Clients come to me for solutions-driven employment and labor advice that prioritizes business goals and resolves complex workplace disputes.
Allison Anderson co-chairs the Labor and Employment Practice and represents companies in all aspects of labor and employment law, including union disputes, complex employment litigation, and advising businesses on a wide range of employment matters.
In the traditional labor space, her expertise ranges from litigating unfair labor practice and representation cases before the National Labor Relations Board to labor arbitrations to negotiating collective bargaining agreements, project labor agreements and labor peace agreements.
Allison also has extensive trial experience, successfully litigating numerous jury and bench trials in state and federal court and before administrative agencies. Her case work has included early motion-to-dismiss successes to defeating class actions to winning Circuit Court appeals. This high-stakes litigation work has involved non-compete and theft of trade secret cases, class action wage and hour and misclassification lawsuits, and discrimination cases. Additionally, Allison regularly provides day-to-day counseling on all aspects of the employment relationship from hiring, layoffs, disciplinary matters and workplace investigations.
She advises clients across industries, including life sciences, energy, offshore wind, cannabis, education, technology, gaming, retail, hospitality and financial services.
Allison is a nationally ranked labor and employment attorney; she was recognized in 2023 as a Top Women in Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly; and she serves as Program Co-Chair and Region One Co-Chair of the ABA’s Practice and Procedure Under the NLRA Committee. In this role, Allison closely monitors labor trends affecting businesses nationwide. She is also a frequent speaker and thought-leader on developing issues across the labor and employment space.
Boston College Law School, J.D., magna cum laude, 2013
Macalester College, B.A., magna cum laude, 2008
Bar and Court Admissions
BAR ADMISSIONS
Massachusetts
COURT ADMISSIONS
Massachusetts State Courts
Federal District Court for the District of Massachusetts
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Experience
LABOR
Negotiated project labor agreement on behalf of a City for substantial capital projects.
Negotiated first-of-its-kind project labor agreement for offshore wind farm and subsequent PLAs for various developers in New England and the North Atlantic.
Advised offshore wind developers on all aspects of labor strategy from bid submission through construction implementation, including advising on MOUs and LPAs with labor partners, bid submissions, IRA compliance, and developing complex labor strategy solutions for this evolving industry.
Advised numerous renewable energy clients on prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements in IRA.
Represented clients regarding unfair labor practice charges before the NLRB, including litigating CB charges against unions for bad faith bargaining and defending CA charges related to bargaining, discipline and policy changes.
Prevailed in UC petition on behalf of healthcare client, removing statutory supervisors from the bargaining unit.
Litigated CA charges in muti-week trial before NLRB.
Litigated 10(j) action in federal court on behalf of labor client.
Advised numerous clients on Cemex bargaining orders and voluntary recognition demands.
Won multiple labor arbitrations related to contract and disciplinary disputes on behalf of numerous clients in retail, education, healthcare, hospitality, and energy industries.
Successfully negotiated several first-contract CBAs.
Successfully represented multiple clients with respect to union representation petitions on behalf of clients in cannabis and energy.
Represented numerous clients in the negotiation, and implementation of card check and neutrality agreements for union organizing, including advising on labor peace agreements for numerous cannabis companies in various jurisdictions.
Represented clients in collective bargaining, including litigation before the NLRB relating to negotiations.
Advised international garment manufacturer in first-of-its kind labor agreement with local and international labor partners.
Delivered trainings to management and leadership teams related to labor relations and union organizing.
EMPLOYMENT
Won multi-million dollar jury verdict and bench trial award, plus a multi-million dollar attorney fee award, on behalf of life sciences consulting firm related to federal and state trade secret, unfair competition and tortious interference claims in the Federal District Court of Massachusetts.
Argued and prevailed in appeal before First Circuit Court of Appeals in litigation described above.
Won jury verdict and later affirmed on appeal on behalf of a financial services firm related to a misclassification claim in Massachusetts state court.
Representing instant commerce company in misclassification litigation against the MA Attorney General’s Office.
Successfully defended investment firm in litigation in Delaware Chancery Court involving hiring of numerous top-level employees, including defeating preliminary injunction motion.
Obtained a preliminary injunction on behalf of a pharmacy business in the Federal District Court of Rhode Island involving enforcement of a non-competition agreement, and later defeating an appeal of that order before the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
Successfully negotiated numerous non-competition agreements on behalf of hiring employers, and advised numerous clients seeking enforcement of such agreements.
