Overview

Matthew W. Kurlinski advises and represents employers in a broad range of employment law matters arising under state and federal law, including claims involving:

  • The Wisconsin Fair Employment Act
  • Wisconsin’s Statute Regulating Restrictive Covenants in Employment Contracts
  • The Wisconsin Business Closing and Mass Layoff Notification Law
  • Title VII
  • The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
  • The Family and Medical Leave Act

Additionally, Matt regularly counsels clients on such issues as:

  • Employment terminations and disciplinary actions
  • Discrimination and harassment complaints
  • Unfair competition and trade secret protection
  • Workplace investigations
  • State and federal mass layoff and business closing notification requirements

Matt is a regular speaker at national and local conferences and presents on a wide range of employment-related issues including workplace investigations, advanced elicitation and interviewing skills, and tactics for assessing employee truthfulness.

Prior to joining Littler, Matt was an attorney in the labor and employment relations practice group at a large regional law firm. In addition, he spent almost ten years with the U.S. federal government working predominantly overseas in a variety of roles related to national security and transnational issues. In law school, he was the executive notes editor of the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member, Board of Directors

College Possible Milwaukee

2009-2020

Member

American Bar Association

Member

State Bar of Wisconsin

Member

Milwaukee Bar Association

Member

Ohio State Bar Association

Member

Labor and Employment Relations Association, Wisconsin Chapter

Volunteer

The Milwaukee Justice Center

Recognition

Recipient, Banks-Baldwin Clinical Program Award

Case Western Reserve University School of Law

News, Analysis & Press

Benefit of Counsel

SI Review

Staffing Industry Analysts

February 2012

Anything but Simple – Determining Contingents’ Exemption Status is Tricky Business

Contingent Workforce Strategies

Staffing Industry Analysts

Winter 2010

Legal Liability – Recent Cases Address Contingent Workforce Issues

Contingent Workforce Strategies

Staffing Industry Analysts

Spring 2010

Conducting Background Checks

Contingent Workforce Strategies

Staffing Industry Analysts

May/June 2009

Overtime for Temps

Contingent Workforce Strategies

Staffing Industry Analysts

March/April 2009

Coming Together

Contingent Workforce Strategies

Staffing Industry Analysts

January/February 2009

Clarifying Disability: New Legislation Expands the ADA’s Reach

Contingent Workforce Strategies

Staffing Industry Analysts

November/December 2008

Books & Book Chapters

  • Employment at Will: A State-by-State Survey, Labor and Employment Law Section - American Bar Association and Bloomberg BNA, Wisconsin, Chapter Co-Author, 2011

Speaking Engagements

Littler Summer Kickoff and Employment Law Update

Madison, WI

May 31, 2023

“Spy” Tactics: Advanced Elicitation and Interviewing Skills

2019 ACC Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ

October 28, 2019

Privacy Concerns in Today’s Technology-Based Workplace

2019 Wisconsin State SHRM Conference, Wisconsin Dells, WI

October 17, 2019

“Spy” Tactics 2 for Human Resources Professionals – Advanced Elicitation and Interviewing Skills

2018 Wisconsin State SHRM Conference, Wisconsin Dells, WI

October 11, 2018

Spy Tactics for HR Professionals: Advanced Elicitation and Interviewing Skills

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 4, 2018

Become a Human Lie Detector: Tactics for Assessing Employee Truthfulness

Milwaukee, WI

July 26, 2017

Become a Human Lie Detector: Tactics for Assessing Employee Truthfulness

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

May 12, 2017

The Interactive Process Under Wisconsin Law

2016 Wisconsin State SHRM Conference, Wisconsin Dells, WI

October 7, 2016

Becoming a Human Lie Detector: Tactics for Assessing Employee Truthfulness

Rocky Mountain Employer Conference

September 21, 2016

2016 Rocky Mountain Employer Conference

Denver, CO

September 21, 2016

Littler’s 6th Annual Brewers Briefing 2016

Milwaukee, WI

September 7, 2016

Become a Human Lie Detector: Tactics for Assessing Employee Truthfulness

The 2016 Executive Employer® Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

May 6, 2016

“Spy” Tactics for Human Resource Professionals-Assessing Employee Truthfulness

2014 Fall Conference - Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Administrators, Elkhart Lake, WI

November 2014

“Spy” Tactics for Human Resource Professionals-Assessing Employee Truthfulness

2014 State Conference - Wisconsin State Council SHRM, Madison, WI

October 2014

The Rewards and Costs of Enforcing Employee Non-Compete and Non-Solicitation Agreements

Annual Conference, Association of Corporate Counsel - Wisconsin Chapter, Elkhart Lake, WI

May 2013

The New Era of Hiring and Investigating Employees: What You Need to Know and When You Need to Know It

Association of Corporate Counsel, Milwaukee, WI

February 2013

Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims

Labor and Employment Relations Seminar, Milwaukee, WI

2012

Education

  • J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 1997
  • B.A., Miami University, 1994Phi Beta Kappa

Bar Admission

Wisconsin
Ohio

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Wisconsin