Eric E. Leist

Eric is an associate in the Vorys Columbus office and a member of the labor and employment group. He litigates on behalf of employers on a wide range of labor and employment issues, including employment discrimination claims, wage and hour class and collective actions, arbitration hearings, and noncompetition agreements. He practices before federal and state courts across the country, as well as before various federal and state administrative agencies.

Eric also counsels clients on a variety of employment decisions, including termination decisions, employee accommodations, employment agreements, and employer policies. His specific areas of expertise include Ohio unemployment law and the developing nationwide paid sick leave trend. Eric is a frequent speaker on employment best practices, unemployment topics, and issues affecting Ohio community banks.

Notable Experiences Include:

• Obtaining judgment on the pleadings in a putative wage and hour collective action in federal court.
• Obtaining multiple dismissals and no probable cause determinations in response to charges of discrimination filed against employers before federal and state administrative agencies.
• Counseling large and small employers on navigating unemployment benefits decisions, especially in response to emergency legislation passed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Coordinating discovery efforts in wage-and-hour class and collective actions, including interviewing and collecting declarations from employees in both English and Spanish.

Eric received his J.D. from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University. While at Maurer, he served as an extern with Justice Steven David of the Supreme Court of Indiana, was a finalist in the school’s Moot Court competition, acted as Vice President of the Student Bar Association, and coached the undergraduate mock trial team. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from The Ohio State University with a Minor in Spanish. At Ohio State, he competed in mock trial and volunteered as a counselor for Camp Kesem.