Terence E. Coles concentrates his practice in the areas of labor and employment law. His experience covers a range of issues, including collective bargaining, union representation, wage and hour issues, the First Amendment, and employment discrimination. He represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative tribunals, including the Massachusetts and National Labor Relations Boards and the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission, and arbitration tribunals, including the American Arbitration Association.

Mr. Coles has served as a lecturer on labor and employment law issues for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and various union-sponsored training workshops.

Major Cases

Patterson and the Woburn Fire Fighters Association, Local 971, v. City of Woburn, et al., --- F.Supp.2d ---, 2005 WL 602164 (D. Mass. 2005) (summary judgment in favor of fire fighter Stephen Patterson, finding that the City violated his 14th Amendment right to pre-termination notice and hearing and reinstating fire fighter Patterson to his position)

Bates v. MacKay and Town of Saugus, 321 F.Supp.2d 173 (D. Mass. 2004) (summary judgment in favor of Detective Dana Bates, finding that Town’s written reprimand violated Bates’ First Amendment right to speak publicly about recent disturbances at Town nightclubs)

Parolin v. City of Boston, 327 F.Supp.2d 101 (D. Mass. 2004) (summary judgment in favor of class of Boston police officers, finding that the City violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by improperly calculating overtime pay and awarding officers liquidated damages)

Parow, et al., v. City of Malden, et al., 100 F.Supp.2d 256 (D. Mass. 2004) (summary judgment in favor of Malden fire fighters, finding that the City violated the fire fighters’ First Amendment right to speak publicly about deficient staffing levels in the Fire Department)

Parow, et al., v. City of Malden, et al., 17 Mass.L.Rptr. 149 (Mass. Sup. Ct. 2003) (summary judgment in favor of class of Malden fire fighters, finding that the City violated the Massachusetts Weekly Payment of Wages Law)

In the News

Firefighter – Termination – Notice
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly| March 28, 2002

Judge Backs Fire Fighter Rights
Boston Globe | November 27, 2002

Education

• Northeastern Law School, J.D., 1994
• Princeton University, M.A., History, 1986
• Rutgers University, B.A., 1984

Professional Affiliations

• Member, National Lawyers Guild
• Member, AFL-CIO Lawyers Coordinating Committee

Bar and Court Admissions

• Member, Boston Bar Association
• Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
• Admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and the U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit

Terence E. Coles
Partner

617-367-7200, ext. 220
617-367-4820 (fax)
tcoles@prle.com

Practice Areas

Labor law, including collective bargaining, union representation, arbitration of labor matters, and administrative tribunals

Represents employees in employment discrimination, wage and hour, and First Amendment matters in state and federal courts, in arbitration, and before administrative tribunals

Staff Assistant

Jo Fletcher
jfletcher@prle.com