Natalie F. (Hrubos) Bare

Partner

  • Natalie F. (Hrubos) Bare
  • Phone: +1 215 979 1962

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  • Duane Morris LLP
    30 South 17th Street
    Philadelphia, PA 19103-4196
    USA

Natalie F. (Hrubos) Bare is a workplace class action and employment law litigator. She focuses her practice on representing companies in complex wage and hour litigation and other high-stakes class action cases. She has nearly 15 years of experience managing all phases of class action litigation from inception through resolution, including at trial. Natalie has defended some of the nation’s largest employers against class and collective claims involving hundreds of thousands of employees. Her accomplishments include prevailing on dispositive motions, defeating class certification at trial, obtaining arbitration awards denying wage claims and successfully resolving class action litigation on an individual plaintiff basis.

Natalie also advises clients on employment law compliance and class action avoidance. Wage and hour compliance is an area of particular focus, including on issues related to worker classification, compensation structures, timekeeping practices, predictability pay, meal breaks, donning and doffing, and other compensable time issues. Natalie also assists employers in conducting internal audits related to wage and hour and other employment practices and in responding to agency investigations into wage and hour policies and practices.

Natalie is an experienced trainer with Duane Morris Institute, which provides training for human resource professionals, in-house counsel, benefits administrators and managers on myriad employment, labor, benefits and immigration matters. Natalie regularly instructs courses on wage and hour law, class action defense and diversity, equity and inclusion topics.

Areas of Practice

  • Wage and Hour Class and Collective Action Litigation
  • Complex Employment Litigation and Arbitration
  • Wage and Hour Compliance
  • Class Action Avoidance
  • Employment Law Training

Representative Matters

  • Represent global retailer in complex wage and hour litigation in jurisdictions across the country including defense of wage statement, final pay, predictability pay, meal break, and other off-the-clock claims.

  • Represented global retailer in obtaining dismissal with prejudice of six of nine causes of action in a putative class action filed by a former employee alleging violations of California labor laws, including meal and rest break claims, minimum wage and overtime claims, claims for waiting time penalties, claims for penalties under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), and derivative claims under the Unfair Competition Law (UCL); this decision substantially reduced the client’s exposure in the case by hundreds of millions of dollars and led to resolution of the matter on an individual basis.

  • Represented two national telecommunication companies in various multi-plaintiff wage and hour litigation matters involving alleged violations of the FLSA.

  • Represented national cosmetology school in Rule 23 consumer class actions involving alleged violations of Pennsylvania and New Jersey consumer protection statutes, as well as purported claims for breach of implied contract, and unjust enrichment/disgorgement.

  • Represented national cosmetology school in matter involving purported nationwide FLSA collective action and multiple Rule 23 state wage and hour law class actions in which students alleged the school owed them wages for time spent in class.

  • Represented international spa company in purported Connecticut wage and hour class and collective action arbitration in which personal service employees asserted multiple causes of action for alleged unpaid wages, including commissions, tips and overtime premium payments; successfully negotiated stipulation for consolidated mediation and arbitration of individual claims of opt-in claimants and achieved voluntary dismissal with prejudice of class allegations.

  • Represented two diners in New York state wage and hour class and collective action in which seven named plaintiffs allege multiple federal and state wage law violations, including unpaid minimum wages, overtime premium payments, and spread of hours payments.

  • Represented restaurant in New York state wage and hour class action in which three restaurant workers alleged failure to pay minimum wages, overtime premium payments, and spread of hours payments; class and collective allegations voluntarily dismissed and individual claims of three named plaintiffs settled on terms favorable to employer.

  • Represented professional staffing services firm in purported nationwide collective action in which financial services industry workers alleged they were misclassified as exempt administrative and/or executive employees in violation of the FLSA; named and purported opt-in plaintiffs stipulated to consolidated mediation and arbitration and individual claims of the plaintiffs settled at mediation on terms favorable to employer.

Admissions

  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Education

  • Temple University Beasley School of Law, J.D., 2009
    - Editor-in-Chief, Temple Political & Civil Rights Law Review
  • The Pennsylvania State University, B.A., 2006

Professional Activities

  • International Warehouse and Logistics Association
  • Greater Atlantic City Chamber 
  • Atlantic County Bar Association

Honors and Awards

  • Repeatedly recognized by Super Lawyers as a “Rising Star”
  • Named one of Pennsylvania's Lawyers on the Fast Track by The Legal Intelligencer
  • Craig M. Perry Community Service Award, Philadelphia Bar Association, 2011
  • Sara Weaver Volunteer of the Year Award, Equality Advocates Pennsylvania, 2009

No aspect of these rankings has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Further information on methodologies is available via these links.

