Employment Law Litigation
Employment law covers a complex network of laws that controls how employers must treat employees, former employees, and applicants for employment. We have significant experience interpreting and applying state and federal statutes and case law in areas involving the following:
- Employment discrimination
- Affirmative action
- Sexual harassment
- Employee benefits
- Whistleblower litigation
- Wrongful/retaliatory discharge
- Termination
- Drug testing
- Employee privacy
- Employment contracts
- Workplace violence
- Workplace safety
- Defamation
- Invasion of privacy
- Breach of non-compete and confidentiality agreements
These areas involve the interpretation and application of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), administrative claims filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and special laws governing municipal employment. We encourage the use of and have successfully utilized facilitative mediation and arbitration to minimize the time and expense related to resolving employment disputes.
Employment Law Counseling
In addition to litigation, we also provide risk management, litigation avoidance, and other preventive employment law advice and counseling to assist employers with their day-to-day needs in the full spectrum of labor and employment law issues, ranging from employment discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, and leaves of absence, to confidentiality and trade secret issues, labor relations, employment contracts and principal/independent contractor relationships. We help employers avoid litigation whenever possible by formulating a positive personnel program, which enhances employee morale, minimizes work disruptions, and increases the quality and quantity of work. The components of such a program include the preparation and revision of employee handbooks, supervisory manuals, personnel policies, job descriptions, recruitment and selection procedures, anti-harassment policies, disciplinary procedures and performance appraisal systems. We also handle investigations of workplace misconduct.
