Shelly R. Pagac

Shelly R. Pagac is a Director and the new Chair of the Employment and Labor Practice Group, bringing decades of experience in counseling, training, and defending employers nationwide. Shelly partners with businesses to develop proactive strategies that foster healthy workplaces while ensuring compliance with labor and employment regulations. With a distinguished career spanning over three decades, Shelly is a trusted advisor having successfully represented clients in state and federal courts across the United States.

Shelly has extensive experience handling a broad spectrum of employment law matters, including non-compete agreements, class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Title VII discrimination claims, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Sarbanes-Oxley whistleblower cases. She has also defended employers against state tort claims such as defamation, wrongful discharge, and breach of contract. As a member of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Western Pennsylvania, Shelly is recognized for her courtroom advocacy and trial success, having tried numerous cases to verdict, including a five-day sexual harassment trial in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Shelly has become a go-to investigator for employers dealing with workplace misconduct, particularly in the wake of the #MeToo movement. She is also an approved mediator for the Federal District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, leveraging her deep understanding of employment law to help businesses resolve disputes efficiently.

Shelly is a dedicated leader in the legal community, serving as a Hearing Officer for the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and playing an integral role in shaping employment law discussions as a planning committee member for the Pennsylvania Bar Institute’s Employment Law West seminar. Her commitment to professional excellence has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition in The Best Lawyers in America® for Employment Law and Litigation – Labor and Employment, as well as repeat selections as a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer.

Beyond her legal practice, Shelly is passionate about giving back. She has held leadership roles in various community organizations, including serving as the Secretary on the Board of Quantum Theatre and last year’s Co-Chair of the QBall, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, and the Allegheny County Bar Association, where she has championed diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

As the leader of Houston Harbaugh’s Employment and Labor Practice Group, Shelly is dedicated to providing strategic counsel to employers, ensuring compliance, mitigating risk, and aggressively defending their interests when litigation arises.