PRACTICE – “How we meet your needs”

Broad Range of Services Efficiently Provided

The Firm provides its clients with a broad range of services and experience in developing and implementing HR systems, efficiently resolving labor and employment law issues and disputes, and meeting statutory compliance responsibilities.

Cost-Effective Alternatives to Litigation

Experience has shown that many labor and employment problems can be solved by informal dispute resolution, rather than by litigation. To this end, the Firm provides dispute resolution services including informal conflict resolution, negotiation, mediation, and arbitration – as determined on a case-by-case basis, to best meet our clients’ business needs.

Professional Services

Labor and Employment Counsel: Emphasis is on proactive measures, compliance, and defense activities for employers with respect to all aspects of labor and employment law and common law issues including wrongful discharge, employment torts, negligent hire and retention, and breach of contract claims.
Employment Agreements for Executive, Professional, and Highly-Skilled Technical Personnel: Provide counsel to companies, key executives, and professionals, including physicians and lawyers, with respect to the terms and conditions of employment agreements including compensation incentives and opportunities, bonus agreements, separation agreements, and appropriate restrictive covenants.
Traditional Labor Law: Provide counsel regarding employer defense and compliance activities with respect to the National Labor Relations Act. That includes representation before the National Labor Relations Board, proactive planning, prevention, employer compliance obligations regarding union certification/decertification campaigns, NLRB representation and unfair labor practice and representation hearings, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, mediation, strike preparation and management representation regarding injunctions, lockouts, picketing, secondary boycotts, and planning in response to other job actions, contract campaigns, and "salting".
Defense and Compliance Activities: Provide litigation defense for employers and compliance activities with respect to all fair employment practice laws and requirements under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, state and local wage/hour, overtime, wage payment, equal pay, family and medical leave acts, disability accommodation, and statutory and non-statutory leave practice, hazardous occupation laws, and Occupational Safety and Health Act investigations, advice, and citations.
Policy Development From “Hire to Fire”: Provide employment practice audits, EPLI audits, in-house human resources policy and program development re employment-at-will implementation, preservation of management’s prerogatives, customized employment applications and applicant screening criteria, drug/alcohol screening policy, protocols, testing, and employee assistance programs, offer letters, offer books, employment contracts, consulting and independent contractor agreements, restrictive covenants, leased employee arrangements, area standards analysis, executive and employee compensation programs, non-ERISA fringe benefit plans, recognition and incentive programs, productivity-driven performance review programs, standards of conduct, counseling, discipline, and employment termination guidance and checklists, employee handbooks for all industries, electronic workplace policies with respect to employer monitoring, access, and searches, internet and intranet use, privacy, confidentiality, harassment, protection of proprietary information, and IT issues, workplace violence policy, personnel file access, ADA and FLSA job descriptions, separation and settlement agreements, and releases, including Age Discrimination in Employment Act (A.D.E.A.) waivers.
Training Activities: Develop and implement statutory anti-harassment/non-discrimination and non-retaliation policies, complaint procedures, and training programs for upper management, supervisors, and employees to comply with federal and state equal opportunity requirements, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and compliance activities related to childbirth, pregnancy, and parental status, leaves of absence, the panoply of other federal, state, and local enactments, and diversity training.
Investigations: Conduct in-house and independent investigations for management, prepare investigation reports and implement investigation findings with respect to all labor and employment issues including discrimination/ harassment claims, hostile workplace claims, confidentiality breaches, losses, performance standards, employee theft, drug importation and use, and other illegal activities.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Closedowns: Perform due diligence analysis with respect to the labor and employment aspects of proposed mergers, acquisitions, stock and asset sales, and regarding plant closure, RIFs, relocation, and WARN Act issues, among others.
Training for Multi-National Corporations: Conduct training to facilitate compliance with U.S. federal and state labor and employment laws.
Implementing "Best Practices": We work with clients to implement best practices and policies before disputes arise. Whether by creating protective “rules of the road” in employee handbooks, preparing employment agreements for executives and professionals, implementing compliance activities under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, training management and employees about equal employment opportunity and diversity, creating customer relationship protection programs, conducting HR audits, or advising on complex performance issues including discipline and termination, we assist our clients to create work environments that encourage productivity and lawfully achieve business objectives.
Project Partnering: We work closely with corporate counsel and law firms to provide labor and employment law expertise.