Anthony J. Steffek

Tony helps businesses, public sector entities and their executives wade through various legal issues. He draws on his previous experience as an in-house counsel for a multinational trucking, transportation and logistics services company, where he focused on contract and risk management issues. His clients appreciate his ability to see issues from their perspective.

Tony assists employers, both big and small, in tackling the various HR-related issues that arise in today’s employment world. This includes advising on issues such as hiring and firing, restrictive covenants, drafting and enforcing employment contracts, employee handbook review and revision, and sensitive personnel matters and investigations. He also works with owners, executives and human resources managers to ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act, the Worker’s Compensation Act, the National Labor Relations Act, the various components of the Civil Rights Act, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) laws and regulations, and many others.

While many employment-related issues can be proactively avoided, employment-related litigation can still arise. When it does, Tony works with his clients to pinpoint the underlying issues and develop a sound and cost-effective strategy. He assists clients in litigating matters of employment discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment, enforcement or breach of employment agreements, wage and hour complaints, and many others. He also defends clients in class action claims brought pursuant to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and its Wisconsin equivalent, a complex process that requires thorough analysis and strategic decisions at various stages.

Tony assists in negotiating and re-negotiating collective bargaining agreements and handling the many issues that can arise in the organized labor context. These issues include union organizing efforts, grievance proceedings, arbitrations, and pension fund/withdrawal disputes, among others.

When clients wish to expand their workforce by adding foreign nationals, Tony assists in working through the long and complicated process of obtaining either temporary or permanent employment authorization, including PERM Applications and underlying prevailing wage determinations, H-1B applications, H-2B visas for seasonal workers, foreign student workers, Schedule A occupations, and outstanding researchers.

Tony assists public school districts, postsecondary and private schools in all legal areas surrounding modern-day education. In addition to regular employment-related matters, he works with clients on student issues, employee and student disciplinary concerns, pupil records and confidentiality, board policy and governance, teacher and administrator contracts, Title IX considerations, and parent complaints. He also focuses on pupil services and accommodation matters, assisting K-12 districts, as well as private elementary and secondary schools navigate the complex statutory and regulatory framework inherent in providing special education services to eligible students.

Tony also advises many towns, villages, cities and counties on a variety of issues specific to municipalities, including zoning appeals and enforcement matters, public records and open meetings compliance, ordinance drafting and citation enforcement, and other issues. In this role, he serves as special municipal prosecutor, appearing on clients’ behalf before municipal and circuit courts and other tribunals. In addition, he advises our clients as to their relationships with public sector unions, including in the police, fire protection and public safety areas, assisting with labor contract negotiations, general labor-management relations, grievance arbitrations and unfair labor practices.