Five Rubin Rudman Attorneys Named to 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers

BOSTON, Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rubin Rudman is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Dretler and Elizabeth Sullivan, who co-chair the firm's Labor & Employment practice; partners Julayne Lazar and Christopher Wurster, and of counsel Denise Murphy have been selected for inclusion in the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers list. The guide recognizes the lawyers who are "the nation's best advisors on the world of employment and labor law – from employee benefits and executive compensation, to traditional labor matters, immigration, and all matter of litigation and arbitration."

Jeffrey Dretler has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in a wide range of matters and litigation involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour issues, the enforcement of non-competition agreements, and protection of trade secrets. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, Employment Law – Management (2018–2026); Boston Magazine's Top Lawyers List, Labor and Employment (2021-2024); and Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2013-2024). He has been named a Massachusetts Lawyer's Weekly Go To Employment Lawyer, is a Fellow in The College of Labor and Employment Lawyers, and is a member of the American Employment Law Council. He currently serves as an Advisory Board member on the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. He received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and his B.A. from Northwestern University.

Elizabeth Sullivan, who co-chairs the firm's Labor and Employment and Higher Education groups, brings nearly 20 years of experience in employment and labor law to her specialized higher education practice. She regularly represents employers in the negotiations and implementation of collective bargaining agreements and the defense of employment actions. She provides employers with advice on hiring and promotion, disciplinary action, performance management, internal investigations, and discrimination claims, and provides training for employers on wide-ranging employment matters. She also litigates labor and employment issues in arbitration and in many administrative agencies. She was named a Go To Higher Education Lawyer (2024) by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, Employment Law – Management (2023-2026) and Boston Magazine's Top Lawyers List (2021-2024). She is a member of Rubin Rudman's Executive Committee. She received her J.D. from the New England School of Law and her B.A. from John Hopkins University.

Julayne Lazar has over 25 years of experience representing employers in the public and private sectors in all aspects of the employment life cycle, from developing compliant HR processes and policies to helping clients find creative employment solutions to litigating complex labor and employment disputes. She also has a strong background in business and strives to assist her clients in meeting their organizations' goals, while minimizing risk with employment and labor issues. Before going into private practice, Lazar spent 11 years in increasingly important positions at several administrative agencies, including the Office of the Attorney General, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development, and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, which provides her with a unique perspective when representing clients before these agencies. Lazar also served as in-house employment and labor counsel to a unionized employer of nearly 10,000 employees. She was named a Go To Employment Lawyer (2025) by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. She received her J.D. from the New England School of Law and her B.S. from Bryant University.

Christopher Wurster focuses his practice on high-stakes employment litigation and corporate counseling on a wide range of employment matters including discrimination, whistleblower claims, wage disputes, defamation, and restrictive covenants. He has 15 years of experience in the law, with over a decade focusing on employment litigation, including trial experience, and has handled several high-profile employment law cases. He was recently selected for and participated in the American Bar Association Labor & Employment Trial Institute. Wurster was named a Boston Magazine Top Lawyer for three consecutive years. He earned his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and his B.A. from Columbia University.

Denise Murphy counsels regional and national businesses on a broad variety of employment law-related issues, ranging from individual terminations to mass reductions in force. She litigates sexual harassment claims and conducts independent, third-party investigations into allegations of sexual harassment and discriminatory practices, as well as conducing employee training seminars. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, and Litigation – Labor and Employment (2018-2026), Boston Magazine's Top Lawyer's list for Labor and Employment (2021-2024), and Massachusetts Super Lawyers (2008-2024). She is active in the Massachusetts Bar Association and is a past President of the organization (2020-2021). She is a founding Co-Chair of the SJC Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being (Appointed, January 2020), a former member of the SJC Judicial Task Force on Attorney Wellness, the former Co-Chair of Board of Bar Overseers Bar Counsel Search Committee, served on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association, and serves as a Mentoring Circle Leader at the Women's Bar Association. Murphy is the recipient of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly's Top Women in the Law Award (2019) and the Massachusetts Bar Association's President's Award and Centennial Award. She received her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School and her B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

About Rubin Rudman LLP
Founded over a century ago, Rubin Rudman is a full-service law firm with nearly 100 lawyers in Boston, Massachusetts. With a diverse mix of practices, Rubin Rudman serves national and international companies, including large public companies and closely held businesses; real estate developers; biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device makers; regulated industries, public entities and municipalities; insurance companies and their insureds; educational and other institutions; non-profit organizations; families and high net worth individuals. Web: www.rubinrudman.com.

Contact:
Amy Blumenthal
Blumenthal & Associates
617.879.1511
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