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Ron Dunn is a founding partner of Gleason, Dunn, Walsh &   O’Shea. Prior to his affiliation with the firm, he was a principal of another Albany law firm, specializing in labor and employment law issues. For his entire legal career, Mr. Dunn has focused his practice on representing unions and their members in public and private sector labor matters, and counseling individuals in all matters relating to their employment. 

Mr. Dunn negotiates collective bargaining agreements, represents unions in contract grievances and discipline matters, represents unions and their members in administrative proceedings, and counsels unions regarding internal union affairs.

Mr. Dunn also represents and counsels individuals in all types of employment and labor law matters, including harassment, discrimination and retaliation; employment and partnership agreements; separation agreements; workplace training and investigations; personnel policies; disciplinary action; and restrictive covenants (non-solicitation, non-competition and confidentiality agreements). He has extensive experience in negotiating, litigating and arbitrating labor and employment law disputes. 

Mr. Dunn has earned an "AV® Preeminent™" Peer Review  Rating from Martindale Hubbell;* was named one of the "Best Lawyers in  America" for 2008 through the present from “Best Lawyers”, in the area of  Labor and Employment Law; and was named one of the "Top 10 Lawyers in  Upstate New York" (New York Super Lawyers) for 2017, 2018 and 2019 and one of the  "Top 50 Lawyers in Upstate New York" in 2014, 2015 and 2016; and named one of the 500 Outstanding plaintiff employment lawyers in the United States by Lawdragon for 2018 and 2019. He is a  Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and a Fellow of the  American Bar Foundation. He is a former Chair of the New York State Bar   Association Labor and Employment Law Section.

Bar Admissions
  • New York
  • United States District  Courts: Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York
  • United States Court of  Appeals, Second Circuit
  • United States Court of  Appeals, Federal Circuit
  • United States Supreme  Court
Education
  • J.D., Albany Law  School of Union University, 1980
  • B.A., State University  of New York at Albany, 1977
Professional Associations
  • Fellow, American Bar  Foundation
  • Fellow, College of  Labor and Employment Lawyers
  • National Employment  Lawyers Association, National and New York Chapters
    • Member, Executive  Board, 2002-2008
    • Chair Legislative  Committee, 2009 to 201  
  • American Bar  Association 
    • Member, Labor and  Employment Law Section 
  • New York State Bar  Association
    • Chair, Labor and  Employment Section, 2014-2015
    • Member, Executive  Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section, 1998-2005 and 2008 to date    
    • Co-Chair, Labor and Employment  Law Section Continuing Legal Education Committee, 2008-2012  
    • Member, NYSBA CLE  Committee 2010-2013
  • Albany County Bar  Association 
    • Member, Grievance  Committee, Albany County Bar Association, 1997-2002
  • Member, Board of  Advisors, New York Employment Law & Practice Monthly, 1999-2004
Published Work and Speaking Engagements
  • EEOC Guidelines  Explain How to Handle Behavioral Problems” Capital District Business Review.  October 5-11, 1998 
  • “Labor and Management Officials  See Benefits in Negotiated Procedures for Coverage Under NYS GML 207” New York  State Bar Journal. September/October 1999
  • “New York’s Wage and  Hours Laws: The Basics” New York Employment Law and Practice. March 2000  
  • “Special Procedural  Rules for Employment Litigation with a Public Employer” New York Employment Law and Practice.  May 2001
Community Involvement

Mr. Dunn has been a strong advocate for children’s education. He was a founding member of the Albany Booster Club, Inc., a  charitable organization whose sole mission is to advance and support art, music and athletics for students in the Albany City Public Schools.  He is also a Board Member of the Albany Fund for Education, a charitable organization that funds innovative educational initiatives. He is a Board Member of the Capital Region Sponsor A Scholar, Inc, a charitable organization that connects promising students with the mentors, resources and opportunities that help them earn college degrees. He is also a member of the  Albany City School District Hall of Fame.

Mr. Dunn has coached youth sports teams in multiple sports at  multiple levels for many years.  

Mr. Dunn was a mayoral appointee to the City of Albany Human  Rights Commission from 2015 through 2018.

Lecturer/Panelist

Mr. Dunn frequently lecturers on labor and employment law matters including:

Employment Litigation from a Plaintiff’s Attorney’s Perspective; How to Contest a Citation from OSHA; Litigating Employee Benefit Claims; Why Unions Do What They Do; Discharge and Documentation; Benefits for the Injured Deputy Sheriff; Discipline Procedure under Section 75 of the Civil Service Law; How to Prepare and Prove a Damage Claim; Sexual Harassment Claims; Examination of Expert Witnesses; Basic Wage and Hour Law in New York; States’ Rights Revisited; Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Public Sector: Building Bridges to the Future Application of ADR in Public Settings; Employment Litigation from a Plaintiff’s Attorney’s Perspective; The Rights of Injured Police Officers under General Municipal Law §207-c; Representing Injured and Disabled Public Employees Under the General Municipal Law, New York Retirement and Social Security Law, Civil Service Law and Other Related Federal and State Statutes; Dealing with Workplace Disabilities; Conducting Effective Depositions; Trying the Employment Discrimination Case before A Jury; Discovery Tactics in Employment Law Litigation; Best Practices: Collective Bargaining and Impasse Resolution; Employment Arbitration and Labor Arbitration Comparisons, Contrasts and Concerns; Special Procedural Rules for Employment Litigation with a Public Employer; Understanding the Implications of Employment Discrimination Cases from Both the Plaintiff’s and Employer’s Points of View; Direct and Cross Examination of Experts in Disability Cases; How to Use an Expert to Prove Damages in an Employment Related Case; Negotiating and Drafting Severance and Settlement Agreements; Hiring, Firing, Evaluation and Discipline in a Law Firm Setting; What’s New With Police and Fire Disability Statutes; Discovery Tactics in Employment Litigation; Discipline in Unique Cases; The Second Circuit Rules on the Taxability of Attorneys Fees; The Decision Making Process: The Executive Session/The Award; Drafting and Negotiating Employee Separation Agreements; How to Examine the Human Resource Director in an Employment Related Case; Common Law Theories in Non-Compete Litigation; Statutory Preemption of Disciplinary Issues in the Public Sector; Evaluation, Discipline and Termination; Litigation Tactics in Covenant Not To Compete Litigation; Human Resources in the Modern Age: A 50 Year Retrospective; Hot Topics before PERB and OCB; Representing a Public Employee under New York State Law; and Best Practices in Interest Arbitration.

Leading-Plaintiff-Employment-Lawyers-2019
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GDWO is committed to providing excellence in legal representation.

Located in New York's capital – Albany, our highly skilled and experienced attorneys are admitted to all state and federal courts in New York, as well as Connecticut, and the United States Supreme Court. We have the experience, knowledge and integrity to represent our clients in a competent, vigorous and professional manner.

Client success is our mission.