Erin R. Nathan Member

Contact Information

(319) 896-4013 (319) 366-1917 enathan@spmblaw.com Cedar Rapids, IA

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Jenny Fisher

Legal Assistant

(319) 896-4010 jfisher@spmblaw.com

Practice Area

Bar Admissions

State of Iowa, 2007
State of Illinois, 2006

Court Admissions

US District Court
- Northern District of Iowa
- Southern District of Iowa
- Northern District of Illinois
- Central District of Illinois
US Court of Appeals
- Eleventh Circuit
- Eighth Circuit

Education

University of Iowa College of Law, JD, with distinction, 2006
- Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Transnational Law and Contemporary Problems
University of Iowa, BA, with honors, 2001
- Economics
- Graduated top three percent of class

Clerkship

Judicial Clerk for Justice David Wiggins, Iowa Supreme Court, Des Moines, 2006-2007

Erin Nathan is engaged primarily in commercial litigation, specializing in employment and labor law, class actions and appellate law. She represents individuals and businesses of all sizes in state and federal court and before administrative agencies. Ms. Nathan has a passion for advocating for the rights of her clients.

Representative Experience

Obtained $12.8 million dollar jury verdict on behalf of contractor against large public entity.
Obtained $2.6 million dollar jury verdict for breach of contract and lost profit damages on behalf of contractor against large public entity.
Represented company defrauded of over $2 million dollars to successfully return ownership of funds to company.
Obtained settlement against the federal government on behalf of an individual claiming sexual harassment and disability discrimination where the settlement amount nearly reached the statutory limitation on recoverable damages.
Defeated claim of miscategorization of independent contractors in “bet the company” litigation.
Part of trial team that successfully defended multimillion-dollar breach of contract claim and obtained $600,000+ jury award against plaintiff on trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright and infringement.
Obtained civil contempt judgment that ultimately lead to criminal charges and jail time for contemptors after contemptors violated several court orders regarding the protection of trade secret information.
Represented Fortune 500 Company in two-week pregnancy discrimination jury trial.
Successfully represented multiple clients during Department of Labor and Iowa Workforce Development investigations of labor violations resulting in no or minimal fees.

Representative Experience

Obtained $12.8 million dollar jury verdict on behalf of contractor against large public entity.
Obtained $2.6 million dollar jury verdict for breach of contract and lost profit damages on behalf of contractor against large public entity.
Represented company defrauded of over $2 million dollars to successfully return ownership of funds to company.
Obtained settlement against the federal government on behalf of an individual claiming sexual harassment and disability discrimination where the settlement amount nearly reached the statutory limitation on recoverable damages.
Defeated claim of miscategorization of independent contractors in “bet the company” litigation.
Part of trial team that successfully defended multimillion-dollar breach of contract claim and obtained $600,000+ jury award against plaintiff on trade secrets, unfair competition, copyright and infringement.
Obtained civil contempt judgment that ultimately lead to criminal charges and jail time for contemptors after contemptors violated several court orders regarding the protection of trade secret information.
Represented Fortune 500 Company in two-week pregnancy discrimination jury trial.
Successfully represented multiple clients during Department of Labor and Iowa Workforce Development investigations of labor violations resulting in no or minimal fees.

Employment and Labor Experience

Ms. Nathan understands the issues employers and human resource professionals are faced with and works diligently to provide them with the most practical approaches to tackling even the most difficult circumstances. She is well-versed in issues involving discrimination and harassment in the workplace, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, PDA, FMLA, retaliatory discharge, defamation, fraud, tortious interference, infliction of emotional distress, breach of contract and wage and hour violations. Ms. Nathan is also retained by employers to conduct workplace investigations in such related matters.

Practical Employment Counseling and Advice

Ms. Nathan represents and counsels businesses and individuals providing practical advice on negotiating employment contracts, independent contractor agreements and non-compete and non-solicitation agreements. She understands the complexities of employment hiring and terminations, large-scale reductions in workforce, resolving wage and hour issues (e.g. which employees are “exempt”) and creating and revising employee handbooks. Ms. Nathan frequently helps clients navigate through various employment laws and regulations to ensure compliant employee actions.

Non-Compete and Trade Secret Experience

Ms. Nathan regularly assists employers and individuals when faced with non-compete, non-solicitation and trade secret issues. She also negotiates restrictive covenant agreements on behalf of individuals and represents individuals when faced with non-compete litigation. She frequently drafts and negotiates restrictive covenant agreements on behalf of both employers and executives. Ms. Nathan represents companies in the enforcement of their non-compete agreements and for violation of trade secret laws.

Employee Training Programs

Ms. Nathan is a dynamic speaker and regularly provides educational trainings for clients and organizations relating to their most pressing issues most recently relating to the prevention of discrimination and harassment in the workplace and recognizing and counteracting implicit bias. Ms. Nathan tailors each program to meet the objectives of each audience with the intent to provide practical understanding of an ever-changing workplace.

Prior to joining the firm in 2013, Ms. Nathan was the sole labor and employment associate at Locke Lord LLP in Chicago. She was also an adjunct faculty member of Loyola University School of Law where she taught appellate advocacy and an advanced writing course.

Place of birth: Des Moines, Iowa

Honors & Awards

Listed in Great Plains Super Lawyers for Employment Litigation: Defense, 2023-2024
Included in Great Plains Super Lawyers Rising Star list, 2014-2018
Included in Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Star list, 2012-2013
Willard L. Boyd Public Service Distinction, University of Iowa College of Law

Professional & Community Affiliations

Professional Memberships

Iowa State Bar Association
- Former Member, Board of Governors, District 6
- Labor and Employment Law Section
- Litigation Section
Linn County Bar Association
Johnson County Bar Association

Community Involvement

Iowa Legal Aid Foundation, Former Board of Directors
Iowa City, City High Mock Trial, Coach
Montessori School of Iowa City, Board of Trustees, Past President, two terms (Fall 2019-Summer 2021)

Presentations & Publications

View our firm archived presentation library!

