws and understanding the practical implications to their businesses is a daily challenge, whether they operate in one state or many. In addition, many employers must navigate industry-specific non-employment laws and regulations that often seem at odds with employment laws. C.J. guides clients through these complexities and advises them on developing practical, compliant solutions.
C.J.’s practice focuses on wage and hour matters, including federal and state wage and hour audits, investigations by federal and state agencies, and the defense of collective, class and hybrid actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state laws in federal and state courts. She is the principal author and editor-in-chief of Seyfarth’s publication Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State.
C.J. has defended wage payment and tipping class actions under state law. She has also handled a variety of federal class and collective actions involving exempt status, salary basis test, and the tip credit. In these actions, she has had success both in limiting class size and in defeating class certification. C.J. also provides advice to clients concerning wage and hour law compliance and assists clients in litigation avoidance by conducting audits and assisting in the implementation of new practices focused on compliance with state and federal wage and hour requirements. She also represents clients for purposes of wage and hour investigations conducted by the federal Department of Labor and wage complaints filed with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. C.J. has wage and hour litigation and counseling experience in a number of different industries, including technology and biosciences, professional staffing, financial services, retail, hospitality, transportation and travel, professional services, health care, manufacturing, education, and the public sector.
C.J. also has experience representing management in a wide variety of other labor and employment law matters. Her litigation experience includes the defense of discrimination claims and employment-related breach of contract and tort claims. In addition, C.J. counsels clients on employment-related matters.
Before switching the focus of her practice to counseling, C.J. spent years defending employers in class action and single-plaintiff employment litigation. Her experience as a litigator informs her counseling practice, providing her with firsthand knowledge of the disputes that land employers in court and a unique perspective on litigation avoidance.
C.J.’s practice focuses on wage and hour matters, including federal and state wage and hour audits, investigations by federal and state agencies, and the defense of collective, class and hybrid actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state laws in federal and state courts. She is the principal author and editor-in-chief of Seyfarth’s publication Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State.
C.J. has defended wage payment and tipping class actions under state law. She has also handled a variety of federal class and collective actions involving exempt status, salary basis test, and the tip credit. In these actions, she has had success both in limiting class size and in defeating class certification. C.J. also provides advice to clients concerning wage and hour law compliance and assists clients in litigation avoidance by conducting audits and assisting in the implementation of new practices focused on compliance with state and federal wage and hour requirements. She also represents clients for purposes of wage and hour investigations conducted by the federal Department of Labor and wage complaints filed with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. C.J. has wage and hour litigation and counseling experience in a number of different industries, including technology and biosciences, professional staffing, financial services, retail, hospitality, transportation and travel, professional services, health care, manufacturing, education, and the public sector.
C.J. also has experience representing management in a wide variety of other labor and employment law matters. Her litigation experience includes the defense of discrimination claims and employment-related breach of contract and tort claims. In addition, C.J. counsels clients on employment-related matters.
Before switching the focus of her practice to counseling, C.J. spent years defending employers in class action and single-plaintiff employment litigation. Her experience as a litigator informs her counseling practice, providing her with firsthand knowledge of the disputes that land employers in court and a unique perspective on litigation avoidance.
- JD, Georgetown University Law Center
- AB, Brown University
- Massachusetts
- US Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- US District Court, District of Massachusetts
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Now Available! Mass-Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2023-2025)
- American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Boston Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Massachusetts Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts
- Co-Author, Mass-Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State, 4th Edition, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 19, 2019)
- Co-Author, Employers' Guide to Massachusetts Wage & Hour Law, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 30, 2019)
- Co-Author, Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State, 3rd Edition, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 1, 2017)
- “Holiday Blues for Massachusetts and Rhode Island Employers,” Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 13, 2016)
- "Wage & Hour Tip of the Week #18; Determining Whether Training Time Is Compensable," Assessing the Risk, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (September 18, 2013)
- Co-Author, “If We Close Because Of The Storm, Whom Do We Have to Pay and How Much?,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP - One Minute Memo (October 28, 2012)
- “Staffing Agencies And Worksite Employers To Face Significant Regulations in Massachusetts Beginning in 2013,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP - Management Alert (September 27, 2012)
- Chapter Author, "The Salary Basic Test / White-Collar Exemptions - Duties," Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation, ALM Law Journal Press (2012). Definitive treatise on wage and hour litigation.
