Jonathan Cavalier

Jonathan R. Cavalier’s practice is focused on ERISA class action and single plaintiff litigation, prosecuting and defending actions involving noncompetition agreements, restrictive covenants and trade secrets, and defending employers from claims of discrimination in state and federal court.

Jon also has extensive experience resolving electronic discovery disputes and advising clients on how to best prepare their systems for e-discovery before litigation arises. Jon has substantial trial experience, including experience as first-chair jury trial counsel.

He has also had significant involvement in several jury and bench trials in state and federal court and in arbitrations, including experience as lead counsel in both settings. Jon was recently named a “BTI Client Service All-Star” – one of only 49 labor and employment lawyers featured on this prestigious, national list.

The “All-Star” designation is based on candid feedback from corporate counsel at nearly 300 Fortune 1000 companies, and recognizes lawyers who demonstrate superior client focus, have an exceptional ability to understand their client’s business, consistently exceed clients’ expectations, possess excellent legal skills and depth of knowledge, and deliver outstanding results.

Jon earned his undergraduate degree from St. Joseph’s University.  He holds an M.B.A. from Temple University’s Fox School of Business. As a result, he is especially suited to understand his clients’ needs from a business perspective, and to find solutions for clients that are both fiscally and legally sound.

At the Fox School, Jon was the recipient of the Benjamin L. Winderman Award for attaining the highest cumulative GPA in the joint J.D./M.B.A. program. Jon graduated cum laude from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where he was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, served as a teaching assistant for legal research and writing, and co-founded the business law society.

EXPERIENCE :

• Represented Hewlett-Packard in a high-profile case against Kodak in which we won several hard-fought e-discovery battles and defeated a preliminary injunction petition.
• Successfully defended a large, privately owned real estate company in a restrictive covenant / non-compete case brought by a competing real estate company.
• Served as employment counsel to a large children’s charity, providing advice on a wide range of employment issues. Successfully defended client from discrimination claims brought by former employees.
• Represented employers and large insurance companies on multiple occasions in defense of ERISA denial-of-benefits and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Also represented employers in defense of ERISA class-action claims for pension benefits.
• Represented a large chemical company in a successful Third Circuit appeal concerning the applicability of an arbitration provision in a collective bargaining agreement to individual claims under ERISA for disability benefits.
• Defeated an effort by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 773 to organize a unit of regular full-time and part-time employees of a company providing custom iron and steel products. After a vigorous campaign, the election resulted in a 45-25 victory for the employer, rendering moot 16 ballots that the union challenged.

EDUCATION :

• Temple University—James E. Beasley School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2007
• Temple University, M.B.A., 2007
• St. Joseph’s University, B.A., 2002

BAR ADMISSIONS : Pennsylvania

COURT ADMISSIONS :

• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Pennsylvania