Employment/Labor

The Employment/Labor Practice Group consists of attorneys who combine expertise from the litigation, business, and tax aspects of the firm's practice. The practice includes the litigation of claims involving discrimination, wrongful discharge, wage and hour, employee privacy, and immigration issues. In this area of increasing regulatory complexity, the Employment/Labor Practice Group also takes a preventive approach with its clients, including training and compliance counseling to help prevent employment issues from becoming legal problems. Lawyers in the Employment/Labor Practice Group advise and represent financial institutions, educational institutions, utilities, major chain retail businesses, manufacturing corporations, health care associations, forest products businesses, and other private sector employers on all aspects of employment law including compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws, wage and hour laws, FMLA, ADA, OSHA, OWBPA, immigration, affirmative action, substance abuse testing, intellectual property and trade secrets, recruitment, discipline and termination issues, and related litigation and administrative proceedings. The Employment/Labor Practice Group drafts and reviews personnel policies and procedures, affirmative action plans, trains managerial personnel in employment law issues, conducts employment law audits, and prepares employment contracts, confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, and employment separation agreements. An additional aspect of the firm's employment practice, handled by experienced tax attorneys, is the preparation of and advice on pensions and welfare benefit plans, executive compensation plans, stock options, and profit-sharing plans. Lawyers in the Employment/Labor Practice Group represent the firm's clients in all state and federal courts and administrative agencies.