Labor & Employment

Christian & Small's Labor & Employment practice group represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law. Our practice focuses on litigation and administrative proceedings, preventive counseling, training, policy preparation and implementation, and alternative dispute resolution.

Litigation
Our attorneys have extensive experience in protecting and defending our clients in federal and state court. We represent a diverse base of public and private companies and municipal entities in the defense of claims arising under:

• Title VII
• Section 1981
• Equal Pay Act
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• Age Discrimination in Employment Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act / Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Fair Labor Standards Act
• Family Medical Leave Act
• USERRA (military service)
• Section 1983 Statutory and Constitutional violation claims
• OSHA and NRA administrative charges
• WARN
• ERISA / COBRA

In addition, we regularly assist clients in dealing with related state law causes of action, including assault and battery, defamation, outrage, fraud, workers’ compensation, retaliation and wrongful discharge.

Our practice group also has extensive experience advising federal contractors of affirmative action obligations and representing federal contractors in audits and proceedings initiated by the OFCCP.

Traditional Labor Law
The Labor & Employment practice group advises and represents employers regarding their rights and obligations under the Labor-Management Relations Act and National Labor Relations Act, including:

• Response to employee complaints
• Union organizational activity
• Unfair labor practices charges
• Grievance / arbitration proceedings under collective bargaining agreements
• Section 301 breach of collective bargaining contract litigation

Preventative Counseling
Attorneys in our Labor & Employment practice group believe that the best way to avoid charges, lawsuits and liability is for employers to seek legal advice before an employment action is taken. Therefore, our practice also has a considerable focus on preventive counseling. We are actively involved on a daily basis in providing employers with prompt advice and guidance on a breadth of issues including wage and hour compliance under the Fair Labor Standards Act, drug and alcohol testing, leave-of-absence issues under the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, employee benefit programs, employee/workplace investigations, and employee discipline and discharge.

Policies and Procedures
We further protect our clients’ interests by drafting current policies and procedures manuals, including employee handbooks that comprehensively address issues such as sexual harassment, drugs and alcohol, and e-mail and voice mail policies. We also prepare and review the full range of employer-necessitated documents, such as employment applications and executive employment contracts, trade secret, unfair competition, arbitration and severance agreements.

Training
Our labor and employment attorneys regularly provide in-house training seminars to our clients. Our training is geared towards sensitizing our clients’ employees to issues such as hiring and firing, sexual harassment, and enabling management to respond promptly and appropriately to day-to-day issues affecting the workforce.

Whatever labor or employment issues your business may face, our Labor & Employment practice group has the experience and ability to guide and represent employers through the course.


For more information on our Labor & Employment practice group, please contact:


Alvis, LaBella S.
Simon, Kenneth O.
Vercher, Michael A.
Walston, David B.