Jeffrey Alan Silence

Jeff began his career working as a law clerk at the Arizona Court of Appeals for the Honorable Patrick Irvine and the Honorable Samuel Thumma. He has since become a partner at Jaburg Wilk.

Jeff has significant experience handling all types of employment claims for both employees and employers. He enjoys helping the “little guy” pursue their claims and vindicate their rights. He also likes helping his employer clients come up with creative solutions to their problems. He is one of the few attorneys in Arizona that represents both employees and employers, which gives him a unique insight into how to pursue and defend a broad range of employment claims.Jeff has been named a “Rising Star” in Employment Law, which is an honor given to only 2.5% of attorneys in a particular practice area.

Jeff also has a broad range of experience in other areas of the law including commercial, administrative, defamation, and education law. He has helped many students, teachers, and professors to resolve a broad range of disputes with their school/university.

Since joining Jaburg Wilk in 2012, Jeff has had many notable victories.

• Successfully defended his Fortune 500 employer client in an 8-day jury trial. The employee claimed she was terminated for blowing the whistle and sought over $5 million in damages. She was awarded nothing.
• Prevailed in a week-long federal court trial. The court awarded Jeff's client every penny she sought in overtime wages and entered judgment for $350,000 against the employer.
• Prevailed in a multi-day arbitration hearing against the City of Phoenix in a high-profile case that made the front page of the Arizona Republic. The City alleged that Jeff's client committed fraud and breached his contract. The arbitrator ruled in favor of Jeff's client on all claims and awarded his client all of the attorney fees he incurred.
• Represented a buyer of a business in a multi-day arbitration hearing in which he alleged the defendant committed fraud when selling his business to Jeff’s client. Jeff’s client settled on favorable terms before the final day of the hearing.
• Successfully defended a Fortune 500 employer in a multi-day arbitration hearing in which the employee asserted claims for breach of contract, failure to pay wages, and sex discrimination.
• Represented an employee in a high-profile whistle blower lawsuit against the State of Arizona. The claim was reported in the Arizona Republic and involved top-level government officials.
• Represented an employee in commercial court to dispute the enforceability of a non-compete, non-solicit, and confidentiality agreement.
• Prevailed in a criminal trial while in law school by convincing the court that the criminal statute at issue was unconstitutional.

Jeff is a frequent speaker at State Bar and CLE events:

• 2018 Arizona State Bar Convention - Arizona’s Paid Sick Time Law
• 2017 Annual Convention for the Arizona Employment Lawyer's Association - Best Practices and Ethical Issues When Representing Employees Who Are Still Employed
• 2016 Annual Convention for the Arizona Employment Lawyer's Association - Discovery and Use of Social Media in Litigation
• 2016 Arizona State Bar Employment Lawyer's Annual Sedona Conference - How to Oppose Employment Arbitration Agreements
• 2015 Annual Convention for the Arizona Employment Lawyer's Association - Using Technology to Improve the Practice of Law: Part 2
• 2014 Annual Convention for the Arizona Employment Lawyer's Association - Using Technology to Improve the Practice of Law
• Host of Jaburg Wilk’s bi-monthly employment law CLEs from 2014 to the present in which Jeff has presented on a broad of range of employment topics

Jeff is also very active in the State Bar and employment trade groups:

• Arizona Employment Lawyer’s Association – Board Member (2012-present)
• Annual State Bar Convention CLE Planning Committee (2019-present)
• State Bar Employment Law Section (2012-present)
• Monthly State Bar CLE Planning Committee for the Employment Law Section (2018)
• CLE Planning Committee for the Arizona Employment Lawyer’s Association Annual Convention (2016 - present)
• Amicus Committee for the Arizona Employment Lawyer’s Association Member

Jeff has also published many articles on a broad of employment law topics:

• The #1 Mistake Arizona Employers Make When Responding to Complaints of Discrimination or Harassment
• Why Current PTO Policies are Not Enough to Comply with Arizona Prop 206
• In Arizona, Employers are Required to Pay Earned Wages
• How Long Should Employers Keep Their Employment Records
• Are Non-Compete Agreements Enforceable in Arizona?
• Why Every Employer Needs a Social Media Policy
• Three Important Components of the FMLA, 2015
• Arizona's "Whistleblower" Laws: Tread Carefully
• Disability Discrimination in the Workplace
• Are Confidentiality Agreements Enforceable in Arizona?
• DOL Changes Overtime Rules
• Is it Illegal for Arizona Employers to Discriminate Against Transgender or Gay Employees?
• What Does “At-Will” Employment Mean?
• Are Non-Solicit Agreements Enforceable in Arizona?
• What Damages Can an Employee Recover in a Lawsuit from an Arizona Employer?
• New Overtime Rules Delayed
• An Easy and Effective Way for Employers to Protect Themselves
• Ten Ways to Prevent Sex Discrimination in the Workplace
• How to be Happier at Work
• Arizona Employers Need to Update Employee Handbooks
• Are You Owed Overtime Wages?
• Are Arizona Employees Entitled to a Paid Lunch Break
• Right to Sue Letter From the EEOC, Now What?
• Employers Required to Use Revised Form I-9
• Why Employers Need Social Media Policies
• Arizona Prop. 206 Requires a Higher Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Time
• Eight Questions about Arizona's New Paid Sick Time Law
• Answers to Seven Complicated Questions About Arizona's New Paid Sick Time Law