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James Spitz
D: (585) 419-8640  
jspitz@harrisbeach.com
Linkedin
Twitter

James A. Spitz

  Chairman Emeritus

(585) 419-8640
  jspitz@harrisbeach.com
Linkedin
Twitter
“Clients are seeking multi-dimensional solutions to take advantage of opportunities and address challenges. Our role is to anticipate and prepare the right resources to meet their rapidly evolving needs.”
Profile
Representative Matters
Professional and Civic
Areas of Experience
Admissions
Education
Location
Publications and Events

As chairman of Harris Beach, Jim leads the management committee in developing the strategic direction of the firm. He served as CEO of Harris Beach from 2005 to 2017. During his tenure he has overseen the expansion of the firm into a leading regional law firm with nationally-recognized practices and consulting subsidiaries, achieving fifty percent revenue growth during that time and thirty percent growth in the number of attorneys and consultants.

Jim counsels public and private clients in all areas of employee relations, including employment discrimination, employee discipline/termination, wage and hour issues, compliance with federal and state labor laws and other laws affecting the employer-employee relationship, counseling on employment policies and procedures, contract administration, collective bargaining, arbitration, and improper practice/unfair labor practice proceedings.

A substantial portion of Jim’s practice involves representation of school districts on the above labor and employment issues as well as on general education, civil service and general municipal law matters.  He advises school districts on Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law issues.  He counsels school districts on all union and employment matters and appears before the Public Employment Relations Board, Commissioner of Education and state and federal courts.

Professional and Civic

  • Business Council of New York State, member of the Board of Directors
  • New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
  • New York Association of Management Advocates for School Labor Affairs, member
  • Humane Society of Greater Rochester, member of the Board of Directors
  • Hunt Hollow Youth Ski Foundation, member of the Board of Directors
  • Hunt Hollow Ski Club, member of the Board of Directors 1988 – 1993, president from 1990 to 1993
  • Keeping Education Extraordinary in Pittsford (KEEP) Foundation Board of Directors, president, member of the board since 1992
  • Monroe Golf Club, member of the Board of Directors 1991 – 1997, president 1996 and 1997
  • Rochester Friendly Home, member of the Board of Directors 1983 – 1992

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment, since 2001
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Employment Law – Management, 2016
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Labor Law – Management, 2017 and 2019
  • Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment Law, since 2007

Legal Practices

Labor and Employment

Industry Teams

K-12 Education

Admissions

New York

U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit

U.S. District Court, New York - Northern District

U.S. District Court, New York - Western District

Syracuse University College of Law

JD 
1975

Syracuse University

MBA 
1975

Middlebury College

BA 
1972

Location

Rochester, NY Office
Insights
News
August 15, 2018

63 Harris Beach Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers® List

A total of 63 attorneys from Harris Beach PLLC have made the 2019 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, the oldest guide of its kind in th
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James A. Spitz

jspitz@harrisbeach.com
D: (585) 419-8640
Rochester, NY Office
James Spitz
https://www.harrisbeach.com/people/spitz-jr-james-a/

■ Areas of Expertise

Legal Practices

Labor and Employment Legal Practice

Industry Teams

K-12 Education Industry Team

■ Profile

As chairman of Harris Beach, Jim leads the management committee in developing the strategic direction of the firm. He served as CEO of Harris Beach from 2005 to 2017. During his tenure he has overseen the expansion of the firm into a leading regional law firm with nationally-recognized practices and consulting subsidiaries, achieving fifty percent revenue growth during that time and thirty percent growth in the number of attorneys and consultants.

Jim counsels public and private clients in all areas of employee relations, including employment discrimination, employee discipline/termination, wage and hour issues, compliance with federal and state labor laws and other laws affecting the employer-employee relationship, counseling on employment policies and procedures, contract administration, collective bargaining, arbitration, and improper practice/unfair labor practice proceedings.

A substantial portion of Jim’s practice involves representation of school districts on the above labor and employment issues as well as on general education, civil service and general municipal law matters.  He advises school districts on Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law issues.  He counsels school districts on all union and employment matters and appears before the Public Employment Relations Board, Commissioner of Education and state and federal courts.

