Michael A. Foley

Michael Foley is a partner in the Labor & Employment Practice Group and a member of the trade secrets team, where he helps clients across industries prevent and resolve disputes. Michael is an experienced lawyer who provides broad-ranging employment law counsel and litigation services, with a focus on issues involving the use and protection of trade secrets and other proprietary information. He has represented private employers from across the industry spectrum, including oil and gas, advanced manufacturing, technology, insurance, hospitality, and healthcare, among other sectors. Concerning the alleged theft or misuse of trade secrets or other proprietary information, Michael understands that time is of the essence. He has a strong motion practice and significant experience quickly securing and defending preliminary injunctions and temporary restraining orders, helping clients staunch the loss of — or preserve their rights to use — key data, customer lists, and other trade secrets. These rapid court actions also place clients’ competitors and others who might attempt to benefit from or prevent the proper use of such information on notice for potential exposure to litigation and penalties. Whether helping midsize business owners develop effective hiring, retention, and other employment policies or managing cost-effective e-discovery involving hundreds of thousands of documents and tens of thousands of emails, Michael brings his full care and attention to every step of the process. In addition to his trade secrets work, Michael provides compliance advice on a broad range of federal and state laws and regulations, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Title VII anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation rules, as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, workers’ compensation matters, and more. He also handles Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations and has assisted in developing and delivering training programs to senior leadership, managers, and key employees, particularly as they relate to issues of workplace discrimination and the protection of proprietary information. In addition to his client work, Michael is a regular contributor to the firm’s Trade Secret Insider blog, where he writes on emerging developments such as federal and state appellate court decisions regarding the enforceability of restrictive covenants and noncompete provisions of employment agreements. He is also the author of numerous articles published in journals such as HR Daily Advisor and Southeast Employment Law Letter. Prior to joining Jones Walker, Michael was a law clerk for the Honorable Brian Jackson, chief judge of the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, and for the Honorable Bernette Johnson, chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court. As a law clerk, Michael gained valuable experience in civil, multidistrict, and appellate litigation.