David E. Renner

David E. Renner is a Founding Partner of Pierson Ferdinand LLP, based out of the firm’s Philadelphia office. In his role, Dave primarily advises clients throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but has also advised and represented clients in matters throughout the United States.

Through a focus on labor and employment, Dave has been and continues to be a trusted advisor to employers, executives, and HR professionals from businesses in multiple industries, including construction, energy, financial services, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, manufacturing, oil and gas, and retail. He has successfully overseen hundreds of cases and claims and has litigated nearly every facet of labor and employment law. Dave has extensive expertise defending Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state enforcement actions, employment class actions, FLSA collective actions, and restrictive covenant matters.

Because of his close collaboration with HR and the professionals who lead human capital services for his clients, Dave obtained a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) Certification from the HR Certification Institute. The SPHR Certification equips Dave to uniquely assist and partner with his clients in strategic planning and policymaking aspects of HR management. It also provides his HR clients with confidence that he understands and respects their specialty.

Clients depend on Dave for guidance across various matters, spanning from preventive counsel and proactive strategizing to policy formulation, all delivered in a cost-efficient manner. A notable portion of his work focuses on ensuring compliance and handling litigation related to wage and hour regulations under FLSA and relevant laws governing compensation practices. This encompasses both individual cases and collective litigation.

While Dave relishes it when his clients proactively seek his counsel to prevent prickly HR compliance issues before they become larger problems, he is skilled in the courtroom as a zealous advocate when matters escalate to litigation. Moreover, Dave has significant experience litigating and counseling clients on restrictive covenant matters, including hiring and separation issues, and enforcement of non-competes, post-employment customer and employee solicitation agreements, and confidentiality agreements. He also advises executives, physicians, and employers on employment agreements and change-in-control agreements.

Active with professional organizations, Dave serves on the steering committees for the Employment and Labor Law Committee of DRI, an international association of attorneys defending the interests of business in civil litigation. He is also a past Program Chair to the Employment and Labor Law Committee and currently serves as the Publications Chair to DRI’s Employment and Labor Law.

Additionally, Dave is a sought-after national presenter at conferences for continuing education programs in law and HR, including for the National Business Institute (NBI). When speaking, his primary objective is to enhance the performance of defense attorneys and HR professionals when representing and advising their clients on employment and HR matters.

From 2016 to 2024, Dave was recognized by his peers as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star in the categories of Employment and Labor and Employment Litigation. He earned his juris doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated summa cum laude from both institutions.

Examples of the services clients rely on Dave to provide include:

• Wage and hour audits and class/collective actions
• Agency investigations alleging overtime and other payroll violations
• Administrative charges of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
• Whistleblower and retaliation claims and lawsuits
• Employee theft of trade secrets
• Violations of restrictive covenants
• WARN Act compliance, layoff planning, and severance agreements
• Advice for disciplinary and termination decisions
• Guidance during harassment investigations
• Anti-discrimination, harassment, and retaliation training for supervisors, HR professionals, and employees
• Responses to wage claims and unemployment benefit disputes and hearings
• Executive and retention agreements
• Labor relations and grievance defense
• Government contracting, including Executive Order 11246, VEVRAA, and Rehab Act counseling and compliance
• EEO, AAP, and HR policy development
• OFCCP audits and investigations
• FMLA leave management and ADA accommodations
• Employment due diligence consultation for mergers and acquisitions
• Public accommodations under the ADA