SHAWN EMERSON is an associate in the Labor and Employment practice in Taft's Dayton office. Mr. Emerson represents public and private employers in all aspects of labor and employment law including issues involving race, sex, age, disability, and religious discrimination; wage and hour matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act; prevailing wage; and various other state and federal laws. He assists employers with developing and modifying employee handbooks, workplace policies, and internal investigations, as well as other issues relating to the employment relationship.

Mr. Emerson represents employers in matters arising out of the National Labor Relations Act, including collective bargaining, training management and supervisory employees in union avoidance, defending against unfair labor practice charges, and conducting labor arbitrations.

His representation of public employers involves advising and defending public sector employers on matters related to Ohio municipal law. He has assisted cities, townships, and villages in Ohio, and currently serves as the Village Solicitor for a Dayton suburb.

Prior to joining Taft, Mr. Emerson clerked for Magistrate Judge Sharon L. Ovington of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. He worked as a police officer for eight years on the Dayton Police Department, where he achieved the rank of detective and was a member of Dayton’s S.W.A.T. team. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Cedarville University in 2000, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2010, graduating cum laude. While at the School of Law, he served as Managing Publication Editor of the Dayton Law Review.