JOSEPH A. ERNST joined the firm’s Labor and Employment Department in 2011. He counsels and defends employers in all aspects of labor and employment law, including wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, and retaliation claims. Mr. Ernst also counsels employers with regard to wage and hour, disability, and leave issues as well as downsizing, employer successor liability, and dislocated worker notification issues. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Ernst worked in the Labor & Employment practice group of Carlsmith Ball LLP. Mr. Ernst is admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Hawai’i. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, with distinction, in Government and World Affairs from the University of Tampa. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Pittsburgh Journal of Technology Law and Policy.