Overview

For over 30 years, Edward T. Ellis has defended employers in age, race, sex and disability lawsuits; whistleblower actions; and trade secret and noncompete matters. Ed has tried more than 40 cases to verdict before juries and has represented clients at hundreds of bench trials, arbitrations and administrative proceedings. He has tried federal and state court cases involving:

  • The Sarbanes-Oxley Act
  • Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
  • The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
  • The Americans With Disabilities Act
  • The New Jersey Conscientious Employee Protection Act
  • The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

He also has extensive knowledge of common law wrongful discharge cases, as well as ERISA litigation. His comprehensive range of trial experience includes appearing before federal and state courts across the country, as well as handling, and winning, the first case tried in the federal court system on Court TV.

He previously served as the Co-Chair of Littler’s Whistleblowing, Compliance and Investigations Practice Group.

Prior to entering private practice in 1988, Ed spent five and a half years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. There, he handled district court and appellate civil litigation involving the United States and its agencies with a concentration in:

  • Labor matters
  • Employment discrimination cases
  • Procurement fraud
  • Government contract issues

Ed also was a staff attorney with the United States Department of Labor Office of the Regional Solicitor in Philadelphia.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Labor and Employment Section

American Bar Association

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2007-2025

Named, Lawyer of the Year, Qui Tam Law

Philadelphia, PA

The Best Lawyers in America©

2018, 2024

Awarded, AV® Peer Review Rating

Martindale-Hubbell

News, Analysis & Press

Court shifts vaccine choice back to employers

Business Insurance

February 1, 2022

False Claims Act Retaliation in 2021

Littler Report

July 26, 2021

Whistle-Blower Who Delayed Gets Reduced $325K Reward

Bloomberg BNA Securities Law Daily

November 5, 2015

Whistleblower Ruling Headed to High Court?

Business Insurance

October 25, 2015

Survey Roundup: Whistleblower Awards Concern Executives

The Wall Street Journal

July 31, 2015

Where the human resource worries reside

Fleet Owner

July 17, 2015

A Low Note for Whistleblowers at the Second Circuit

Corporate Counsel

August 19, 2014

Court: Fund Whistleblowers Shielded By SOX

Fund Action

March 10, 2014

High Court Extends Employee Whistle-blower Protections

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

March 5, 2014

Justices Expand Corporate Whistleblower Protection

National Law Journal

March 4, 2014

Doral Ruling Shows SOX's Teeth Getting Sharper

Law360.com

February 24, 2014

Supreme Court decisions may affect compliance

Corporate Secretary

December 30, 2013

Whistle-blower tips, complaints increase 7.9% in 2013: SEC

Business Insurance

November 19, 2013

Deciding whistleblower law's limits

Corporate Secretary

November 18, 2013

SEC Whistleblower Program Gaining Momentum

Law360.com

November 18, 2013

Fired for being too old? Know your rights

Yahoo! Finance

October 9, 2012

What's with all the commotion at the SEC?

Corporate Secretary

August 22, 2012

SEC issues $50,000 in first whistleblower award

InsideCounsel

August 22, 2012

Protecting Whistleblowers

Human Resource Executive Online

November 17, 2011

Whistleblower Office Received 334 Tips Since Start of Operations, SEC Report Says

BNA Securities Regulation & Law Report

November 17, 2011

Hear the Whistle Blow: Is Your Company Prepared?

Bloomberg Law Reports

November 14, 2011

Protection of Intangible Assets: Trade Secrets in the Age of Federal Computer Legislation

2002 ALI-ABA Course Materials Journal

2002

Current Developments in the Law of Retaliation

2000 ALI-ABA Course Materials Journal

2000

Racial Harassment and How Employers Try to Prevent It

1998 ALI-ABA Course Materials Journal

1998

Employee Use of Surreptitious Tape Recordings to Gather Evidence for an Employment Lawsuit", 1

1996 ALI-ABA Course Materials Journal

1996

Books & Book Chapters

  • ABA Section of Litigation, Employment Litigation Handbook, chapter editor, 2010

