Overview
With a pragmatic, business-oriented approach, attorney Tom Apple resolves employment-related disputes, addresses employment issues, creates compliance programs, and more, all while minimizing his clients’ risk.
Tom works closely with HR managers and their teams to handle employment law issues throughout the employee life cycle. For example, he provides advice on recruiting and hiring, leaves of absence, accommodations, performance management, termination decisions, reductions in force, and post-termination claims. He also advises on wage and hour, independent contractor, and worker’s compensation issues. In addition, clients rely on Tom to draft, negotiate, and advise on executive employment agreements, incentive compensation plans, trade secret protections, restrictive covenants, and severance and release agreements.
When an employer faces discrimination or harassment claims, Tom conducts internal investigations, helps the employer respond to the EEOC, attends mediations, and negotiates resolutions. He also represents employers in administrative proceedings. Clients view Tom as an effective problem solver and collaborative strategist whose intelligence, care, integrity, and curiosity enable him to deal effectively with ordinary and extraordinary issues.
Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Tom was the Vice President & Corporate Counsel of a Fortune Global 100 Tokyo-based conglomerate, where he advised and supported executives and managers of the company’s U.S. and Canadian entities on various employment and commercial matters.
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Focus Areas
Services
Experience
- Successfully resolved a plethora of employment-related disputes pre-litigation, involving claims of discrimination or harassment, wage and hour issues, and many other issues. For example, in California in 2022, Tom settled race discrimination claims against a leading audio-visual design and integration firm and disability discrimination claims against a company in the automobile industry.
- Evaluated, reviewed, revised, and implemented multiple group restructurings (reductions in force), including development of severance programs, as well as individual terminations, even of senior executives, for companies across various industries.
- Developed and instituted a compliance program for the U.S. entities of a major Japanese diversified conglomerate, to enhance compliance and mitigate risk.
Credentials
Education
- Columbia Law School (J.D.)
- Columbia Business School (M.B.A.)
- Brown University (A.B., with honors)
Bar Admissions
- New York
Professional & Community Involvement
- New York State Bar Association