Joseph M. Price

West Virginia

Robinson & McElwee PLLC
700 Virginia Street East
Suite 400
Charleston, WV 25301

Tel: 304-347-8306

Email: jmp@ramlaw.com
Web: www.ramlaw.com

During his 40 years of practice Mr. Price has served as lead counsel in numerous complex cases.  He regularly represents clients in sex, race, disability, religious, age and other employment discrimination cases before both the West Virginia Human Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and has defended discrimination cases before the OFCCP. He also represents clients in cases before the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration and the West Virginia Coal Mine Safety Board of Appeals, United States Department of Labor, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and other administrative agencies. Mr. Price regularly represents clients in the chemical, manufacturing, oil and natural gas, coal, timber, service and other industries. His practice includes representation of national clients as well as small and medium-sized entrepreneurial businesses.

Mr. Price has presented more than 100 arbitrations, defended employers in Fair Labor Standards Act class actions, state wage payment class actions, a significant ERISA class action, employee benefits cases, wage and hour claims, harassment litigation, “wrongful discharge” cases in both state and federal courts, and has acted as lead appellate counsel in matters before the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  While his practice encompasses all aspects of labor and employment law with a focus on administrative and trial court litigation he has also represented firm clients in complex personal injury, wrongful death, class actions and other “high risk” litigation.

Mr. Price also devotes a significant portion of his time to the negotiation of union labor agreements and related contracts, defense of Unfair Labor Practice charges, advising clients wishing to remain “union free,” conducting labor law compliance training for firm clients, and for 13 years taught federal labor law in the Masters of Industrial Relations degree program at Marshall University.  In the union free setting, he has negotiated numerous executive employment and departure agreements, severance agreements, compensation agreements and other employment related contracts.

Mr. Price is a mediator, fully trained by the West Virginia State Bar.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the WV Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, and serves as a member of the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Finance Committee and Human Resources Committee of HospiceCare, Inc., a nonprofit entity.

The modern workplace demands strict compliance with a vast array of ever-changing state and federal laws and regulations. It is essential to have as your partner highly qualified legal counsel who can guide you through the complex labor and employment law issues that often arise. Robinson & McElwee is uniquely equipped to fill that role.

Throughout our history, we have enjoyed a highly diversified and successful labor and employment law practice dedicated to ensuring that West Virginia employers, our clients, receive superior advice and counsel designed to prevent disruptive and expensive litigation. When litigation becomes an unfortunate reality, we have extensive experience in all aspects of labor and employment law.

Each of our labor and employment attorneys has gained broad, hands-on experience in the representation of West Virginia employers before various tribunals with jurisdiction over labor and employment cases. We routinely represent employers in all types of legal and human resource counseling and labor and employment litigation.

Because of the wide range of Labor & Employment matters Robinson & McElwee handles, a separate contact has been listed for each area.

Robinson & McElwee’s clientele is diverse, and we are routinely involved in handling a wide array of cases for West Virginia employers ranging from small businesses to multi-national corporations. We are careful to get to know each client and its business. At the forefront of all representation is a focus on the client’s objectives and the specific solution or strategy that will provide it with maximum value and benefit.

Robinson & McElwee’s practice is multifaceted and includes litigation, natural resources law, corporate law, labor and employment law, utility law, bankruptcy, commercial real estate development, environmental law, state and local taxation, estate planning and administration, commercial transactions, and government relations. Specific information about each of these Practice Areas is available elsewhere on this site.

For administrative purposes, the firm is organized into departments, and we continue to list those for the convenience of those accustomed to those typical law firm labels. Our five departments – Business Law, Energy & Environment, Government Relations, Labor & Employment, and Litigation – are oriented toward representation of the business community. Our clients include individuals, small businesses, and multi-national corporations.

Robinson & McElwee features an exceptional array of talent and experience to best serve the needs of our clients. Our more than 40 lawyers hold legal degrees from nearly 15 different law schools and come from varied backgrounds. Our lawyers are actively involved in their communities through a variety of civic, charitable, business, and political organizations.

Robinson & McElwee’s central offices in Charleston, West Virginia, were constructed in 2004. These offices feature a state of the art video and teleconferencing system, the latest wired and wireless data communication and electronic support system, guest offices for visiting clients, a conference room suite designed for mediation and arbitration, a conference room with seating for at least 50, which can accommodate more than 125 reception attendees, a computer training center to maintain the efficiency of staff and attorneys pertaining to the latest software developments, and excellent library facilities. The firm maintains offices in Clarksburg and Wheeling, West Virginia and Alliance, Ohio to service clients in the region.