Cory D. Catignani

Cory is a partner in the Vorys Orange County office and a member of the labor and employment group.  Cory primarily represents employers in California state and federal courts in litigation involving California’s Private Attorneys General Act, complex wage and hour claims, discrimination, and retaliation.  Cory also maintains a national practice on a wide range of employment matters, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, the Family and Medical Act Leave, Title VII, state anti-discrimination and retaliation laws, as well as noncompetition, Trade Secret Law and other restrictive covenants.

In addition to his litigation practice, Cory partners with clients to provide training and counseling on daily workplace issues, including wage and hour compliance, employee classification, hiring decisions and disciplinary issues, disability accommodation requests, employment agreements, handbooks, workplace policies and noncompetition, nonsolicitation and confidentiality agreements.  Cory represents employers in a variety of industries, including retail, manufacturing, aerospace, insurance, and transportation.

Career highlights include:

• Won appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, resulting in reversal of district court order that denied motion to compel arbitration in class action and PAGA litigation alleging misclassification of franchisees
• Won summary judgment for retailer in Los Angeles Superior Court on former employee’s disability discrimination, failure to accommodate, failure to engage in the interactive process, and retaliation claims
• Defeated class certification in Orange County Superior Court alleging claims for minimum wage, overtime, and meal and rest break violations under California’s Labor Code
• Multi-plaintiff bench trial in San Diego Superior Court involving misclassification claims
• Decertification of conditionally certified class in a nationwide collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act
• Obtaining summary judgment for healthcare provider on former employee’s FMLA interference and retaliation claims
• Obtaining dismissal of due process, equal protection, disability discrimination, wrongful termination and defamation claims against hospital
• Obtaining preliminary injunction for regional bank against former employee for violating noncompete and nonsolicitation agreements
• Counseling employers on compliance with FLSA and state wage and hour laws, including auditing job descriptions to determine proper classifications

Cory is a member of the State Bar of California, the Retail Litigation Center and the RLC’s PAGA Working Group, and Professionals in Human Resources Association.

Cory received his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif.  He received his B.A. from Wittenberg University.

Honors & Recognitions

The Best Lawyers in America, Labor Law – Management, 2023-2025; Litigation – Labor and Employment, 2022-2025

Professional & Community Activities

Central Ohio Diabetes Association, Board Member