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New Hampshire Joins Data Protection Trend, Passes Comprehensive Data Protection Law
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Joseph R. Blalock

Partner
Columbus
T.
614.223.9359
liamE

Joe’s practice focuses almost exclusively on employer and management side labor and employment matters. His experience in this area of the law is wide-ranging and includes litigation in the wage and hour, wrongful termination, restrictive covenant and work-place injury contexts. To date, Joe has appeared on behalf of clients in federal and state courts or administrative agencies in more than 20 states.

In addition to his courtroom advocacy, Joe dedicates much of his time to helping the firm’s clients avoid costly litigation through management-side collective bargaining and by providing “day-to-day” advice and counsel to business owners and their human resources departments. In this role, Joe seeks to aid his clients in minimizing and managing the inherent legal risks associated with employing workers in the 21st century while not losing sight of his clients’ most important overall business objectives.  

Finally, Joe works regularly with the firm’s private equity clients on buyer-side asset and stock purchase agreements both as a labor and employment diligence review specialist and in the post-transaction onboarding process.

Representative Experience

  • Represented major integrated retail electricity and power generation company before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and prevailed on Plaintiff’s appeal of district court’s dismissal of his Labor Management Relations Act claim.
  • Obtained dismissal of Plaintiff's claim filed against client, a nationwide home solutions company, alleging breach of contract, including $750,000 in purported unpaid severance.
  • Represented the Austin American-Statesman as lead negotiator in bargaining with the Austin NewsGuild to reach agreement on a first labor contract between the Statesman and its front-line journalists. Statesman journalists unanimously ratified the contract November 21, 2024 after 3.5 years of negotiations. 
  • Represented Loar Holdings Inc., a diversified manufacturer and supplier of niche aerospace and defense components, in its acquisition of Applied Avionics, Inc., a manufacturer of highly engineered avionics interface solutions catering to the aviation industry, valued at $385 million.
  • Obtained summary judgment on behalf of employer in claim filed by former employee alleging breach of the parties’ severance agreement.
  • Represented a fertility practice and its associated ambulatory surgical center in their sale to a fertility clinic. 

  • Obtained grievance denial in bellwether arbitration over Employer’s company-wide handling of Union sick leave benefits during and after COVID-19 pandemic.  The arbitrator determined that Company’s unilateral changes to sick leave policy at the outset of the pandemic were within management’s rights, and that unilateral decision to end those changes after vaccine became generally available to the public was proper.
  • Resolved favorably multiple workplace death cases for energy industry client.
  • Provide ongoing support to small and large companies in managing the workforce, hiring and discharge decisions, and workplace policy development and implementation
  • Resolved favorably multiple workplace dismemberment cases for energy industry client.

  • Labor & Employment
  • Collective Bargaining
  • Cannabis
  • Energy
  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Retail & E-Commerce
  • West Virginia University Law School, J.D.
  • West Virginia University, B.A., German & Philosophy
    • magna cum laude
  • Ohio
  • West Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • Listed, The Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch, Labor and Employment Law - Management, 2023-2025
  • Member, Ohio County Bar Association
  • Member, West Virginia Bar Association
  • Member, Belmont County Bar Association
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • City of Wheeling Human Rights Commission, former Commissioner
  • Board Member, Columbus Speech & Hearing
  • Board Member, BreakthroughT1D

Highlights

Articles and Presentations
March 24, 2025
Recent Guidance from the EEOC Targets DEI. So How Should Employers React?
March 10, 2025
Supreme Court Appears Poised to Do Away With Additional Burdens on Reverse-Discrimination Plaintiffs
November 21, 2024
Managing Leaves of Absence | Christopher W. Pendleton, Joseph R. Blalock, Joseph N. Gross

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News
January 3, 2025
Benesch Names Eleven New Partners for 2025
December 9, 2024
Benesch Represents Austin American-Statesman in Landmark Labor Contract with Austin NewsGuild
August 26, 2024
Benesch Facilitates Client Loar Holdings Inc. Acquisition of Applied Avionics, Inc.

View all

Beyond the Office
Columbus Recreation Soccer League
6-7 year old Division Head Coach
Dennison Golf Club, Men's Association
Member
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio
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