2024 Presentations

It’s Not the Engineering that Keeps Me Up at Night – It’s People, May and September
Equal Pay, March

2023 Presentations

Severance Agreements, Work-From-Home and Reasonable Accommodation Issues Post-COVID and Case Study on Employer Investigation of Discrimination in the Workplace, May

2022 Presentation

Non-Competes and Non-Solicitation Agreements, July

2020 Presentation

Updating your Employment Handbook Post-Covid-19, September

2019 Presentations

Second-Time Around: Updates on Overtime Regulations Scheduled to Go Into Effect on January 1, 2020, October
Drug Testing Update: Are Pre-Employment Cannabis Tests on the Way Out?, October
Department of Labor New Overtime Regulations Update, North Risk Partners Seminar, June
Managing Employee Terminations, Employment Law Update, January
Dos and Don’ts for Paid Time Off, Employment Law Update, January

2018 Presentations

Avoiding Legal Issues Made by Entrepreneurs, University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa Medical Innovation Group, October
Implicit Bias and How to Address the Workplace, ACC Corporate Counsel Forum, October
Unconscious Bias and How It Impacts Your Workplace, Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) Annual Meeting, October
Employment Law: Everything You Were Afraid to Ask, Iowa Engineering Conference, May
New Harassment Training: How to Update your Training in the Post-Weinstein Era, Employment Law Update, May
Learning About Implicit Bias and How it Impacts Your Workplace, Employment Law Update, May

2017 Presentations

How to Avoid the Top 10 Employment Mistakes Made by Entrepreneurs and Growing Businesses, May
Top 10 Workplace Law Developments to Expect from the Trump Administration, Employment Law Seminar, May
Harassment in Today’s Workplace: Identifying, Preventing, Training and Trending Developments, Employment Law Seminar, May

2016 Presentations

Final Rule on the White Collar Overtime Exemptions, Association of Corporate Counsel - Iowa Chapter, Corporate Counsel Forum, November
New Department of Labor Overtime Regulations Seminar, Economic Alliance, July
Employment Update: A discussion on wage/hour issues, including the new proposed salary exemption regulations and strategies for successful employment terminations, Holmes Murphy Seminar, May
Overtime Rule/Regular Rate: The Proposed White Collar Exemption Regulations: How to Prepare, Employment Law Update, April
Tips for Termination, Employment Law Update, April

2015 Presentations

Proving or Challenging Damages in Employment Cases, Iowa State Bar Association Labor & Employment Seminar, November
Negotiating Employment Contracts, UIHC Seminar by Hawkins Wealth Management, October
FLSA / Wage & Hour Crackdown, Employment Law: Beyond the Basics, July
Negotiating Employment Contracts, UIHC Seminar by Hawkins Wealth Management, May
Retaliatory Discharge and Whistle-Blower Issues, Employment Law Seminar, April

Publications

Modifications to the Iowa Civil Rights Act and its Impact on Iowa Employers (Feb. 28, 2025) (Link)
Employment Law Update: DOL's Overtime Rule Struck Down in its Entirety (Nov. 20, 2024) (Link)
Judge Strikes Down FTC’s Rule Banning Non-Compete Agreements (Aug.28, 2024) (Link)
FTC Issued Final Rule Prohibiting Non-Compete Agreements (May 6, 2024) (Link)
Supreme Court Releases its Ruling on OSHA ETS (Jan. 13, 2022) (Link)
Drafting a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy for your Company (Jan. 4, 2022) (Link)
More OSHA/COVID Vaccine Court Rulings and What that Means for Your Company (Dec. 22, 2021) (Link)
What's Next? Stay on OSHA ETS Regarding Vaccination Policies on 100+ Employees (Nov. 15, 2021) (Link)
Temporary Stay Issued for Vaccine Mandate with 100+ Employees (Nov. 8, 2021) (Link)
OSHA Releases Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Regulations (Nov. 4, 2021) (Link)
American Rescue Plan Act Update (March 29, 2021) (Link)
Teleworking and the Impact on Employment and Tax Policies (March 18, 2021) (Link)
DOL Clarification: FFCRA Goes Into Effect April 1, 2020 (March 26, 2020) (Link)
Response Act (FFCRA) What You Need To Know! (March 20, 2020) (Link)
Employer Harassment Liability: Distinctions Between the Illinois Human Rights Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ExecutiveView.com (Dec. 17, 2009)
Employee Fraud: Prevention, Detection and Investigation, Locke Lord Labor & Employment Law Conference (October 23, 2009) (co-author), MCLE-accredited program
How to Terminate Employees and Avoid the Courthouse, Locke Lord Labor & Employment Law Conference (October 16, 2008) (co-author), MCLE-accredited program

News & Events

2025

Modifications to the Iowa Civil Rights Act and its Impact on Iowa Employers, 2/28/25

2024

Employment Law Update: DOL's Overtime Rule Struck Down in its Entirety, 11/20/24
Judge Strikes Down FTC's Rule Banning Non-Compete Agreements, 08/26/24
Erin Nathan to Present at Iowa Engineering Conference, 05/20/24
FTC Issues Final Rule on Probhibiting all Non-Compete Agreements, 05/16/24
Erin Nathan Listed in 2024 Great Plains Super Lawyers, 05/29/24

2023

Erin Nathan Listed in 2023 Great Plains Super Lawyers, 05/30/23

2022

Erin Nathan Joins Iowa Legal Aid Foundation Board of Directors, 03/24/22