Sharen Litwin
Partner
Contact Information
- Tel: 617-227-7031
Education
- B.A. 1972 Yeshiva University, magna cum laude
- M.A., History, 1973 Columbia University
- J.D. 1977 Boston University
Practice Areas
Attorney Profile
- Sharen Litwin concentrates her practice in employment law and litigation. She advises and represents employees and employers on a broad range of employment issues ranging from wrongful termination, employment discrimination, reasonable accommodations for a disability, retaliation, sexual harassment, wage violations and workplace privacy issues, to the interpretation and enforcement of employment contracts, rights to benefits arising under ERISA, noncompetion and nonsolicition agreements, nondisclosure obligations, retention agreements and change of control agreements.
- Ms. Litwin brings to this practice area extensive experience in litigation, representing both employers and employees before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, in state and federal courts and in arbitrations.
- At the same time, Ms. Litwin provides practical advice for resolving disputes, to keep them from escalating to litigation. She negotiates employment and severance agreements for both individuals and companies, including many “C” level executives in public and private companies. She also provides advice and training to businesses regarding their legal obligations and personnel practices and drafts personnel policies and manuals.
- Ms. Litwin formerly was a member of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. She has also served as an Assistant District Attorney and an Assistant United States Attorney.
- Ms. Litwin has participated in many continuing education programs on employment law topics for the Boston Bar Association (“BBA”), Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (“MCLE”) and other organizations, and she has published articles on employment law.
- Ms. Litwin has completed a certification course sponsored by the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination to conduct internal investigations and trainings on harassment and discrimination.
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
- New York
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
News
Ms. Litwin has been selected to be a speaker at the 15th Annual MCLE Employment Law Conference on December 14, 2012. She presented an update on Contract Law.
Speaking Engagements
- 17th Annual Employment Law Conference 2014 (When to Settle, Waivers That Work, and Other Thorny Issues When Settling, including the Medicare Secondary Payer Act), MCLE (December 5, 2014).
- 15th Annual Employment Law Conference 2012 (Contract Update), MCLE (December 14, 2012)
- Whistleblower & Retaliation Claims (Program Chair), Boston Bar Association (April 4, 2012)
- Employment Law Spotlight: Negotiating the Deal – Employment and Severance Agreements for Mid and Upper Level Executives (Program Chair and Speaker), Boston Bar Association (May 12, 2011)
- Amendment to the Personnel Records Statute, Boston Bar Association (October 5, 2010)
- Employee’s Right to Privacy in Their Use of Email and Internet in the Workplace, Boston Bar Association (June 7, 2010)
- 12th Annual MCLE Employment Law Conference (Legal Implications of Social Networking), MCLE (December 4, 2009)
- Prostate Cancer Symposium/Massachusetts Prostate Cancer Coalition/Lahey Clinic, Burlington, MA – Employees’ Rights in the Workplace, Lahey Clinic (October 5, 2009)
- Redefining Employment Relationships in a Recessionary Market, MCLE (October 1, 2009)
- Voidability of Release of Claims, Boston Bar Association (April 7, 2009)
- Litigation Wage & Hour Class/Collective Actions (Program Chair), Boston Bar Association (March 18, 2009)
- Handling Retaliation Cases – The Cutting Edge (Program Chair), Boston Bar Association (March 28, 2007)
- MCLE Employment Law Conference (Employees’ Right to Privacy), MCLE (December 1, 2006)
- Making and Breaking Severance and Settlement Agreements, Boston Bar Association (November 28, 2006)
- MCLE Employment Law Conference (MCAD Guidelines), MCLE (December 3, 2004)
- Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, Boston Bar Association (October 13, 2004)
- Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, MCLE (June 17, 2004)
- Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, Boston Bar Association (March 30, 2004)
- Goodridge v. Department of Public Health – Marriage of Same Sex Couples, MCLE (January 15, 2004)
- MCLE Employment Law Conference (Mole v. University of Massachusetts), MCLE (December 5, 2003)
- Mole v. University of Massachusetts, MCLE (September 30, 2003)
- Massachusetts Payment of Wages Act – Brown Bag, Boston Bar Association (October 29, 2002)
- Aftermath of September 11, 2001 (WARN Act), MCLE (December 18, 2001)
- Hot Topics in Employment Law, MCLE (2001)
- Continuing Violation – Brown Bag, Boston Bar Association (May 23, 2000)
- Americans with Disabilities Seminar, Boston Bar Association (May 25, 2000)
- Wrongful Termination Seminar, MCLE (January 2000)
Publications
- Sharen Litwin, Amy C. Mainelli Burke and Richard Loftus, “Common Law Tort Claims in the Employment Context,” – Chapter in MCLE’s Massachusetts Employment Law Book (MCLE, 4th Ed., 2015)
- Sharen Litwin and Richard Loftus, “Contract Law Update 2012” – 15th Annual Conference, Employment Law 2012 (MCLE)
- Sharen Litwin, Employees’ Right to Privacy in Their Use of E-mail and Internet in the Workplace (BBA, June 2010)
- Sharen Litwin, Employees’ Right to Privacy in the Workplace (MCLE, December 2006)
- Sharen Litwin, Mole v. University of Massachusetts: Pushing the Envelope on the Probative Value of Time-Barred Evidence in Discrimination, Retaliation and Harassment (MCLE, 2003)
- Sharen Litwin and Anne L. Josephson, “Severance Agreements: An Informal Checklist,” Employment Discrimination Law ’99 (MCLE, 1999)
Professional Affiliations
- Boston Bar Association, Co-Chair of Labor and Employment Section (2003-2005), Co-Chair of the Non-Compete and Trade Secrets Committee (present), and member of the Steering Committee for over 14 years
- Co-Chair of the 2008 Boston region’s American Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Student Trial Advocacy Competition
- Women’s Bar Association
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Massachusetts Employment Lawyers Association
Awards & Honors
- Selected for inclusion in the last 15th-30th Editions by The Best Lawyers in America – Labor and Employment and Employment Law Individuals (The Best Lawyers in America, August 2008-2024).
- Selected as one of the 50 Women Massachusetts Super Lawyers® by Super Lawyers Magazine (October, 2020 and October 2021).
- Tier 2 National and Tier 1 Metropolitan Boston ranking for Employment Law-Individuals and Litigation-Labor & Employment by all by U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” in 2022.
- Named as Super Lawyer® (since 2005)
- Ranked in 2021 as a Chambers USA Band 2 Attorney by Chambers USA in Labor and Employment-Mainly Plaintiffs Representation – Massachusetts
- Selected as one of the Top Women Attorneys in Massachusetts for Employment and Labor (Boston Magazine, April 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016-2018; 2020)
- Ranked in 2018 and 2019 as a Chambers Rated Attorney by Chambers USA in Labor and Employment-Mainly Plaintiffs Representation – Massachusetts
- Ranked in 2016 and 2017 as a Chambers USA Band 1 Attorney by Chambers USA in Labor and Employment-Mainly Plaintiffs Representation – Massachusetts
- Named to Boston Globe’s Top Rated Lawyers (2012)
- Inducted as a Fellow of the Litigation Council of America (2012)
- Recognized as a leader in the field of employment law by Chambers USA (2012)
- Holds an AV preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell
- University Fellowship, Columbia University
