Attorneys
Michael E. Foley
Telephone: 508-548-4888
Email: mike@foleylawpractice.com
Michael E. Foley founded Foley & Foley, PC to provide employers with a way to tackle workplace law matters. Mike has represented employers, exclusively, in labor relations and employment matters for over twenty years. He brings a unique perspective to the practice having served as both outside counsel and in-house counsel. Mike has served as an equity partner and Chairman the Labor Relations, Employment Litigation, Benefit & Education Law Practice Groups at two major New England law firms and served as the General Counsel for Employment Affairs for an award winning health care system. Mike’s unique knowledge allows him to understand the multitude of pressures and challenges employers face that most attorneys never experience first hand. Accordingly, he founded Foley & Foley to provide a more streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective model which maintains the sophistication, know how, responsiveness, and results of a large firm.
Mike’s practice is at the forefront in guiding employers through the minefield of labor and employment challenges existing in today’s workplace. Mike draws on the breadth of his experience to offer employers an uncommon approach and practical solutions. Clients retain Mike to work in a variety of capacities including: legal advisor, advocate, negotiator, strategic planner, problem solver, trainer and spokesperson. Here are some examples:
- Successfully defended employers in hundreds of grievance arbitrations, numerous discrimination cases, interest arbitrations, and unfair labor practice proceedings.
- Represented management in the negotiation of several hundred collective bargaining agreements (both successor and initial contracts) in the private and public sectors, in various trades including healthcare, higher education, manufacturing and construction.
- Served as chief spokesperson for a major employer when, for the first time in Massachusetts, 1199SEIU participated in Interest Based Bargaining.
- Obtained precedent setting results in impasse resolution proceedings, including the first wage freeze awarded through binding interest arbitration in Connecticut.
- Negotiated favorable settlements for a number of the largest municipalities in New England, including a coalition bargaining process that produced over $65 million in cost reductions over four years.
Mike counsels CEOs, CFOs, the Human Resources team, and all levels of supervisors. He provides advice to public and private sector employers, both profit and not for profit, on today’s employment matters including positive employee relations, collective bargaining, workplace discrimination, wage and hour compliance, union organizing effort, education law and more.
Mike is a frequent author and lecturer to local, regional and national audiences on many workplace law topics. He contributes to our enewsletter Management Moxie and provides training for many clients.
Affiliations and Bar Admissions
- Member, Board of Visitors, New England Baptist Hospital
- Member, Penikese Island School Board of Directors
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- American Bar Association
- Connecticut Bar Association
- Admissions – Connecticut 1987, US District Courts 1988, Massachusetts (all courts) 2000
Education
- University of Massachusetts, Amherst, B.S., 1983.
- Western New England School of Law, J.D., 1987.