Our Labor and Employment Group is one of the Firm's core practice groups, representing employers and management exclusively. We combine our legal knowledge with practical business advice, helping our clients navigate the maze of federal and state labor and employment laws. While we stress preventive maintenance where possible, we are vigorous litigators first and foremost. Our practice rests on our expertise in employment law and our talent as trial lawyers.

We represent employers of all sizes and types, including manufacturers, public utilities, transportation companies, distributors, health care providers, hospitality, professional service organizations, retailers, and technology firms. Further, we enjoy a significant presence in the construction industry, where we represent literally hundreds of construction and construction industry-related firms.

Our Group's roster includes extraordinarily talented lawyers. Our writings regularly appear in national publications. We are active lecturers and teachers. In addition to providing seminars for our clients, groups of executives, other lawyers, and industry associations, we have served as law professors, and taught graduate and undergraduate courses. Our Group members have clerked for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.

We represent employers in virtually all matters relating to labor and employment law, including the following areas:

Employment Litigation

The litigators in our Group devote their practice to aggressively defending employers and management. We defend claims in federal and state trial and appellate courts. We have handled every type of employment-related claim, including allegations of discrimination, harassment, wrongful discharge, and wage and hour violations. We routinely represent employers before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, and the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights.

Because our practice focuses exclusively on workplace-related matters, we possess the expertise to assess risks, and develop effective and cost-efficient litigation strategies. Whether preparing a motion to dispose of a case before trial, attending a settlement conference, or trying a case in court, our objective is to achieve an excellent result for our clients.

Labor-Management Relations

Our Group represents management in all dealings with organized labor. We have represented hundreds of union and non-union employers before the National Labor Relations Board in both election and unfair labor practice proceedings. We represent employers that maintain decades-old relationships with unions, handling negotiations at the bargaining table, arbitrating grievances, and preparing strike plans. We also represent employers that have no experience with unions, developing and implementing aggressive, yet appropiate, responses to organizing campaigns, defending unfair labor practice charges, and seeking injunctive relief in court.

Preventive Maintenance and Litigation Avoidance

We understand that avoiding costly employment-related litigation is a top priority for our clients. With an eye toward minimizing exposure to liability, our Group provides day-to-day advice to our clients regarding all aspects of the employment relationship. Whether our clients are reviewing their overall personnel policies, dealing with leaves of absence, or making termination decisions, we provide practical advice and meaningful answers in plain English. Our group also counsels clients on such issues as wage and hour compliance, FMLA leave, workplace safety, drug testing, progressive discipline, recruitment, and hiring.

We place a high premium on preventive maintenance by helping our clients establish appropriate workplace policies, so they can avoid the most common employment-related problems and traps. We strongly encourage clients to implement proactive practices, such as conducting self audits and sexual harassment training. We regularly prepare employee handbooks tailored to the specific needs of our clients. We also draft employment contracts for executives, salespersons and other key managers.

Construction Labor Law

Our Group is uniquely positioned to represent construction firms. With one of the largest, and most well-respected construction law practices in the Mid-Atlantic region, our Firm represents hundreds of construction-industry firms and is regularly called upon to counsel contractors regarding issues such as prevailing rate compliance and pre-hire and project labor agreements. When a project is picketed, we partner with our clients to establish and enforce reserved gate systems and, when appropriate, file charges and initiate litigation to obtain an injunction.

Non-Competition Agreements and Trade Secret Litigation

Our lawyers work with clients to develop appropriate and legally-enforceable agreements to protect their trade secrets and proprietary information. We draft restrictive covenants that help our clients avoid becoming victims of unfair competition. We have successfully obtained injunctions in federal and state courts to protect our clients' most valuable assets.

Wage and Hour Law

The lawyers in our Group are highly experienced in all aspects of wage and hour law. We defend employers in class action, multi-plaintiff and single plaintiff wage and hour cases. We counsel clients to ensure that their payroll practices do not violate federal and state wage and hour laws such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage payment laws. We regularly handle prevailing wage audits and hearings and have substantial experience in debarment matters.

For more information, contact our Group's Chair, Marc Furman, Esquire.

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