Renee Inomata
Partner
Phone
Renee Inomata helps companies and executives navigate complex employment laws so they can successfully achieve their employment goals and mitigate risks associated with employment issues. She advises clients on a wide range of high-level, complex employment-related matters, and solves sensitive employment situations with an understanding of the client’s culture, risk adversity, and business goals. Clients often rely on her as their outside employment counsel to address a variety of day-to-day workplace issues including disciplinary, discrimination, leave, and wage and hour issues. Renee also helps companies formulate best strategies for transitioning employees from competitor entities, minimizing risk in re-classifying workers, rolling out updated restrictive covenant agreements, revising and implementing bonus and commission plans.
Renee also advises companies on workplace policies, noncompetition, nonsolicitation, confidentiality, and executive retention agreements, as well as due diligence related to employment matters in corporate transactions. In addition, Renee represents executives with employment transitions and helps them evaluate employment options and compensation arrangements.
Prior to joining Casner & Edwards, Renee was the Chair of Burns & Levinson’s Employment Group, and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.
Honors & Awards
Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, "Community Service Award," 2023
The Best Lawyers in America – Employment Law - Management, 2015-2025
Thomson Reuters, “Stand-out Lawyer,” 2023-2024
Get Konnected, “Boston’s 50 Most Influential Asian-American Pacific Islanders,” 2023
Boston Magazine, "Top Lawyers" – Labor & Employment, 2022-2024
Massachusetts Super Lawyers – Labor & Employment, 2004, 2008-2024
Massachusetts Super Lawyers, Top 50 Women, 2023-2024
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, "Go To Employment Lawyer,” 2021
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, "Top Women of Law," 2017
Profiles in Diversity Journal, "Women to Watch," 2017
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
JD, Boston University School of Law
BS, Brown University
Experience
- Successfully guided client through acquisition of national commercial real estate group from competitor
- Navigated multiple rounds of large-scale U.S. layoffs for multinational energy research company
- Negotiated employment arrangements for management team of podcasting company in connection with acquisition
- Managed sensitive investigations of company and employee improper conduct
- Successfully guided Europe-based client through closure of U.S. operations
- Represents serial entrepreneur CEO client for over ten years, in transitions into and out of start-up entities
- Evaluates and advises employment opportunities for high level executive of publicly held pharmaceutical company
- Negotiates complex employment and separation arrangements for high-level executive for retail company
- Successfully resolved employee misappropriation of company property and trade secrets
- Chair, GBH Board of Advisors
- Member, American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Section
- Member, Boston Bar Association
- Member, Asian American Lawyers Association
- Member, Society of Human Resource Management
- Chair, Brown University President's Diversity Advisory Council
- Advisory Board Member, Babson College Center for Women's Entrepreneurship and Leadership WINLab Program
- Trustee, Boston Bar Foundation
- Co-chair, Nominating Committee of WGBH Board of Advisors; WGBH Board of Overseers
- Past Member, Women's Bar Association, Law Firm Advancement Committee
- Past Member, Board of Governors Member, Brown University Alumni Association
- Past Co-president, Brown Club of Boston
- Past Board Member, Harvard Square Business Association
- Past Chair, Massachusetts Asian American Commission
- Past Member, Asian American Commission Economic Development Committee
Publications
- "Families First Coronavirus Response Act Provides Paid Leave for COVID-19 Related Absences," Massachusetts Bar Association's Section Review, 2020
- "Biotech Investors, Board Aren't Liable for Ex-CEO's Pay," Quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2018
- "December 1 Overtime Final Rule on Hold," The In-House Advisor, 2016
- "Veterans Day: New Law Requires Time Off," Burns & Levinson Employment Law Update, 2016
- "Whistleblower Immunity Required Under Defend Trade Secrets Act," Burns & Levinson Employment Law Update, 2016
- "Trademarks: Law, Practice, and Current Issues," MCLE Intellectual Property Practice, 2016
Seminars
- Panelist, "Law & Policy Industry Talk," Leadership Brainery's Graduate School Summit, 2023
- Speaker, “Risks in Employment Law,” Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education’s (MCLE) High Tech and Emerging Tech Symposium, 2019
- Panelist, Babson Executive Education Women’s Leadership Program: From Opportunity to Action, 2019
