Joseph A. Kroeger, P.C., Partner at our Tucson, and Phoenix law offices
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Joseph A. Kroeger, P.C.

Partner
Biography

Joe is knowledgeable, responsive, friendly, and gives excellent advice and guidance. He is able to flex his guidance based on the client’s business needs.
2024 Chambers USA

He is one of the best lawyers I have ever worked with. He is smart and detail oriented.
2023 Chambers USA

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 is 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 is also recognized by Southwest Super Lawyers® in the area of 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.

Finally, Joe is passionate about giving back to the community and currently serves on the board of United Way of Tucson & Southern Arizona. Joe is also active in the Southern Arizona Leadership Council and serves in their Governance Committee.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Illinois


Court Admissions

  • Supreme Court of Arizona
  • Supreme Court of California
  • Supreme Court of Colorado
  • Supreme Court of Illinois
  • United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court, Central District of California
  • United States District Court, District of Arizona
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • United States District Court, Southern District of California


Education

  • Stanford Law School (J.D.)
  • University of Dayton (B.A., Political Science, summa cum laude)
Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • 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 (2021-2024)
  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Employment Law – Management (2018-2025), Labor Law – Management (2020-2025), Litigation – Labor and Employment (2018-2025)
    • Lawyer of the Year, Litigation – Labor and Employment (2023-2024)
  • Southwest Super Lawyers®, Employment Litigation: Defense (2014-2016, 2022-2024), Rising Stars Edition (2013)
  • Snell & Wilmer Community Involvement Award (2013, 2023)
  • Up and Comer, Inside Tucson Business (2012)
  • 40 Under 40, Arizona Daily Star (2010)

Representative Litigation

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

Previous Professional Experience

  • American Business Consultants Corp., In-House Counsel/Director of Human Resources
  • Fisher & Phillips LLP, Associate
  • Sidley Austin LLP, Associate
  • United States District Court (N.D.Ill.), Law Clerk for Hon. Suzanne Conlon

Professional Memberships and Activities

  • District of Arizona, Lawyer Representative for the Ninth Circuit (2024-2027)
  • State Bar of Arizona, Labor & Employment Section
    • Executive Council (2014-Present)
      • Immediate Past Chair (2022-2023)
      • Chair (2021-2022)
      • Chair-Elect (2020-2021)
      • Treasurer (2019-2020)
      • Secretary (2018-2019)
      • CLE By the Sea Chair (2016-2017)
      • CLE Chair (2014-2015)
    • State Bar Convention Co-Chair (2013-2014)
    • CLE Committee, Tucson Lunch CLEs Chair (2011-2012)
  • Pima County Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association
    • Board of Directors (2014-Present)
    • Membership Chair (2015-2016)
    • Treasurer (2016-2017)
    • Vice President (2017-2018)
    • President (2018-2020)
  • Udall Inn of Court (2008-2013)
  • Snell & Wilmer Managing Partner, Tucson Office (2019-Present)
  • Southern Arizona Leadership Council (2019-Present)
    • Governance Committee (2023-Present)

Community Involvement

  • United Way of Tucson and Southern Arizona
    • Board of Directors (2022-Present)
    • Co-Chair, Development Committee (2023-Present)
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Arizona
    • Board of Advisors (2013-2022)
    • Immediate Past Chair, Board of Directors (2013)
    • Board Chair (2012)
    • Board Member of the Year (2012)

Representative Presentations and Publications