Successfully negotiated numerous executive employment agreements and separation agreements on behalf of clients in various industries including, life sciences, technology, healthcare, financial services, and energy.
Advised energy client on labor and employment related matters involved in M&A transaction.
Counseled clients on evolving developments related to COVID-19, including layoffs, rehiring, unemployment matters, safety rules, and accommodations.
Won summary judgment on behalf of biotech company in lawsuit by former employee bringing discrimination claims.
Negotiated favorable dismissal of discrimination lawsuit against foreign embassy.
Defeated motion for class certification on behalf of financial services company in lawsuit challenging use of independent contractors for information technology functions.
Won summary judgment on behalf of telecommunications company in lawsuit by former employee seeking unpaid commissions, and later prevailed before Massachusetts Appeals Court upholding dismissal.
Successfully tried a case before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination on behalf of a university client against a pregnancy discrimination claim. After a multi-day hearing, Complainant voluntarily withdrew her charge with prejudice without seeking any settlement.
Defeated “serious and willful” misconduct claim against waste disposal company before the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents, and also won reversal of grant of unemployment benefits to terminated employee on behalf of the same company.
Represented clients in multiple putative class action litigations including: claims under the Massachusetts independent contractor law, and claimed violations of the Massachusetts Wage Act.
Won dismissal of discrimination claims against individual defendants, including CEO and Board Chairman, in federal court.
Successfully defended discrimination claims before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, with numerous complaints dismissed at the earliest possible stage.
Won voluntary dismissal with prejudice of ERISA denial of benefits case, without any monetary settlement, in Massachusetts federal court on behalf of pharmaceutical company.
Advised numerous clients regarding employment policies and procedures, including drafting policies and procedures and counseling on compliance with local, state and federal laws.
Provided many customized employment law trainings on sexual harassment, disability and discrimination laws, wage and hour laws, hiring, and performance management.
Other Publications
Chapter editor, How to Take a Case Before the NLRB (2024-present)
Global Employment Law Guide, Lex Mundi, USA Massachusetts (2024-present)
ABA Labor and Employment Section Committee on Practice and Procedure under the NLRA, Evaluating NLRB Action Under the Obama Administration in Historical Context, March 2017
ABA Eighth Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference Panel Presentation, Summaries of Significant NLRB and Court Decisions and NLRB Proposed Rules, Sept. 1, 2013 through Sept. 20, 2014
Co-author, "Employment Law: 'But for' a Criminal Case," ABA Labor and Employment Law newsletter (with Michael Rosen, Summer 2014, Volume 42, Number 4)
MCLE Employment Law Spring Symposium 2014, Disability-Based Associational Discrimination: Creating a Cause of Action Not Anticipated Under the Law
Honors & Involvement
HONORS
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly: Top Women of Law (2023)
The Best Lawyers in America
Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management (2024-2027)
Ones to Watch (2021-2023)
Named a Top Lawyer in the area of Labor and Employment by Boston Magazine (2025)
INVOLVEMENT
American Bar Association, Labor and Employment Section
NLRB Practice and Procedure Committee, Program Co-Chair (2023-present) and Region One Co-Chair (2017-present)
Other Events
Moderator, Update from the Office of the National Labor Relations Board General Counsel, with William B. Cowen, ABA Mid-Winter Meeting: Practice and Procedure Under the NLRA Committee (February 2025)
Moderator, Update from the Office of the National Labor Relations Board General Counsel, with Jennifer Abruzzo, ABA Mid-Winter Meeting: Practice and Procedure Under the NLRA Committee (February 2024)
Panelist, “TURN! TURN! TURN! Updates, Impact and Issues in the Use of Section 10(j) and GC Initiatives,” ABA Mid-Winter Meeting: Practice and Procedure Under the NLRA Committee (March 2023)
Speaker, “Do You Think It’s Alright: NLRB Rulemaking” ABA Annual P&P Under the NLRA Committee Conference (March 2021)
Moderator, “NLRB Basics: An Interactive Labor Law Primer,” ABA Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference (November 2019)
Panelist, “Dealing with Unions in the Workplace,” Lex Mundi Labor and Employment Employee Benefits and Pensions Joint Practice Group Global Meeting (May 2019)
Speaker, "Human Resources Law A to Z," National Business Institute (November 2017)
Speaker, “Joint Employment: The Changing Landscape of the Gig Economy,” MassALA Annual Conference (November 2016)
Speaker, "OSHA and Department of Labor Standards: Are You in Compliance?" MassALFA (October 2014)
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