Douglas R. Sweeney
Associate
Overview
Doug Sweeney is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston office and a member of the firm's Labor, Employment and Benefits Group and Education Team. Mr. Sweeney's practice focuses on assisting private, public, educational and nonprofit employers with all aspects of labor and employment law and related litigation, as well as advising public and private educational institutions on a broad range of matters.
Mr. Sweeney defends employers from allegations of discrimination (including pay equity claims), retaliation, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour violations, and contract disputes in state and federal court, as well as before federal, state and local administrative agencies. He also litigates restrictive covenants, such as non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. He has extensive experience conducting internal investigations regarding allegations of sexual misconduct, as well as employment and compliance matters, for educational institutions and private employers.
In addition to his litigation practice, Mr. Sweeney regularly counsels employers on a wide range of workplace issues, including terminations, hirings, employee handbooks, leave policies, pay equity and compliance with federal, state and local laws. He also focuses much of his practice on advising employers on the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Act.
In his education practice, Mr. Sweeney advises public and private educational institutions on a variety of issues, including reports of Title IX sex discrimination and sexual misconduct, student privacy issues, student conduct, student discipline, tenure disputes, faculty governance, policies and handbooks, and regulatory issues.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Sweeney was a litigation attorney at a national law firm in its Boston office. Previously, he was a law clerk for the Honorable David A. Lowy of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. During law school, Mr. Sweeney served as editor-in-chief of the Suffolk University Law Review and was class valedictorian.
Representative Experience
- Won complete summary judgment for a higher educational institution in federal court against a former professor who alleged gender discrimination and retaliation
- Won a broad preliminary injunction enjoining former employees from soliciting and servicing clients of a former employer
- Defended a higher educational institution against allegations of disability discrimination in front of a federal agency, resulting in the agency declining to further pursue investigation
- Assisted a nonprofit institution in avoiding litigation after a high-level employee raised a pay equity claim
- Represented a financial institution in summary judgment proceedings involving unfair business practices and unfair debt collection claims
- Assisted in guiding a healthcare company through internal investigation into harassment claims brought by former employee
- Defended a nonprofit lending institution against claims alleging breach of contract and unfair trade practice
- Assisted in the representation of a national retail chain in federal antitrust investigation
- Defended an educational institution against unfair trade practices and breach of contract claims
- Part of a team that conducted an independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct at a private secondary school
Credentials
- Suffolk University Law School, J.D., summa cum laude
- Washington and Lee University, B.A., Journalism and History
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- The Best Lawyers in America guide, Ones to Watch, Boston Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2020-2021, 2023, 2024