Practice Expertise

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • Employment Law
  • Employment Litigation, Workplace ...

Areas of Practice

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • Employment Law
  • Employment Litigation, Workplace ...
  • Commercial Real Estate Workouts and ...
  • Founders & Entrepreneurs
  • Litigation
  • White Collar Defense and Investigations
  • View More

Profile

Jacqueline Bonneau is Counsel in the firm's Litigation department. Her practice focuses on employment and complex commercial litigation and investigations. Ms. Bonneau advises a variety of employers, including nonprofit organizations, professional associations, educational institutions and major corporations in connection with a range of employment compliance issues. She conducts internal investigations on behalf of senior management and boards of directors concerning sensitive allegations of employee misconduct and defends clients in response to inquiries from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Ms. Bonneau also represents clients through all stages of litigation, including pre-litigation counseling, mediation, trial, and appeal. From 2012 to 2014, Ms. Bonneau served as a law clerk to the Hon. Janet Bond Arterton of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Ms. Bonneau was recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® Ones to Watch for 2021 and 2022 in the practice area of Litigation - Labor and Employment.

Representative Matters

Employment Counseling

Advice and counseling to employers with respect to employment compliance issues, including disability and accommodations, discrimination and harassment, workplace safety, wage and hour laws, and employee hiring, discipline, and termination.

Advice and counseling to boards of directors on the development and enforcement of anti-discrimination policies in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Advice and counseling to educational institutions with respect to Title IX and FERPA compliance.

Negotiation of employment contracts, offer letters, and severance agreements.

Internal & Government Investigations

Conducted internal investigation of allegations of bullying, workplace discrimination, and sexual harassment on behalf of multinational law firm.

Conducted internal investigations of allegations of gender, religious, national origin, and race discrimination and implicit bias on behalf of nonprofit organizations.

Conducted internal investigation of allegations of whistleblower retaliation and compliance violations on behalf of global healthcare company.

Defended pharmaceutical company in connection with price-fixing investigations by state attorneys general and U.S. Department of Justice.

Defended non-profit organization in connection with fraud investigation by district attorney.

Defended and conducted investigations on behalf of corporations and individuals in connection with potential allegations arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and federal securities and healthcare fraud laws.

Litigation

Represented financial guaranty insurers bringing claims in state court against investment banks that sponsored and originated residential mortgage-backed securities, including trials of breach of contract claims in New York Supreme Court.

Defended law firms in connection with claims of legal malpractice.

Defended pet food and consumer products manufacturers in cases involving false advertising claims.

Defended nonprofit animal hospital in litigations arising out of employee terminations in connection with Equal Pay Act, whistleblower retaliation, defamation, and tortious interference claims.

Represented home health care agency in connection with a putative wage and hour class action.

Represented professional association in an EEOC mediation relating to allegations of age discrimination.

Pro Bono

Represented group of nursing home residents challenging constitutional and statutory violations in the administration of the Nursing Home Transition and Diversion Waiver Program by the New York State Department of Health and its contractor.

Represented military veteran in connection with an application for a discharge upgrade.

Defended public employer in connection with claims of religious discrimination and retaliation.

Bar Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
  • New York

Education

  • Columbia Law School (J.D., 2011)
    • Executive Editor, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law
    • Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • Georgetown University, Walsh School of Foreign Service (B.S., magna cum laude, 2008)
    • Phi Beta Kappa

Areas of Practice

  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • Employment Law
  • Employment Litigation, Workplace Investigations, and Compliance
  • Commercial Real Estate Workouts and Litigation
  • Founders & Entrepreneurs
  • Litigation
  • White Collar Defense and Investigations

Professional Career


Professional Activities and Experience

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS: "New York Practice: The What, Where & How of Commencing a Lawsuit and Serving Parties,” New York City Bar CLE Webinar (June 29, 2023; July 21, 2022; July 15, 2021; July 23, 2020); "Litigating Yellowstone Injunctions: Key Legal Considerations and Recent Developments," PLI Webinar (July 7, 2021)




Articles

Additional Articles

Blogs

Antitrust Update

Antitrust Update Blog is a source of insights, information and analysis on criminal and civil antitrust and competition-related issues. Patterson Belknap’s antitrust lawyers represent clients in antitrust litigation and counseling matters, including those related to pricing, marketing, distribution, franchising, and joint ventures and other strategic alliances. We have significant experience with government civil and criminal/cartel investigations, providing the unique perspectives of former...

Data Security Law Blog

DataSecurityLaw.com is the firm’s resource for the latest news, analysis, and thought leadership in the critical area of privacy and cybersecurity law. Patterson Belknap’s Privacy and Data Security practice provides public and private enterprises, their leadership teams and boards with comprehensive services in this critical area. Our team of experienced litigators, corporate advisors and former federal and state prosecutors advises on a broad range of privacy and data protection matters...

Misbranded

Misbranded is Patterson Belknap’s blog covering false advertising litigation—both consumer class actions and competitor suits—with a particular focus on FDA-regulated products (foods/beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and dietary supplements).

New York Commercial Division Decisions

The blog is a source for insights and developments related to practice in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. This blog reviews key developments in the Commercial Division, including important decisions handed down by the Commercial Division and appellate court decisions reviewing Commercial Division decisions. The blog also covers changes and proposed changes to Commercial Division rules and practice, including revisions to the rules since January 2015. The...

Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog

The Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog is your place to follow the criminal law decisions rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. With a rich 225-year history of legendary judges like Learned Hand and Henry Friendly, the Second Circuit has long been known for writing important and thoughtful opinions on many subjects, including the criminal law. We review every published criminal law opinion handed down by the Second Circuit in order to provide you with a summary of the hol

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