Joe Kroeger is a go-to labor and employment attorney with a national practice, who is enthusiastic about counseling his clients on the prevention side of employment claims and positioning problem employment situations for the best possible defense. Clients appreciate his proactive efforts, as well as his ability to serve his customers’ needs in an effective and cost-efficient manner. As a former in-house counsel, Joe brings a wealth of experience and corporate perspective that enables him to better understand the issues his clients face. His clients range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies in a wide spectrum of industries, including banks and financial institutions, hospitals and health care providers, transportation companies, non-profit organizations, and many others.
Joe's practice includes representing clients in a wide variety of areas, including:
employment discrimination and harassment
wrongful discharge
breach of contract
misappropriation of trade secrets
non-competition/non-solicitation matters
social media
alternative dispute resolution and arbitration agreements
labor arbitrations
NLRB charges
employee background checks and drug testing
employer protection of intellectual property
Joe has litigation experience in a variety of federal and state judicial and administrative forums, as well as class action litigation. He has led cases to favorable verdicts in front of both federal and state juries.
As a top lawyer in his field, Joe has been ranked as a Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business® in Labor & Employment, as well as a Best Lawyer in America® in the areas of Employment Law-Management, Labor Law-Management, and Litigation-Labor and Employment. He was also recognized by Southwest Super Lawyers® in the areas Employment Litigation: Defense. Joe has a reputation as an effective and creative problem-solver for a wide variety of matters, both big and small.
Joe is the managing partner of the firm's Tucson office. He is licensed to practice in Arizona, California, Colorado and Illinois.
Employment Litigation and Other Matters
Arbitrated labor grievance challenging termination of public transit employee
Served as lead national counsel in national Fair Credit Reporting Act class action against financial company filed in the Northern District of Georgia
Represented mortgage company in defending against anti-raiding lawsuit in Oregon state court
Served as lead national counsel in Fair Credit Reporting Act class action against trucking company filed in the Northern District of Indiana
Represented computer technology company in assertion of confidential information, non-competition and non-solicitation claims in Texas state court
Represented national transportation company in national company-wide Department of Labor audit of hundreds of exempt classified positions and negotiated settlement agreement addressing same
Represented 28 service industry franchisees in hybrid wage-and-hour collective and class action
Represented national financial institution in obtaining injunctive relief in a FINRA arbitration against a former employee
Represented national oil company in defending restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation
Represented national mortgage company in defending against request for injunctive relief as to former group of employees, as well as eleven other claims
Represented international aerospace company in federal court in noncompetition/nonsolicitation/confidential information litigation
Represented financial institution in state court jury trial arising out of enforcement of loan guarantee
Represented a national transportation company in a national class action alleging Fair Credit Reporting Act violations
Represented national education institution in defending against a California class action alleging violations of state and federal wage-and-hour laws
Represented a national distribution company in defending against disability discrimination and retaliation claims
Represented a national aerospace company in a non-competition/trade secrets dispute against a former employee and his new employer
Represented entrepreneurs in a non-competition dispute with their former employer prior to the employer filing litigation, allowing clients to form own business (and flourish) in same industry
Represented principals of company in non-compete and government contract dispute with former employer
Defended national aerospace company in multiple phases of a non-competition lawsuit lodged by a competitor in multiple judicial forums
Assisted large national employer in compelling arbitration of employee’s claims in a novel and procedurally complex case
Represented large employer in defending claims of race and gender discrimination and retaliation in federal court
Represented national broadcasting company in defending against whistleblowing claims brought by a former employee
Represented emergency services company in defending against whistleblowing and qui tam allegations lodged by former employee
Represented national insurance company in administrative and civil proceedings related to insured improperly classifying its workforce to avoid premium payments
Represented employers in over one hundred EEOC/ACRD charge of discrimination proceedings
Pro Bono Litigation
Represented civil rights prisoner in federal jury trial alleging deprivation of constitutional rights
Represented client before the Ninth Circuit and overturned Board of Immigration Appeals and trial court determination that individual was not a United States citizen
Represented client before the Arizona Court of Appeals in upholding trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of our client finding that director’s transfer of primary asset of homeowner’s association was invalid and void
Stanford Law School (J.D.)
Lead Article Editor, Stanford Law & Policy Review
University of Dayton (B.A., Political Science, summa cum laude)
Recipient of full tuition Presidential Scholarship
"Election 2020: What it Means for Employers," Co-Presenter, 2020 Employment Law Tool Kit Three-Part Webinar Series: Session 3: Even More Issues for All Employers (November 16, 2020)
"COVID-19 Update on the FFCRA, CARES, Arizona PSL and FMLA," Co-Presenter, Financial Executives and Affiliates of Tucson (October 22, 2020)
"EEOC Issues Proposed Rule to No Longer Keep Employers in the Dark as to Cause Finding and Conciliation Demand," Author, Snell & Wilmer Legal Alert (October 8, 2020)
"Updates and Trends in Employment Law 2020/2021," Co-Presenter, Arizona Technology Council (October 8, 2020)
"PEDs in the Workplace: It’s a Mad, Mad BYOD World," Presenter, ACI Conference (April 22, 2015)
"The First 48 Hours: How the First Decisions You Make in a Non-Compete Dispute Determines the Final Outcome," Presenter, State Bar of Arizona Employment & Labor Law Section CLE Lunch Meeting (March 30, 2015)
"The Worth and Worry of Workplace Wellness," Co-Presenter, Arizona State Bar Convention (June 21, 2013)
"Insights from the NLRB and EEOC General Counsel," Panel Moderator with Lafe Solomon and David Lopez, Arizona State Bar Convention (June 21, 2013)
Top Workplaces' Small Employer Leadership Award, Tucson Media Partners (2023)
AZ Business Leader in Tucson, AZ Business Leaders Magazine (2022)
Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business®, Labor & Employment (2021-2023)
The Best Lawyers in America®, Employment Law - Management (2018-2024), Labor Law - Management (2020-2024), Litigation - Labor and Employment (2018-2024)
Lawyer of the Year, Litigation - Labor and Employment (2023-2024)