In today’s environment, even those employment actions which are well-reasoned and justified can quickly spiral into costly litigation and public relations nightmares. An employment defense strategy must be at the forefront of every agency’s planning. Employees disciplined or terminated for breaking agency rules quickly conjure an alternate reason for their discipline to support a legal claim, thus proper procedures and documentation is key. Employees out of work for extended periods on workers’ compensation may handcuff your operations, but knowing how and when to properly return those individuals to work could save thousands in damages and back pay. Finally, it is more important than ever to protect your agency and your employees from sexual harassment or a hostile work environment, and lacking a clear policy, training, and supervision is a sure path to costly litigation and public embarrassment.
We represent government and municipal agencies facing threats of litigation or actual litigation from current or past employees. We have represented large agencies with significant employment issues with an eye towards resolving issues before they arise.
Our Experience
- Title VII claims
- ADA disability & discrimination claims
- Hostile work environment claims
- Sexual harassment claims
- EEOC claims and right to sue responses
- FLSA claims
- Mass tort / employee environmental claims
- Class actions
- Civil rights / due process claims
- Wrongful termination claims
- FMLA violation claims
In addition to litigation defense, our team provides legal-based training and policy development for governments and municipalities seeking to limit future litigation and to be on solid ground when litigation inadvertently arises. We also serve as general counsel for agencies and provide support in advance of actions being considered against employees, assistance immediately following incidents anticipated to lead to litigation, as well as guidance during investigations of such incidents.
We additionally have extensive public relations experience and are skilled at drafting press releases and responding to inquiries from the media. Our team understands the significant impact that press has on litigation and the public perception of your agency as a whole.