Luke P. Wright

Drawing on his wealth of experience and passion for problem-solving, Luke works closely with executives, human resources officers, and in-house counsel to create solutions that will achieve desired outcomes and minimize risk. Luke’s clients rely on his expertise and his friendly, relaxed demeanor to counsel them through a range of labor and employment issues, including management of family and medical leave and accommodation issues, navigation of difficult separations and transitions, and development of employment policies and programs that ensure compliance with applicable laws and avoid potential issues down the road.

Where litigation cannot be avoided, Luke represents employers in agency charges as well as in federal and state labor and employment litigation, including cases involving allegations of discrimination or harassment, wage and hour law compliance, non-competition agreements, family and medical leave issues, and the National Labor Relations Act.

Luke regularly speaks to professional, civic, and employer groups regarding recent developments in employment law. He has also been a contributing editor of the cumulative supplements of the American Bar Association’s treatise, The Fair Labor Standards Act, and West Publishing’s treatise, Advising Small Businesses. He contributes regularly to HSE’s Labor and Employment Blog.

PROFESSIONAL & CIVIC AFFILIATIONS

• Member, Board of Directors, Fairport Baptist Homes Caring Ministries Foundation
• Trustee, First Presbyterian Church of Pittsford
• Volunteer Coach, Brighton Youth Soccer

HONORS & AWARDS

• Selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2016
• Recipient, “Up and Coming Attorneys” Award, The Daily Record, June 2016
• ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor and Employment Law

NEWS

• Featured in, "Federal COVID Vaccination Regulations Likely to be Challenged," Rochester Business Journal, November 5, 2021
• Featured in, "NY’s Paid Family Leave to Include Care for Siblings Starting in 2023," Rochester Business Journal, November 5, 2021
• Featured in, "Private Employers Rush to Prepare for Vaccine Mandate," The Buffalo News, November 4, 2021
• Featured in, "Many Employers Caught Between the Vaccine and a Hard Place," Rochester Business Journal, August 12, 2021
• Featured, "Remote Work Is Also a Matter of Diversity and Inclusion," Rochester Business Journal, June 23, 2020

Press Releases

• Luke P. Wright Appointed to Fairport Baptist Homes Foundation Board of Directors, January 14, 2020
• Harter Secrest & Emery Elects John W. Brill and Luke P. Wright Partners, January 1, 2019

PUBLICATIONS

• Author, "Twenty Years of the Americans With Disabilities Act: Lessons Learned From the EEOC’s Top 20 Significant ADA Victories," New Jersey Labor and Employment Law Quarterly, March 2011
• Author, "Court Says OSH Act Doesn’t Conflict with State Law Permitting Guns on Employer Property,” www.hrspotlight.com, April 2009

PRESENTATIONS

• "Legal Update 2022," Genesee Valley Chapter of Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), February 8, 2022
• "What OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard Means for Employers," Harter Secrest & Emery webinar, November 10, 2021
• "Mental Health and Substance Abuse Challenges in the Workplace: A Legal Perspective," Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor & Employment Law Breakfast Briefing Webinar Series, May 25, 2021
• "Insights on Recent COVID-19 Leave Guidance," Harter Secrest & Emery webinar, January 29, 2021
• "Preparing for NYS Paid Sick Leave Guidance Update," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Virtual Briefing, November 6, 2020

• "Preparing for NYS Paid Sick Leave," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Briefing, August 7, 2020

• "Returning to Work Considerations during COVID-19," Rochester Chamber of Commerce HR Professional Forum, May 19, 2020

• "Guidance for Employers on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic - Session Two," Harter Secrest & Emery webinar series, March 19, 2020

• "Supporting Caregivers for Better Engagement," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Briefing, October 18, 2019

• "Managing Performance, Conduct, Accommodation, and Leave Issues Simultaneously--It’s Complicated," Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 30, 2019
• "New York State Paid Family Leave - Asked and Answered: A Review of Real World Employer Questions, and Our Answers, Through the First Four Months of 2018," Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 26, 2018
• "NYS Paid Family Leave Update," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, February 21, 2018
• "New York State Paid Family Leave Update," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Senior HR Executive Forum for Small Companies, January 11, 2018
• "Encore: NYS Paid Family Leave in the Real World" webinar, Harter Secrest & Emery, December 7, 2017
• "NYS Paid Family Leave in the Real World" webinar, Harter Secrest & Emery, November 8, 2017
• "New York State’s Paid Family Leave Overview," National Electrical Contractors Association Rochester Chapter, October 24, 2017
• "NYS Paid Family Leave: Tools Employers Need to Prepare," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce HR Seminar, October 19, 2017
• "NYS Paid Family Leave: A Legal Perspective," Preparing for NYS Paid Family Leave seminar, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., September 14, 2017
• "Ready or Not…Here Comes New York State Paid Family Leave!" webinar, Harter Secrest & Emery, August 9, 2017
• "Preparing for New York State Paid Family Leave, What Employers Need to Know Now," webinar, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., August 8, 2017
• "Ready or Not: Here Comes Paid Family Leave," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Briefing, August 4, 2017
• "Ready or Not: Here Comes Paid Family Leave," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Briefing, July 21, 2017
• "New York Paid Family Leave," Corning Area Chamber of Commerce Employment & Labor Update, June 20, 2017
• "Preparing for the New York State Paid Family Leave Act," National Human Resources Association Rochester Affiliate program, June 13, 2017
• "NYS Paid Family Leave,” 2017 New York Employee Benefits Conference (NYEBC), June 8, 2017
• "New York State Paid Family Leave: What You Need to Know,” Rochester Chamber of Commerce Benefits Forum, April 27, 2017
• "Leaves of Absence in New York: FMLA and Paid Family Leave," POMCO webinar, April 11, 2017
• "The Final Countdown: Are you ready for New York’s Paid Family Leave Benefits Law?" Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 5, 2017
• “Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace: Protecting Your Employees from Discrimination While Protecting Your Workplace,” Harter Secrest & Emery’s Labor and Employment Law Conference, April 5, 2017
• "New Paid Family Leave Policy," Eyes on the Future, Greater Rochester Enterprise, March 2017
• "Preparing for New York Paid Family Leave," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Briefing, March 17, 2017
• "NYS Paid Family Leave Law," Upstate New York College Collaboration (UNYCC) HR Group, February 28, 2017
• "FMLA & ADA pitfalls to avoid for employees receiving workers’ compensation or disability benefits," and "Preparing for NYS Paid Family Leave," POMCO – Risk Management’s Annual Workers’ Compensation Seminars, October 18 & 20, 2016
• RADA Controller Series, Rochester Automobile Dealers' Association, August 17, 2016
• "New York Paid Family Leave Benefits," Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce Friday HR Briefing, June 17, 2016
• "Interplay of Benefits Programs (Light Duty FMLA, STD, LTD, UE - What’s the Mix?)," New York Self-Insurers Association Spring 2016 Workshop Program, June 9, 2016
• "New York Paid Family Leave Benefit Law," Harter Secrest & Emery Webinar, April 12, 2016
• "Managing Employee Leave Requests and Use," Corning Area Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Breakfast Briefings, March 15, 2016
• SHRM and the National Human Resource Association Annual Legal Update, Society of Human Resource Management Genesee Valley Chapter and the National Human Resource Association - Rochester Affiliate, February 9, 2016
• "FBB: Background Check Compliance Update," Rochester Business Alliance, August 21, 2015
• "Administering the Family and Medical Leave Act," Lorman Education Services, January 22, 2013