Overview
Michelle De Oliveira is a shareholder of the firm and a member of the Employment Law Group.
A significant aspect of Michelle’s practice is devoted to providing businesses and human resources professionals with day-to-day employment law counsel and advice on issues such as, wage and hour, hiring practices, employee discipline, employee terminations, leaves of absence, allegations of discrimination or harassment, reasonable accommodation requests, and any other personnel-related issue that may arise.
Her practice also includes drafting and reviewing employee handbooks and policies, and conducting internal investigations in response to discrimination, harassment, or other employee misconduct allegations. Given Michelle’s keen eye for compliance and breadth of experience working with businesses to mitigate potential litigation-related risks when addressing personnel matters, Michelle often conducts trainings on issues such as discrimination and harassment prevention, as well as best management practices.
Michelle advises clients, both employers and individuals, on employment agreements, restrictive covenants, and separation agreements.
Though always poised to resolve matters outside of court, Michelle represents clients in litigation before state and federal courts, administrative agencies—including the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination—and other appropriate forums, and resolves matters through alternative dispute resolution when appropriate.
Michelle also maintains a general litigation practice, representing clients in commercial litigation matters. Business professionals appreciate Michelle’s analytical approach to understanding the facets to their business disputes.
A regular presenter at seminars and training sessions, Michelle frequently publishes articles on an array of employment-related topics, has co-authored a chapter for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education on Massachusetts’ independent contractor statute, and has been quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.
Associations & Organizations
- Associated Builders and Contractors Human Resources Committee
- Co-Chair (2023 – present)
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Co-Chair, Annual Labor & Employment Law Conference
- PMFL Working Group Member
- Chair, Labor & Employment Section Council (2021-2023)
- Vice Chair, Labor & Employment Section Council (2020-2021)
- Northeastern University School of Law's Alumni/ae Association Board of Directors
Honors & Awards
- Recognized as Top Labor & Employment attorney by Boston magazine (2024, 2025)
- Best Lawyers, Employment Law – Management (2022, 2025)
- Recognized as a Massachusetts Super Lawyer (2023-2025)
- Recognized as Massachusetts Super Lawyer Rising Star (2017-2022)
Publications
- Client Alert: What Employers Need To Know About I-9 Audits and Immigration Raids, (December 2025)
- Massachusetts Expands Earned Sick Time Law With Addition Of A New Qualifying Reason For Sick Time Use, (December 2024)
- Employers Must Make Separate And Additional Payments For Overtime And Hours Worked On Sundays To Commission-Based Employees, Or Risk Violating The Massachusetts Wage Act, (May 2024)
- The Massachusetts Independent Contractor Chapter, MCLE’s 5th Edition 2020, with 2022 Supplement of Massachusetts Employment Law, (March 2024)
- Quoted in Bloomberg Law, 'No Mercy' Ruling Leaves Employers Sweating Late Paychecks, (May 2023)
- OSHA’s Emergency Temporary Standard Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination Or Weekly Testing For Large Employers Shut Down, But First A Bumpy Rollercoaster Ride, Massachusetts Bar Association (April 2022)
- Employer Covid-19 Vaccine Mandates, Massachusetts Bar Association (April 2021)
Speaking Engagements
- ABC Massachusetts HR Committee, Massachusetts Paid Family & Medical Leave, Reasonable Accommodations, & More (January 2026)
- Moderated the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Update Panel during the MCLE's Annual Employment Conference (December 2025)
- Co-chaired a webinar for the Massachusetts Bar Association, entitled ICE Workplace Raids, I-9s & Best Practices: What You Need to Know (December 2025)
- MCLE webcast, Re: Hiring & Onboarding Best Practices (October 2025)
- Presented on the topic of Hot HR Topics to the Steel Fabricators of New England (October 2025)
- Led a panel for the Associated Subcontractors of Massachusetts on ICE Workplace Raids, I-9s, Employer Compliance & Best Practices: What You Need to Know (October 2025)
- MCLE webcast, Best Practices for Defining Job Descriptions (May 2025)
- Speaker: MCLE What Employers Can & Cannot Ask During the Lifecycle of the Employment Relationship (March 2025)
- ABC HR Committee, Case Scenarios To Get Us Thinking As We Dive Into 2025 (January 2025)
- MCLE, How to Analyze & Frame an Employment Case
- MCLE, Types of Employment Discrimination Cases
- ABC Massachusetts, HR Best Practices with Leaves of Absences, FMLA & PFML
- MCLE, Best Practices for Crafting & Negotiating Employment Agreements & Contracts
- COVID-19’s Everlasting Impact in the Workplace: Vaccine Mandates, Returning to the Office, Managing Remote Work, Reasonable Accommodations & Inter-jurisdictional Employers
- MCLE, What All Law Firm Managers Need to Know About Employment Law
- Post Covid-19 Employment Litigation is Coming. How Can Employers Avoid It?
- Marijuana in the Workplace
- Employment Law 101, Discrimination & Sexual Harassment
- HR & Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- Employer Considerations in the Midst of COVID-19
- Managing a Changing Workforce During COVID-19
- Complying with New DOL Guidelines
- COVID-19 and the Workplace: What Employers Should Know & Perspectives from the DOL and the AGO
