Cleveland partner John Lewis was quoted in a May 1, 2009, Treasury & Risk magazine article, "Age Bias Claims Rise."
According to the article, mass layoffs and smaller reductions in workforces are causing an astonishing increase in the volume of age discrimination lawsuits filed against employers. While companies must cut expenses in the current economic environment, reducing head count without assessing the potential liability may actually add to costs instead. The most recent statistics from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) indicate a 28.7% increase in age discrimination claims in 2008 from the year before, according to the article.
"The bottom line is there will be much more employment liability litigation," said Lewis, Chair of the firm's Employment and Civil Rights Class Action Team.