OUR TEAM
JAMES E. GOODLEY
MANAGING PARTNER
James E. Goodley founded Goodley Law LLC with one goal in mind: helping employees pursue their rights to wages and benefits. For approximately seven years prior to founding, James worked at a well-known union and workers’ rights firm in Philadelphia, representing workers in overtime, minimum wage and prevailing wage disputes, as well as representing union-sponsored benefit funds in ERISA litigation. Prior to that, James served as an Investigator at the United States Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) where he helped to enforce ERISA. During his time at EBSA, he also received his LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple University, Beasley School of Law.
In 2011, James received his Juris Doctorate from Catholic University, Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C., where he heavily focused his studies on labor, employment and benefits law, and served on the law school’s Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy. His article, “The Effect of Metropolitan Life v. Glenn on ERISA Benefit Denials: Time for the ‘Treating Physician Rule’" was published in the Journal in 2010. While attending law school, James also worked full time at the United States Patent and Trademark Office examining patent applications in the electronic circuits area. James received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Lehigh University in 2005.
LITIGATION
James’ litigation successes as lead or co-lead counsel include:
Vox Media, Inc. Wage and Hour Litigation, Nos. 17-cv-1791, 19-cv-160, 20-cv-1793 (D.D.C.) ($4 Million omnibus class/collective action settlement covering over 500 class members in three related independent contractor misclassification suits brought under the FLSA and California and New Jersey law);
United States ex rel. IBEW Local Union No. 98 v. Farfield Co., No. 5:09-cv-04230 (E.D. Pa.) (judgment of $2,488,474.62 on behalf of Relator and United States in False Claims Act lawsuit premised on Davis-Bacon Act wage violations; case currently under appeal).
Behrens v. MLB Advanced Media, L.P., No. 1:18-cv-03077 (S.D.N.Y.) ($1.4 Million class/collective action settlement under FLSA and New York Labor Law, for Plaintiff and a class of over 200 employees for whom Plaintiff alleged Defendant did not properly compensate for all overtime hours worked);
Keyes v. G.E.C. Restaurant Management & Design, et al., No. 2:18-cv-01115 (E.D. Pa.) ($400,000 settlement in FLSA/Pennsylvania Minimum Wage Act case, for Plaintiff and a class of over 140 restaurant employees for whom Plaintiff alleged Defendants did not properly compensate due to tip credit violations)
$337,000 settlement in FLSA arbitration on behalf of four emergency responders.
BAR & COURT ADMISSIONS
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
Supreme Court of New Jersey
Supreme Court of New York, Third Appellate Division
Court of Appeals of Maryland
Supreme Court of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
EDUCATION
Temple University, Beasley School of Law, Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy, 2013
Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, Juris Doctor, 2011
Lehigh University, Bachelor of Science (Electrical Engineering), 2005
2017-2021
