Stephen Pauwels ESS Practice Attorney

Stephen Pauwels represents employers of all sizes in employment matters including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, trade secret and noncompete litigation, and wage-and-hour disputes. Stephen’s experience extends to handling single-plaintiff matters, representative actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), class action claims in state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and mediation. Stephen is skilled at all facets of litigation from drafting pleadings and written discovery, to taking and defending key and expert witness depositions, crafting dispositive motions, and preparing cases for trial.

Stephen is also an experienced advisor, helping clients move adeptly through challenging workplace matters including internal investigations, employee discipline and termination, requests for leave, and preparing employee policies and handbooks that cover multiple jurisdictions. He has worked with management-side clients to perform on-site assessments of labor-related activity and guided employers through the COVID-19-related workplace developments.

Before joining Perkins Coie, Stephen’s litigation practice was focused on employment matters, including restrictive covenant, workplace discrimination, and wage and hour disputes. He has worked extensively on commercial, real estate, local government, and corporate matters. Stephen advises corporate clients on operations, employment issues, and COVID-19 risk avoidance. He has successfully briefed motions to dismiss and for summary judgment in state and federal courts and has experience before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Illinois Appellate Court.