Joseph D. Hess is an associate in the Grand Rapids office of Barnes & Thornburg LLP. He is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Department.

Mr. Hess counsels and defends employers and managers across all industries in a wide range of pre-litigation and litigation matters, including discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical and Leave Act (FMLA), Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), Title VII and state-law counterparts, wage and hour issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and restrictive covenants. His practice also involves handling traditional labor matters under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), including multiple facets of collective bargaining and defending against unfair labor practice charges.

In 2017, Mr. Hess was named to the Michigan Super Lawyers “Rising Stars” list for his work in labor and employment law.

Mr. Hess received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2009 and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2012. During law school, Mr. Hess was president of the UDM Federal Bar Association and a contributing author for the UDM Law Review. After law school, Mr. Hess served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Lawrence P. Zatkoff of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

In addition to being admitted to practice in Michigan, Mr. Hess is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Michigan, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Michigan and the District of Delaware.