Barnes & Thornburg has announced that John E. Fitzsimmons has joined the firm’s San Diego office as a partner in the Labor and Employment Department. He joins Barnes & Thornburg from DLA Piper’s San Diego office.
Fitzsimmons has over 25 years of employment counseling and litigation experience. He centers his practice on the defense of employers in wrongful termination, employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other employment-related litigation.
“John has an incredibly rich understanding of employment law,” said Kenneth J. Yerkes, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. “His extensive experience in the field is a fantastic resource to our clients as we continue to build upon and strengthen our department’s offerings and presence in Southern California.”
Fitzsimmons has a particular focus on intellectual property-related claims, including both the prosecution and defense of claims involving non-compete agreements, trade secrets, proprietary information, and restrictive covenants.
In addition to guiding clients through California and federal wage and hour litigation and class actions, Fitzsimmons counsels and trains employees on day-to-day operations, employment issues, as well as labor-management relations. He also assists employers with union organizing, corporate campaigns, and collective bargaining, and has represented employers in labor arbitrations and proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.
“We’re thrilled to welcome to Barnes & Thornburg a longtime San Diegan with strong ties to the business community,” said Eric J. Beste, partner-in-charge of the San Diego office. “John’s many years of sophisticated employment litigation and deep industry knowledge will substantially assist our office with serving clients in the San Diego market and throughout Southern California.”
Fitzsimmons received his J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to his legal career, Fitzsimmons served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.