Speaking Engagements

Impact of the False Claims Act in the Era of COVID-19

August 5, 2020

Healthcare Employers: Minimizing Your Legal Risk for Whistleblower Claims Under the False Claims Act

March 31, 2020

Healthcare Industry Group: A Roundtable Discussion

Atlanta, GA

April 18, 2019

Healthcare Employers: Minimizing Your Legal Risk for Whistleblower Claims under the False Claims Act

April 16, 2019

2019 Philadelphia Regional Employer Conference

Philadelphia, PA

April 2, 2019

The Purloined Letter: An Employer’s Rights and Remedies When a Whistleblower Steals Confidential Information

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 4, 2018

What Turns an Employee into a Whistleblower and Are Whistleblowers Good for an Organization?

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

May 11, 2017

Financial Services and Corporate Compliance

New York, NY

November 30, 2016

Littler’s 6th Annual Brewers Briefing 2016

Milwaukee, WI

September 7, 2016

Healthcare Industry Roundtable

The 2016 Executive Employer® Conference, Scottsdale, AZ

May 6, 2016

The Role of HR Professionals in Investigating Compliance and Whistleblower Claims

The 2016 Executive Employer® Conference

May 5, 2016

Corporate Compliance & Financial Services Update

New York, NY

November 19, 2015

2015 Whistleblower Update "Speaking Up" Gets Louder

May 19, 2015

Emerging Issues in Whistleblower Law

21st Annual Advanced Course Webinar - The American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education Group (ALI CLE)

July 26, 2014

Settlement of Employment Cases: The Hot Button Issues

21st Annual Advanced Course Webinar - The American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education Group (ALI CLE)

July 25, 2014

Recurring Discovery and Evidence Issues in Employment Cases

21st Annual Advanced Course Webinar - The American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education Group (ALI CLE)

July 25, 2014

Practical Tips to Handle Departing Employees in a Digital Age

21st Annual Advanced Course Webinar - The American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education Group (ALI CLE)

July 25, 2014

New Challenges Avoiding Claims of Age Discrimination: How Generation X Bosses Manage an Aging Workforce

June 18, 2014

2014 Whistleblowing & Retaliation Update

Association of Corporate Counsel, Philadelphia Chapter

April 3, 2014

2014 Whistleblowing & Retaliation Update

January 29, 2014

Strategies for Dealing with the Whistleblower

Tysons Corner, VA

April 30, 2013

Strategies for Dealing with the Whistleblower

Chicago, IL

December 6, 2012

What Every Multinational Should Know About Bounty Hunters and Whistleblowers

Global Employer Institute

Littler Mendelson, Washington D.C.

November 8, 2012

Conducting Lawful Investigations: An Interactive Program for Internal Investigators

Philadelphia, PA

October 30, 2012

Emerging Issues in Retaliation and Whistleblower Law

19th Annual Advanced CLE - American Law Institute (ALI-ABA), Santa Fe, NM

July 28, 2012

Recurring Evidence Issues in Employment Cases

19th Annual Advanced CLE - American Law Institute (ALI-ABA), Santa Fe, NM

July 27, 2012

Non-Compete, Non-Solicitation, and Trade Secret Developments

19th Annual Advanced CLE - American Law Institute (ALI-ABA), Santa Fe, NM

July 27, 2012

Retaliation & Whistleblowing Workshop

The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference

Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ

May 9, 2012

Current Developments In Employment Law

18th Annual Advanced CLE - American Law Institute (ALI-ABA)

July 28-30, 2011

Deposing The Expert Witness -- The New Rules

Pennsylvania Bar Institute

April 28, 2011

The Rising Tide of Retaliation and Whistleblower Claims

March 15, 2011

Education

  • J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1976
  • B.A., University of Notre Dame, 1973

Bar Admission

Pennsylvania

Courts

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
  • Pennsylvania Supreme Court
  • New Jersey Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey