Ehrhardt, Sarah N.

Christopher R. O'Hara joined Todd & Weld LLP in early 1993 and became a partner in 1997. He is a member of the firm's Executive Management Committee. Mr. O'Hara's practice includes over two decades of experience in civil trials and appeals, particularly in complex commercial litigation and employment litigation.

Mr. O'Hara has significant experience in a broad range of commercial disputes. His practice areas include employment litigation, non-competition and trade secret cases, commission disputes, wage and hour cases, corporate governance cases, shareholder derivative litigation, white collar litigation, business torts, professional liability, and real estate disputes. He has extensive experience in state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies, including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). He has also arbitrated numerous claims before the American Arbitration Association and other private agencies.

Mr. O'Hara has been involved in several significant non-competition and non-solicitation decisions, including on behalf of Staples in a frequently cited decision for the Business Litigation Session in Massachusetts, W.B. Mason, et al. v. Staples, Inc., et al., 12 Mass. L. Rptr. No. 26, 603 (March 26, 2001)(van Gestel, J.)(successfully enforcing Staples non-competition agreement), as well as other notable decisions featured in the Massachusetts Bar's Annual Labor and Employment Law Conference, including Oxford Global Resources, Inc. v. Guerriero, et al., USDC (D. Mass. Dec. 30, 2003)(Woodlock, J.), Oxford Global Resources, Inc. v. Consolo, Business Litigation Session (Suffolk Superior Court, June 2003)(Botsford, J.) and Harvard Translations, Inc. v. Heuberger, Middlesex Superior Court (2001). He has also been featured in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly articles and is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education on the development of the law in this area.

Mr. O'Hara has also handled notable cases in the trial court and on appeal, including in corporate governance matters successfully defending a corporate director in Demoulas v. Demoulas Super Markets, Inc., et al., 18 Mass. L. Rptr. No. 6, 130 (August 23, 2004) (aff'd 66 Mass. App. Ct. 1118); in employment litigation, obtaining summary judgment on behalf of an employer in a case alleging discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation; and in 2006, along with Edward Foye, successfully obtaining a $1.77 million jury verdict, the 12th largest jury verdict of 2006 in Massachusetts, in Ophnet, Inc. v. Lamensdorf, (Essex Superior Court 2006), a complex commercial dispute involving claims of breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference and breach of fiduciary duty.

Mr. O'Hara has represented senior executives in the negotiation of their employment agreements and severance agreements in numerous industries. He advises companies in a variety of employment decisions from hiring to terminations, counseling on investigations, employment guides, policies and agreements, and matters concerning state and federal employment law. Mr. O'Hara has successfully represented employers in numerous industries in defending claims of sexual harassment, age, race, national origin, gender and handicap discrimination. He has also represented individuals in investigations by state and federal authorities, including SEC investigations, and U.S. Department of Justice inquiries. Mr. O'Hara has represented various professionals, including physicians before the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine, and other professionals before the Massachusetts Office of Professional Licensure.