Selected Publications

Selected Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, "Top Ten Wage and Hour Differences for Pennsylvania Employers," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar, March 26, 2024
  • Speaker, "More Factors to Factor In: An Employer’s Guide to the DOL’s Final Independent Contractor Rule," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar, February 26, 2024
  • Speaker, "Compensable Time Traps for Employers Under the FLSA: Determining Integral and Indispensable Activities," Strafford Webinar, November 29, 2023
  • Speaker, "Level Up to the New Salary Level Part 2: Deep Dive on Job Duties," September 21, 2023
  • Speaker, "Level Up to the New Salary Level Part 1: Employer Roadmap to the DOL’s Proposed Overtime Rule," September 12, 2023
  • Speaker, "Transgender and Non-Binary Employees: Inclusive Workplace Strategies Amidst Public Polarization," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar, September 12, 2023
  • Speaker, "Words Matter: Tips for Finding the 'Right' Words in Challenging Workplace Conversations," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar, August 3, 2023
  • Speaker, "Words Matter: Tips for Finding the 'Right' Words in Challenging Workplace Conversations," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar, August 9, 2022
  • Speaker, "Wage and Hour Class Actions to Conclusions," Duane Morris ELBI Practice Group Training, March 16, 2022
  • Speaker, "Words Matter: Tips for Finding the 'Right' Words in Challenging Workplace Conversations," Duane Morris Institute (DMi), Webinar, June 17, 2021

  • Presenter, "Wage and Hour Quicksand for Manufacturers of Consumer and Packaged Goods," Duane Morris Institute (DMi) Webinar, September 24, 2019

  • Co-presenter, "Comprehensive Legal Update for Schools," Pennsylvania Association for Private School Administrators Annual Conference, July 24, 2019

  • Co-presenter, "Executive Responsibilities in Creating a  Respectful, Safe &  Productive Workplace," Safety Respect Equity Coalition, May 16, 2019

  • Speaker, "Words Matter: Tips for Finding the ‘Right’ Words in Challenging Workplace Conversations,"  Montgomery County Community College, Professional Development Week, Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, June 26, 2019

  • Speaker, "Wage and Hour Law Developments," Duane Morris' Developments in Workplace Law and Practice, Philadelphia, May 7, 2019

  • Presenter, "Words Matter: Tips for Finding the “Right” Words in Challenging Workplace Conversations," Duane Morris Institute Webinar, April 3, 2019

  • Speaker, "Defense of FLSA and Rule 23 Wage and Hour Class Actions," Duane Morris ELBI Practice Group Training, February 21, 2018
  • Speaker, "Preparing Managerial Witnesses for Deposition in a Joint Employment Case," Duane Morris ELBI Practice Group Training, June 26, 2017
  • Speaker, "Classifying Workers - Employee or Independent Contractor? A Complicated Decision," Philadelphia Bar Association, Philadelphia, June 23, 2017

  • Speaker, "Top Five Mistakes Hindering Your Performance Appraisal Process," Duane Morris’ Developments in Workplace Law and Practice, Philadelphia, May 3, 2017

  • Speaker, Duane Morris' Developments in Workplace Law and Practice 2015, Philadelphia, May 14, 2015
  • Presenter, "Systemic Approach to Combating Harassment" Duane Morris Institute Seminar, May 7, 2014
  • Presenter, "Workplace Bullying 101: You Might Have A Bully If..." Duane Morris Institute Seminar, May 7, 2014
  • Presenter, "Not In My Workplace! Preventing and Correcting Harassment," Duane Morris Institute Seminar, November 14, 2013
  • Presenter, "Cutting Edge LGBT Workplace Issues," Duane Morris Institute Seminar, November 6, 2013
  • Presenter, "Updates on Equal Employment Opportunity Law and Practices," 2013 EEOC Philadelphia Training Institute Seminar," Philadelphia, September 16, 2013
  • Co-presenter, "Wage-and-Hour Issues You Didn't Know You Had," Duane Morris' Developments in Workplace Law and Practice Seminar, Philadelphia, May 22, 2013
  • Presenter, "Not In My Workplace! Preventing and Correcting Harassment," Duane Morris Institute Seminar, Philadelphia, April 30, 2013
  • Presenter, "Harassment in the Workplace: Trans/Gender Focus," Duane Morris Institute Webinar, February 28, 2013
  • Panelist, "Best Practices: Finding the Way Forward," Bullying: Redefining Boundaries, Responsibility and Harm Conference, Temple University School of Law, February 23, 2013
  • Presenter, "Wage and Hour Law Essentials for Hospitality Industry Employers," Pennsylvania Restaurant & Lodging Association Webinar, January 22, 2013