Employment Law
The lifeblood of most businesses is their employees. Businesses rely upon their employees for nearly everything—from making high level executive decisions, to managing the business’ books, to serving clients. Yet a business’ relationship with its employees is also highly regulated at both the state and federal level. Many employment relationships are also governed by employment agreements. So employers must manage the employee relationship carefully.
Our attorneys use their experience to counsel employers in managing the legal environment of employer-employee relations. Our firm has experience handling everything from employment agreements, drafting and enforcing non-competition agreements and confidentiality provisions, to litigation matters involving alleged racial or sexual discrimination.
In addition, our employment practice, led by Brian Chandler, works closely with Protorae Law’s Unfair Business Practices Team in matters involving breaches of fiduciary duty, corporate raiding, and the misappropriation of trade secrets and corporate opportunities.
At Protorae Law, we strive to constantly educate ourselves in developments in employment law and to inform our clients and other employers of such developments.
Typical Matters:
Alleged Wrongful Termination: Frequently involves allegations of racial, age, or sexual discrimination. Alleged wrongful termination may also include allegations of employment contract breaches.
Employment Contracts: May involve drafting employment contracts for employees or enforcing provisions contained in employment contracts.
Employee Handbooks: It is important for employers to set forth generally applied policies concerning their employee in order to limit allegations that management decisions are arbitrary or the result of discriminatory or improper motives.
Non-Competition Agreements: When dealing with non-competition agreements, it is important to know how to draft a non-compete which meets legal requirements, as well as to have the ability to enforce non-competes.
Non-Solicitation Agreements: Attempts by former employees to solicit customers or clients frequently results in significant business cost. A properly drafted non-solicitation agreement may assist you in protecting your important business relationships.
Confidentiality Agreements: Employees frequently have access to highly sensitive proprietary information about their employers. Confidentiality agreements are frequently helpful in preventing employees from disseminating proprietary information.
Wage and Hour Law: May involve minimum wage issues, dealing with employee commissions, and matters falling under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Federal and State Employee Protections: May deal with matters such as the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, or Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act. An employer’s failure to understand the requirements provided under such federal and state employee protections frequently results in unintended legal ramifications.