As a partner in the firm’s Employment & Labor Practice Area, Danielle Jurema Lederman represents employers in all stages of mediation, arbitration, and litigation at the administrative, state, and federal levels. She is an experienced trial attorney and has successfully litigated multiple employment matters through to summary judgment and trial. She also defends clients in investigations brought by state and federal agencies such as the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Labor and the Department of Unemployment Assistance.
Danielle counsels employers in a wide array of employment and labor matters including hiring, employee classification, workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, reasonable accommodations, leave laws, and pay transparency, helping clients to navigate the nuances of employment and labor law. Clients appreciate her counsel and advice when faced with issues regarding wage and hour laws and reductions in force/layoffs. Danielle prepares and reviews clients’ employee handbooks and regularly advises businesses on federal, state, and local guidance.
Within her practice, Danielle enjoys working with clients from a broad range of industries, including craft brewers, government contractors, healthcare organizations, start-ups, nonprofits, manufacturers, and banking institutions.
At Bowditch, Danielle leads the Women’s Initiative, which provides an internal network of support to encourage growth and achievement. Members actively promote women inside and outside the firm, creating a strong sense of team and supporting business development efforts.
Before Bowditch
Prior to joining the firm, Danielle gained extensive litigation experience representing employers and employees. She was also the director of legal services at a local non-profit, where she provided in-house counseling and legal services relating to workplace claims.
Besides Work
Danielle is an avid soccer fan – especially when it comes time for the World Cup. She attended five of the 2022 games in Qatar and has traveled to each World Cup since 2006. Danielle is anxiously awaiting the 2026 tournament, which won’t require such a lengthy journey.
Affiliations
- Co-Chair, Brown Forum for Women in the Law Conference, Northeastern University
- Vice Chair, City Year’s Women’s Leadership Breakfast
- Future Leaders program / Women’s Network Advisory Board, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
- Member, Paid Family & Medical Leave Working Group, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Member, Women’s Bar Association
- Member, Boston Bar Association
- Member, National Association of College and University Attorneys
Honors
- Co-chair, Northeastern University School of Law 2025 Brown Forum for Women in the Law Conference
- Boston Future Leaders Class of 2022, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
- Best Lawyers in America, selected by her peers for inclusion in the field of Litigation – Labor and Employment (2023-2025)
- Super Lawyers Rising Star since 2019
- Recognized as a COVID-19 Response Leader by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston
Articles + Talks
Articles
- “Tip Credits – Striking Down the Federal Rule & Massachusetts Ballot Question,” Bowditch, 2024
- “Pay Transparency Comes to Massachusetts,” Bowditch, 2024
- “Changes to MA PFML – ‘Topping Off’ and New 2024 Benefit Rates,” Bowditch, 2023
- “Legal details can make or break cannabis startups,” Worcester Business Journal, 2023
- “East Penn Verdict Is An FLSA Cautionary Tale For Employers,” Law360, 2023
- “Largest Ever FLSA Verdict Underscores Importance of Employer Compliance with Wage and Hour Laws,” Bowditch, 2023
- “Concrete Steps Employers Should Consider When Drafting Severance Agreements in the Wake of McLaren Macomb,” Bowditch, 2023
- “Updated Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations Issued,” Bowditch, 2023
- “The First Circuit Takes a Deeper Look into Employee Exemption Decisions,” Bowditch, 2023
- “Wage Act Updates: Massachusetts’ Highest Court Finds Limited FLSA Preemption of Wage Act Remedies and Employers Should Prepare for Potential Wage-Related Changes to Come,” Bowditch, 2022
- “OSHA Issues Emergency Temporary Standard Mandating Vaccination or Testing for Private Employers with 100 or More Employees,” Bowditch, 2021
- “A Busy Week – Massachusetts Extends Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Makes Changes to Paid Family and Medical Leave Contribution Rates and Benefits,” Bowditch, 2021
- “Massachusetts Begins Phase 3; Gatherings and Other Restrictions Loosened,” SmallBiz Daily, 2020
- “Mass. Court Reminds Employers of FMLA Due Diligence,” Law360, 2019
- “States Double Down on Employee Perks,” Independent Joe Magazine, 2019 (pages 12-13)
Talks
- “2024/2025 Employment Law Update,” Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, 2024
- “Attorney Insights: What Lawyers Want and Need from Marketing & Business Development Professionals,” Legal Marketing Association’s Northeast Region Conference, 2024
- Employment Law Coffee Break, Bowditch, 2024
- Navigating Operational Challenges, The Business of Cannabis, Worcester Business Journal, 2023
- Women’s Coffee Chat, Association of Corporate Counsel-Northeast, 2023
- Navigating a Reduction in Force, Bowditch, 2023
- Build A Foundation or Dig Yourself A Hole: Employment Law Fundamentals for Field Staff and HR Professionals, Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, 2023
- Considerations for Settling Employment Cases, Massachusetts Bar Association, 2022 (Moderator)
- Tightening the Belt: Where to Focus Your Limited Legal Resources, Association of Corporate Counsel-Northeast, 2022
- Candid Conversations, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Leadership Program, 2022
- Building Business through Narrative, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Fall Women’s Seminar, 2022
- Legal Issues in Arts Administration: Employment and Labor Law, Boston University, 2022
- OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard: What Employers Must Know, Bowditch, 2021
- Legal Issues in Arts Administration: Employment and Labor Law, Boston University, 2021
- Employment Law Basics, Lenny Zakim Fund, 2021
- Legal Issues in Arts Administration, Boston University’s Metropolitan College (Guest Lecturer), 2021
- Legal Considerations of Having a Remote Workforce, Massachusetts Cultural Council, 2021
- Back to ‘Normal’ Workplace Guidance Re: COVID-19 Vaccines, Reopening & More, Massachusetts Restaurant Association, 2021
- Recover, Rebuild, Renew: Employment law Basics, Massachusetts Cultural Council, 2021
Media Mentions
- “How employers can tweak their severance agreements after the NLRB’s crackdown” (Boston Business Journal)
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
- Connecticut
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- United States Patent and Trademark Office
Education
- Certified Harassment Train-the-Trainer, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
- J.D., Northeastern University School of Law
- B.S., University of Florida, cum laude, Chemistry
- Prepared detailed position statements and responses to requests for information for nonprofit client in relation to employment and housing charges filed at the state and federal discrimination administrative agencies
- Successfully defended a craft brewing client in a wage and hour investigation by the Department of Labor
- Provided regular advice and counsel in a variety of complex employment law matters to in-house counsel and key company stakeholders
- Achieved partial summary judgment for a healthcare client in a sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation claim
- Prepared motion to dismiss which resulted in employee’s voluntary dismissal of all claims identified in complaint
- Conducted internal sexual harassment investigation and prepared report of findings for manufacturing company
- Conducted internal investigation into allegations of former employee against a manager at a nonprofit healthcare company
Events + Recordings
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Employment Law Coffee Break
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Danielle Lederman Presented “Navigating Operational Challenges” at the Worcester Business Journal’s The Business of Cannabis Event
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Navigating a Reduction in Force
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Tracy Boland and Danielle Lederman Presented at AGCMA’s “Build A Foundation or Dig Yourself A Hole: Employment Law Fundamentals for Field Staff and HR Professionals”
Publications
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Client Alert: Tip Credits – Striking Down the Federal Rule & Massachusetts Ballot Question
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Client Alert: Pay Transparency Comes to Massachusetts
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Client Alert: Changes to MA PFML – “Topping Off” and New 2024 Benefit Rates
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Danielle Lederman Writes “Legal details can make or break cannabis startups” for the Worcester Business Journal
News
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Sixteen Bowditch Attorneys Named to 2024 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
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21 Bowditch Attorneys Recognized in the 2025 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America® and Ten Bowditch Attorneys Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™
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Press Release: Bowditch Honored with Second Empowering Women Award
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Danielle Jurema Lederman Selected as Co-Chair Northeastern University’s Brown Forum for Women in the Law Conference