About Attorney Pete Winebrake

Attorney Pete Winebrake has litigated hundreds of civil lawsuits in the United States District Courts and has recovered tens of millions of dollars for American workers and their families.

Mr. Winebrake has consistently been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” in the annual survey of Pennsylvania attorneys published in Philadelphia Magazine. In addition, the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating System has given Mr. Winebrake an “AV-Preeminent” ranking. This is the highest ranking available for a practicing attorney.

Some additional information concerning Mr. Winebrake’s background is described below.

Education and Professional Background:

Pete Winebrake is a 1988 graduate (magna cum laude) of Lehigh University and a 1991 graduate (cum laude) of Temple University School of Law, where he served as Managing Editor of the Temple Law Review.

Upon law school graduation, from September 1991 through August 1992, Mr. Winebrake served as a law clerk to Justice William R. Johnson of the New Hampshire Supreme Court.

From September 1992 through February 1997, Mr. Winebrake served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel at the New York City Law Department’s General Litigation Unit. In this capacity, he represented New York City agencies and officials in federal civil rights and employment lawsuits and other complex litigation.

In 1997, Mr. Winebrake joined the Philadelphia law firm of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP as a litigation associate. There, he worked on complex litigation matters in the federal and state courts.

In 1999, Mr. Winebrake returned to public service, joining the Philadelphia Law Department. In this capacity, he represented City agencies and officials, including former Mayor Edward Rendell, in high-profile and complex federal civil rights matters. In 2001, Mr. Winebrake was appointed Chief Deputy City Solicitor in charge of the Philadelphia Law Department’s Labor and Employment Unit. As the City’s chief labor and employment lawyer, Mr. Winebrake managed a staff of eleven attorneys and oversaw all municipal labor and employment matters for the City of Philadelphia.

In 2002, Mr. Winebrake joined the Philadelphia law firm of Trujillo Rodriguez & Richards, LLC. There, Mr. Winebrake litigated and resolved a wide variety of complex lawsuits arising under federal and state wage and hour, employment, and civil rights laws. In January 2007, Mr. Winebrake founded The Winebrake Law Firm. His Firm concentrates on Federal Court litigation seeking to vindicate the rights of workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and similar state wage and hour laws. These lawsuits are brought both as individual cases on behalf of one or more workers and as class/collective actions on behalf of large numbers of similarly situated workers.

Awards:

As stated above, Mr. Winebrake has consistently been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” in the annual survey of Pennsylvania attorneys published in Philadelphia Magazine. In addition, the Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating System has given Mr. Winebrake an “AV-Preeminent” ranking. This is the highest ranking available for a practicing attorney.

In 1996, the Bar Association of the City of New York presented Mr. Winebrake with its annual prize for outstanding achievement as a municipal lawyer.

In 2001, the Fraternal Order of Police presented Mr. Winebrake with an award in recognition of his unselfish commitment to law enforcement and the citizens of Philadelphia.

In 2005, the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition presented Mr. Winebrake with an award recognizing his tireless efforts fighting for the civil rights of Pennsylvania’s Latino community.

Lead Counsel Positions:

Numerous judges have designated Mr. Winebrake to serve as “Lead Counsel” or “Class Counsel” in complex wage and overtime class/collective action lawsuits. In particular, Mr. Winebrake has been designated to serve as Lead/Class Counsel in the following lawsuits: Gallagher v. Lackawanna County, 3:07-cv-00912-CCC (appointed by Judge Christopher C. Connor); Duval v. Tri County Access Company, Inc., 2:10-cv-00118-RCM (appointed by Magistrate Judge Robert C. Mitchell); Cotteta v. Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Index No. 002446 (July 2008 Term) (Phila. C.C.P.) (appointed by Judge Idee Fox); Herd, et al. v. Specialty Surfaces Int’l Inc., et al., 2:08-cv-01790-JCJ (E.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge J. Curtis Joyner); Miller, et al. v. Titanium Metals Corporation, 2:07-cv-04759-GP (E.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge Gene E.K. Pratter); Ray v. Krapf's Coaches, Inc., 2:08-cv-05097-DS (E.D. Pa.) (appointed by Magistrate Judge David Strawbridge); Weatherly v. Michael Foods, Inc., 8:08-cv-00153-JFB-TDT (D. Neb.) (appointed by Chief District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon); Banks v. New Vitae, Inc., 5:08-cv-04212-LS (E.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge Lawrence F. Stengel); Golpe v. The Wedge Medical Center, P.C., et al., 2:08-cv-04504-JF (E.D. Pa.) (appointed by Senior Judge John P. Fullam); Vanston v. Maxis Health System, et al., No. 05155 (June 2008 Term) (appointed by Judge Idee Fox); In re Cargill Meat Solutions Corporation Wage and Hour Litigation, 3:06-cv-00513-WJN (M.D. Pa.) (appointed by Senior Judge William J. Nealon); Gallagher v. Bayada Nurses, Inc., Index No. 000392 (October 2007 Term) (Phila. C.C.P.) (appointed by Judge Idee Fox); Dunn v. National Beef Packing Company, LLC, 4:07-cv-01599-JEJ (M.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge John E. Jones, III); Malec v. Kost Tire & Muffler, et al., 3:07-cv-00864-ARC (M.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge A. Richard Caputo); Diehl, et al. v. Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc., 3:06-cv-01464-ARC (appointed by Judge A. Richard Caputo); Evans v. Lowe’s Home Centers, Inc., 3:03-cv-00438-ARC (M.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge A. Richard Caputo); Sisko v. Wegman’s Food Markets, Inc., 3:06-cv-00433-JMM (appointed by Judge James M. Munley); Otto v. Pocono Health System, 4:06-cv-01186-JEJ (M.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge John E. Jones, III); Rodriguez-Fargas v. Hatfield Quality Meats, Inc., 2:06-cv-01206-LS (E.D. Pa.) (appointed by Judge Lawrence F. Stengel). Mr. Winebrake also has been appointed to lead counsel positions in other types of complex class actions. See, e.g., Negron v. Bethlehem Area Sch. Dist., 2:06-cv-00666-LDD (E.D. Pa.) (appointed lead counsel on June 30, 2008 by Judge Legrome D. Davis in federal Voting Rights Act class action).

Other:

Peter Winebrake has been appointed by the Federal Court to serve on the Mediation Panel of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Winebrake has lectured on employment law in various forums, including: the 2006 Workplace Injury Litigation Group (“WILG”) conference in Orlando, Florida; the 2005 ATLA Convention in Toronto, Canada: the Philadelphia Law Department’s continuing legal education program; the Temple School of Law; the University of Pennsylvania School of Law; and the Pennsylvania Bar Institute.

Mr. Winebrake has published articles in various publications, including the Temple Law Review, the Detroit College of Law Review, and the Pennsylvania Township News.