- Contributor and Board of Editors, "Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation,"ALM Law Journal Press (2012)
- Editor-in-Chief, "Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State," Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2010)
- "The A to Z of the Massachusetts Wage Payment Law," Northeast Human Resources Association's Insights Magazine (January 8, 2012)
- Co-author, "Holiday Blues for Employers in New England," Seyfarth Shaw LLP - Retail Detail (December 2011)
- Co-author, “Restaurant Groups Claims New Tip Credit Regulations Are Half-Baked,” The Wage & Hour Litigation Blog, www.wagehourlitigation.com (June 21, 2011)
- Author, “Skycaps' Jury Verdict Bagged and Kicked to the Curb by First Circuit,” The Wage & Hour Litigation Blog, www.wagehourlitigation.com (May 23, 2011)
- Author, "Avoiding the Massachusetts 'Blue Laws' Blues,” Northeast Human Resources Association's Insights Magazine (October 28, 2010)
- “Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage and Hour Law in the Bay State,” Seyfarth Shaw Breakfast Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts (January 26, 2011)
- “Hourly Workers: Employee Rights, Employer Obligations,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Program (June 2010)
- “Employment & Labor Law Basics,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Program (October 2008)
- “New Massachusetts Wage & Hour Treble Damages Law: Litigation Avoidance is the First Line of Defense,” Seyfarth Shaw Breakfast Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts (May 14, 2008)
- “The Peculiarities of Massachusetts Wage and Hour Law: Are You in Compliance?,” Seyfarth Shaw Breakfast Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts (February 27, 2007)
- Victim Rights Law Center, pro bono attorney and member of Shining Star Event Committee (2010-2011)
- Transition House, pro bono attorney
- Boston Chamber of Commerce Boston’s Future Leaders program, Class of 2010
- Brown Alumni Schools Committees (BASC) program, volunteer interviewer of high school students applying to Brown University
Legislative and Regulatory Testimony
- Massachusetts Legislature, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, Oral and Written Testimony in support of House Bill 1397, “An Act related to Personnel Records” (September 13, 2011)
C.J. partners with clients to help them navigate the complex maze of state and federal employment laws and develop practical, business-friendly compliance solutions.
More About C.J.
The landscape of federal and state employment laws is complex and constantly evolving. For most employers, keeping track of these changing laws and understanding the practical implications to their businesses is a daily challenge, whether they operate in one state or many. In addition, many employers must navigate industry-specific non-employment laws and regulations that often seem at odds with employment laws. C.J. guides clients through these complexities and advises them on developing practical, compliant solutions.
C.J.’s practice focuses on wage and hour matters, including federal and state wage and hour audits, investigations by federal and state agencies, and the defense of collective, class and hybrid actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state laws in federal and state courts. She is the principal author and editor-in-chief of Seyfarth’s publication Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State.
C.J. has defended wage payment and tipping class actions under state law. She has also handled a variety of federal class and collective actions involving exempt status, salary basis test, and the tip credit. In these actions, she has had success both in limiting class size and in defeating class certification. C.J. also provides advice to clients concerning wage and hour law compliance and assists clients in litigation avoidance by conducting audits and assisting in the implementation of new practices focused on compliance with state and federal wage and hour requirements. She also represents clients for purposes of wage and hour investigations conducted by the federal Department of Labor and wage complaints filed with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. C.J. has wage and hour litigation and counseling experience in a number of different industries, including technology and biosciences, professional staffing, financial services, retail, hospitality, transportation and travel, professional services, health care, manufacturing, education, and the public sector.
C.J. also has experience representing management in a wide variety of other labor and employment law matters. Her litigation experience includes the defense of discrimination claims and employment-related breach of contract and tort claims. In addition, C.J. counsels clients on employment-related matters.
Before switching the focus of her practice to counseling, C.J. spent years defending employers in class action and single-plaintiff employment litigation. Her experience as a litigator informs her counseling practice, providing her with firsthand knowledge of the disputes that land employers in court and a unique perspective on litigation avoidance.
C.J.’s practice focuses on wage and hour matters, including federal and state wage and hour audits, investigations by federal and state agencies, and the defense of collective, class and hybrid actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, and state laws in federal and state courts. She is the principal author and editor-in-chief of Seyfarth’s publication Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State.
C.J. has defended wage payment and tipping class actions under state law. She has also handled a variety of federal class and collective actions involving exempt status, salary basis test, and the tip credit. In these actions, she has had success both in limiting class size and in defeating class certification. C.J. also provides advice to clients concerning wage and hour law compliance and assists clients in litigation avoidance by conducting audits and assisting in the implementation of new practices focused on compliance with state and federal wage and hour requirements. She also represents clients for purposes of wage and hour investigations conducted by the federal Department of Labor and wage complaints filed with the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General. C.J. has wage and hour litigation and counseling experience in a number of different industries, including technology and biosciences, professional staffing, financial services, retail, hospitality, transportation and travel, professional services, health care, manufacturing, education, and the public sector.
