Litigation

Employment Litigation

Our attorneys have represented employers in hundreds of employment-related lawsuits in state and federal courts throughout the United States. These cases typically arise under state and federal discrimination laws, including claims of age, race, sex and disability discrimination. In recent years, sex harassment suits have been extremely prevalent. Breach of contract claims and employment-related tort claims are commonplace, and we also are seeing an increasing number of claims under the Family and Medical Leave Act. As labor and employment practitioners, we are well versed in the substantive laws that come into play in employment litigation. Our familiarity with these laws makes us both effective and efficient when dealing with lawsuits in these areas.

Trade Secret/Non-Compete Litigation

State trade secret laws prohibit individuals from unfairly competing with their former employers. In many cases, employers supplement these statutory protections by having employees sign employment contracts that include non-competition provisions. Focused on management interests, we draft employment contracts that maximize an employer's protection against unfair competition. When disputes arise over trade secrets and non-compete agreements, aggressive litigation tactics often are required, such as seeking temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions to help prevent irreparable harm to the employer. Our attorneys bring a sense of urgency as well as a wealth of experience to such cases.

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Increasingly, our clients are turning to mandatory dispute resolution programs as a legitimate means of avoiding jury trials in state and federal courts. We can help devise and implement an ADR program that will preclude employees from pursuing court litigation. Once such a program is implemented, we also represent the employer in mediation and arbitration cases that employees file under the programs.