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Thomas D. Rees
Labor & Employment Attorney

Thomas D. Rees heads the firm’s Litigation, Employment Law and Education Law Practices. He focuses his practice primarily on employment and labor law and private education law. In the employment area, Tom represents employers in litigations over employment terminations; restrictive covenants, trade secrets, and other employee mobility issues; employment discrimination and sexual harassment matters; employment contract disputes; and defamation and privacy related matters. Tom also serves employers in a wide variety of non-litigation matters, including contract negotiation, preparation of policies and procedures, and hiring and termination. These services help employers to avoid and resolve disputes without resorting to the courtroom.

In the education area, Tom represents a number of independent schools in the Philadelphia area, handling employment, student discipline, contract, and governance matters. Tom also handles complex litigation and dispute resolution in the areas of land use and zoning law and government regulation.

Tom serves as an employment arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He often speaks on employment and education law topics before Bar Association and private industry groups.

Affiliations & Honors

Montgomery Bar Association – Co-Chair of the Education Law Committee; Past Chair and Co-Chair of the Employment Law Committee; Employment Law course planner and lecturer; Past Chair of the Real Estate and Land Use Planning Committee
Pennsylvania Bar Association – Past Chair of the Municipal Law Section
Pennsylvania Bar Institute – Employment Law course planner and lecturer
American Arbitration Association – National Panel of Employment Arbitrators member
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (and predecessor Chambers), VP/General Counsel, 1998-2011

Honors

AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
Selected to Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, Employment Law, 2004, 2007-present
“Corporate Counsel” Business Edition Magazine, Super Lawyer – Employment Law, 2008-2016
Best Lawyers in America, Employment Litigation, 2018-2019
“Main Line Today” Top Lawyer, 2019
Recipient of the Kenneth R. Taylor Award for Excellence in Chamber Service, 2001

Activities

Main Line Art Center, Director (2012-Present), Board President (2013-2015), Board Secretary (2015-2017)
King of Prussia Rotary, 2004-Present (Speaker Chair, 2014-2015)
Gladwyne Free Library, Board of Trustees Member (2000-2005 and 2007-2012) and President (2004-2005)
Gladwyne Civic Association, President (1995-1997)

Get to Know Labor & Employment Attorney Thomas D. Rees

Contact Information

Phone: 610-275-0700
Email: trees@highswartz.com

Practice Areas

Background

Bar Admissions

New York, 1976
Pennsylvania, 1977
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1977
U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit, 1978
U.S. Supreme Court, 1982

Education

University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., 1975
Stanford University, A.B., 1971 Honors: Dean’s List; Major: Political Science

Thomas D. Rees Legal Insights

Stolen Employee Data: Pennsylvania Supreme Court Decision Breaks New Ground

In late 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided that employees may sue employers for the release of stolen confidential employee ... Read More

What is garden leave?

What is garden leave (also known as 'gardening leave')? The term sounds pastoral, but its use is practical. Very simply, ... Read More

You Must be a Current Employee to Review your Personnel File!

July 18, 2018 By Thomas D. Rees, Esquire Last year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that only current employees have ... Read More

Watch out for Non-Hire and Anti-Poaching Agreements!

You are the CEO of Company A, a cutting-edge developer of new software. Over golf (or sushi), you agree with ... Read More

Avoiding Traps for the Unwary in College and School Vendor Contracts

What can an educational administrator do when a vendor performs poorly under a long-term contract? Unless the college or school ... Read More

Child Care Workers’ Challenge to Firing for Reporting Abuse

July 25, 2017 By Thomas D. Rees, Esq. On May 23, 2017, the Pennsylvania Superior Court issued an important employment ... Read More

Second Circuit Upholds NLRB’s Reinstatement of Employee Who Posted Profane Blog About Boss’s Mother

June 27, 2017 By Thomas D. Rees Two years ago, I blogged about a National Labor Relations Board decision restoring ... Read More

Courts, Schools Can Limit Contact by Difficult Parents – in Custody Cases and Elsewhere

February 8, 2016 By: Thomas D. Rees, Esq. and Elizabeth Early, Esq. Tom Rees is a partner in High Swartz’s ... Read More

Just Hang Up! The Perils of Pocket Dialing and Accidental Calls.

January 28, 2016 By: Thomas D. Rees, Esq. Dialing mistakes are no longer just material for late night comedy. Several ... Read More

What Makes a Post-Employment Restrictive Covenant Enforceable?

November 20, 2015 By Thomas D. Rees, Esquire In a previous post, I detailed the types of restrictive covenants. Click ... Read More

“The Magnificent Seven”- 7 Types of Restrictive Covenants to Know

November 17, 2015 By Thomas D. Rees, Esquire Most people have heard, and are likely familiar with, the term non-compete ... Read More

Noncompetes: Is Consideration Needed, or Just the intention to be Legally Bound?

By Thomas D. Rees, Esquire June 16, 2014 It has long been an article of faith – and precedent – ... Read More

Client Testimonials

“High Swartz have been our attorneys for 20 years. We are just an average family who needs help once in awhile with legal matters like creating wills & healthcare directives, real estate transactions, tax & estate planning and employment contracts. We have worked with Tom Rees and he is top notch — thorough, knowledgeable and extremely professional.” – Anna S.

Norristown

40 East Airy Street
Norristown, PA 19401
Phone: (610) 275-0700
Fax: (610) 275-5290

Doylestown

116 East Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
Phone: (215) 345-8888
Fax: (215) 345-5358

Disclaimers

High Swartz Law firm is committed to providing efficient and responsive full-service legal representation to businesses, public and privately-held entities, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, municipalities and individuals throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region. This website is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for personal legal advice.

Thomas D. Rees Labor & Employment Attorney