Kevin W. Shaughnessy

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• Kevin handled the first historic lawsuit in which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sought to apply Title VII's prohibition against sex discrimination to claims of sexual orientation discrimination. Due in large part to Kevin's reputation for effecting partnership settlements with federal agencies, along with the client's long-term demonstrated good faith efforts to prevent sexual orientation discrimination, the EEOC agreed to stay the litigation while the parties discussed settlement. Without filing a single court pleading, Kevin's team convinced the EEOC to accept a settlement proposal that specifically acknowledged the client's forward-thinking policies and created an unprecedented partnership between the client and the EEOC to develop a training module on LGBTQ workplace issues that the EEOC could provide to employers throughout the United States. The EEOC's press release commended the client for its long-standing policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and praised the "landmark settlement." More than 130 media outlets around the world covered the settlement.
• Kevin defended the first claim brought under Florida's "Guns at Work Law." An employee was terminated after bringing a gun into the parking lot of his place of employment and he filed an injunction action against his employer, claiming he was allowed to do so under the new law. Kevin effectively argued that the law did not apply to his client and that the employee had no standing to bring an injunction action. The case was covered nationally by several news services and was, for a time, covered almost daily by the local media.
• Kevin represented two of the world's foremost telecommunication technology experts who were wrongly accused of misappropriating trade secrets and misusing patents. Working closely with counsel representing his clients' employer, Kevin developed a strategy to preserve his clients' use of the highly specialized technology that was critical to their employer's success. The case lasted for almost three years and involved depositions throughout the United States and in parts of Europe. The case ultimately settled favorably, his clients' use of the technology was preserved, and no injunctive relief or damages were imposed against his clients.