Pete focuses his legal practice on representing management in employment-related litigation and in contract negotiations, NLRB proceedings, union matters, EEO matters and arbitration.
Pete previously served for two years as a presidential appointee to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington D.C. While serving on the NLRB, he was involved with significant decisions including Oakwood Healthcare, Inc., Dana/Metaldyne and Oil Capital Sheet Metal, Inc. In addition, Pete testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nominations of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He continues to testify before and advise members of the U.S. Congress on employment law matters.
Pete was reappointed by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives to his fourth consecutive six-year term on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. This is a part-time position which will expire in December 2025.
Pete's experience includes having served as lead counsel to the National Association of Manufacturers in litigation before the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia against the NLRB, challenging the Board’s Notice of Employer Rights Posting Rule. The court ruled in favor of Benesch’s client, striking down the NLRB’s Rule in its entirety. This ruling impacted over six million employers nationwide who would have been subject to the posting requirement.
Representative Experience
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Secured summary judgment for Myers Industries, Inc. in a disability discrimination case brought by a former employee. We handled this case from filing to conclusion, ultimately prevailing at summary judgment and on appeal before the Second Circuit. Substantively, we were able to prove that Plaintiff never disclosed his alleged disability to Myers Industries, Inc., which defeated his claims for disability discrimination or failure to accommodate when he was otherwise returned to work with no restrictions after a short medical leave.
- Served as in-house labor counsel for five years for Leaseway Transportation, which became Penske Logistics. Handled transportation-related labor matters in that capacity throughout the country, including, but not limited to, employment litigation, labor arbitrations, national master labor agreement negotiations, local union bargaining, EEO matters, DOT compliance, Wage&Hour investigations, and OFCCP audits.
- Won complete jury verdict for major employer in eight figure discrimination claim.
- Won complete jury verdict defending employer in multimillion dollar wage and hour class action case.
- Represented employers in scores of arbitrations and labor negotiations.
- Prepared amicus briefs on behalf of several major trade associations.
- Represented a foundry before OHSA and the Industrial Commission after one of the company's employees died, allegedly from a workplace injury.
- Successfully represented an employee leasing firm in the trucking industry in obtaining a court order vacating an arbitration award which reinstated a discharged truck driver who had tested positive for drugs.
- Represented the National Association of Manufacturers in litigation against the National Labor Relations Board.