C.J. also has experience representing management in a wide variety of other labor and employment law matters. Her litigation experience includes the defense of discrimination claims and employment-related breach of contract and tort claims. In addition, C.J. counsels clients on employment-related matters.
Before switching the focus of her practice to counseling, C.J. spent years defending employers in class action and single-plaintiff employment litigation. Her experience as a litigator informs her counseling practice, providing her with firsthand knowledge of the disputes that land employers in court and a unique perspective on litigation avoidance.
- JD, Georgetown University Law Center
- AB, Brown University
- Massachusetts
- US Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- US District Court, District of Massachusetts
Related Services
Related Key Industries
Blogs
Related News & Insights
-
Firm News
08/15/2024
220 Seyfarth Attorneys Chosen as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2025
-
Recognition
08/17/2023
210 Seyfarth Attorneys Chosen as Leaders in Their Fields by Best Lawyers in America 2024
-
Recognition
Aug 18, 2022
Seyfarth Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers in America 2023
-
Attorney Publication
May 24, 2022
Now Available! Mass-Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State
- Listed in Best Lawyers in America (Woodward/White Inc.) for Litigation - Labor and Employment (2023-2025)
- American Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Boston Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Massachusetts Bar Association (Labor and Employment Law Section)
- Women’s Bar Association of Massachusetts
- Co-Author, Mass-Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State, 4th Edition, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (June 19, 2019)
- Co-Author, Employers' Guide to Massachusetts Wage & Hour Law, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (January 30, 2019)
- Co-Author, Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State, 3rd Edition, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (April 1, 2017)
- “Holiday Blues for Massachusetts and Rhode Island Employers,” Management Alert, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (December 13, 2016)
- "Wage & Hour Tip of the Week #18; Determining Whether Training Time Is Compensable," Assessing the Risk, Seyfarth Shaw LLP (September 18, 2013)
- Co-Author, “If We Close Because Of The Storm, Whom Do We Have to Pay and How Much?,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP - One Minute Memo (October 28, 2012)
- “Staffing Agencies And Worksite Employers To Face Significant Regulations in Massachusetts Beginning in 2013,” Seyfarth Shaw LLP - Management Alert (September 27, 2012)
- Chapter Author, "The Salary Basic Test / White-Collar Exemptions - Duties," Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation, ALM Law Journal Press (2012). Definitive treatise on wage and hour litigation.
- Contributor and Board of Editors, "Wage & Hour Collective and Class Litigation,"ALM Law Journal Press (2012)
- Editor-in-Chief, "Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage & Hour Law in the Bay State," Seyfarth Shaw LLP (2010)
- "The A to Z of the Massachusetts Wage Payment Law," Northeast Human Resources Association's Insights Magazine (January 8, 2012)
- Co-author, "Holiday Blues for Employers in New England," Seyfarth Shaw LLP - Retail Detail (December 2011)
- Co-author, “Restaurant Groups Claims New Tip Credit Regulations Are Half-Baked,” The Wage & Hour Litigation Blog, www.wagehourlitigation.com (June 21, 2011)
- Author, “Skycaps' Jury Verdict Bagged and Kicked to the Curb by First Circuit,” The Wage & Hour Litigation Blog, www.wagehourlitigation.com (May 23, 2011)
- Author, "Avoiding the Massachusetts 'Blue Laws' Blues,” Northeast Human Resources Association's Insights Magazine (October 28, 2010)
- “Massachusetts Peculiarities: An Employer’s Guide to Wage and Hour Law in the Bay State,” Seyfarth Shaw Breakfast Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts (January 26, 2011)
- “Hourly Workers: Employee Rights, Employer Obligations,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Program (June 2010)
- “Employment & Labor Law Basics,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Program (October 2008)
- “New Massachusetts Wage & Hour Treble Damages Law: Litigation Avoidance is the First Line of Defense,” Seyfarth Shaw Breakfast Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts (May 14, 2008)
- “The Peculiarities of Massachusetts Wage and Hour Law: Are You in Compliance?,” Seyfarth Shaw Breakfast Briefing, Boston, Massachusetts (February 27, 2007)
- Victim Rights Law Center, pro bono attorney and member of Shining Star Event Committee (2010-2011)
- Transition House, pro bono attorney
- Boston Chamber of Commerce Boston’s Future Leaders program, Class of 2010
- Brown Alumni Schools Committees (BASC) program, volunteer interviewer of high school students applying to Brown University
Legislative and Regulatory Testimony
- Massachusetts Legislature, Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, Oral and Written Testimony in support of House Bill 1397, “An Act related to Personnel Records” (September 13, 2011)