■ Professional and Civic

  • Business Council of New York State, member of the Board of Directors
  • New York State Bar Association, Labor and Employment Law Section
  • New York Association of Management Advocates for School Labor Affairs, member
  • Humane Society of Greater Rochester, member of the Board of Directors
  • Hunt Hollow Youth Ski Foundation, member of the Board of Directors
  • Hunt Hollow Ski Club, member of the Board of Directors 1988 – 1993, president from 1990 to 1993
  • Keeping Education Extraordinary in Pittsford (KEEP) Foundation Board of Directors, president, member of the board since 1992
  • Monroe Golf Club, member of the Board of Directors 1991 – 1997, president 1996 and 1997
  • Rochester Friendly Home, member of the Board of Directors 1983 – 1992

■ Admissions

  • Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Management; Labor Law – Management; Litigation – Labor and Employment, since 2001
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Employment Law – Management, 2016
  • Best Lawyers, Lawyer of the Year, Labor Law – Management, 2017 and 2019
  • Super Lawyers, Labor and Employment Law, since 2007

■ Education

Syracuse University College of Law
 ,JD
 ,1975
Syracuse University
 ,MBA
 ,1975
Middlebury College
 ,BA
 ,1972

Harris Beach and its subsidiaries provide a full range of legal and professional services for clients across New York state, as well as nationally and internationally. Harris Beach is among the country’s top law firms as ranked by The National Law Journal and is among the BTI Elite law firms based on in-depth interviews of more than 600 corporate counsel at the world’s largest and most influential companies. Our clients include Fortune 100 corporations, privately-held companies, emerging businesses, public sector entities, not-for-profit organizations and individuals. Principal industries we represent include education, energy, financial, food and beverage, health care, insurance, manufacturing, medical and life sciences, real estate developers, and state and local governments and authorities.

Industry Teams
Automotive and Vehicle Dealerships
Blockchain and Digital Assets 
Cannabis
Construction and Surety
Educational Institutions Higher Ed
Educational Institutions K-12
EMS and Fire Protection Providers
Energy
Financial Institutions and Capital Markets
Food and Beverage
Health Care
Industrial and Consumer Manufacturing
Medical and Life Sciences
Municipalities and Local Agencies
Nanotechnology
Photonics
Racing and Gaming
Real Estate Developers
Science and Technology
Telecommunications and Media
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
USA Collegiate Sports
Veterinary Medicine

Practices
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Appellate
Business and Commercial Litigation
Collection Law
Commercial Real Estate
Corporate
Cybersecurity Protection and Response
Diversity Compliance
E-Discovery (e-infoSM)
Employee Benefits
Employment Litigation
Environmental Law
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
Financial Restructuring, Bankruptcy and Creditors’ Rights
Government Compliance and Investigations
Health Law
Immigration Law
Insurance Coverage
Intellectual Property Law
International Trade Law
Internet Law
Labor and Employment Law
Mass Torts and Industry-Wide Litigation
New Markets Tax Credit
Patent, Trademark and Copyright Law
Product Liability and Comprehensive General Liability
Public Finance and Economic Development
Real Property Valuation Litigation
Residential Real Estate
Tax Law
White Collar Crime
Wills, Trusts and Estates

Consulting Services
HB Solutions LLC
Collegiate Sports Compliance
Data Privacy and Cybersecurity
Economic Development and Public Affairs
Educational Institution Assistance
EMRG® (E-Discovery Management Resources Group)
Energy
Health and Human Services
Human Resources
Information Technology
Marketing and Communication Services
Municipal and Local Agency Assistance

HB Cornerstone LLC
Owner Representation
Design Services
Facilities Consulting
Move Management

Caetra.io
CyMetric (Cybersecurity Regulation Compliance Software)

Offices throughout New York:

Albany
677 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207
518-427-9700

Buffalo
726 Exchange Street
Buffalo, NY 14210
716-200-5050

Ithaca
119 East Seneca Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
607-273-6444

Long Island
333 Earle Ovington Boulevard
Uniondale, NY 11553
516-880-8484

New York City
100 Wall Street
New York, NY 10005
212-687-0100

Rochester
99 Garnsey Road
Pittsford, NY 14534
585-419-8800

Saratoga Springs
513 Broadway
Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
518-587-0551

Syracuse
333 West Washington Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-423-7100

White Plains
445 Hamilton Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
914-683-1200

Offices also in:

New Haven, CT
195 Church Street
New Haven, CT 06510
203-784-3159

Newark, NJ
One Gateway Center
Newark, NJ 07102
973-848-1244

Washington, DC
800-685-1429

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
© 2022 Harris Beach PLLC

Content current as of March 23, 2023 1:40 pm
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