PRACTICE AREA
Labor & Employment Law
OVERVIEW
The statutes and regulations governing the employer-employee relationship are broad and ever-changing. The attorneys in our Labor & Employment practice group at Thomas, Thomas & Hafer advise businesses and municipalities on every aspect of labor and employment law matters to ensure compliance with this complex legal framework.
Our team of attorneys is well-versed in the various local, state and federal laws governing labor and employment matters, including: discrimination, wage and hour, labor relations, employment contracts, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, unemployment compensation, family and medical leave, employee benefits, reductions in force and wrongful discharge. We assist employers in developing policies that comply with the vast array of legal requirements. We regularly counsel clients on day-to-day employment matters, including: drafting employment policies, manuals and job descriptions; consulting on hiring practices, disciplinary and termination decisions; advising on the administration of various types of leave; negotiating collective bargaining agreements; and conducting the investigation of claims of harassment and discrimination.
In order to assist our clients in avoiding employment-related litigation, our attorneys routinely conduct in-house training sessions for our clients’ management and supervisory personnel, as well as educational seminars directed to various industry groups.
For many employers, minimizing litigation costs is priority number one. At Thomas, Thomas & Hafer, we recognize that settlement may be advantageous in some cases and are committed to communicating early and often with clients about the benefits and merits of settlement negotiations. We are not proponents of settling cases on the courthouse steps, after significant costs have already been incurred. Instead, our attorneys work with the client’s decision-makers from the earliest stages of litigation to develop a case strategy that aligns the client’s goals with the facts and legal issues of each particular case.
We recognize that, in certain cases, lawsuits cannot be avoided or settled early and our team will vigorously defend our clients’ interests in the courtroom. We are fully equipped to handle all aspects of the litigation from the administrative agency claim through jury verdict, as well as any possible appeals. Our employment attorneys have a track record of success in the state and federal courts of multiple jurisdictions throughout the country. We have litigated numerous suits to successful summary judgment or trial verdict, including cases involving allegations of employment discrimination, wage and hour claims, constitutional issues, trade secrets, restrictive covenants, employee benefits, unfair labor practice charges, employment contract and wrongful discharge.