Employment Law

Five of Friebert, Finerty & St. John's attorneys dedicate a substantial portion of their time to employment law, typically representing employers and executive-level employees. Mindful of business realities as well as legal principles, we take pride in our responsiveness and fashioning creative, cost-effective solutions to the increasingly wide range of employment issues which our clients confront. Our group works hard to remain "ahead of the curve" in developing strategies to manage new legal challenges and has authored numerous books and articles concerning employment law matters. Among our particular areas of expertise are the following:

  • Managing difficult employee relations problems. We develop and help employers implement strategies to respond to challenging employee situations. Whether it's dealing with employees who aren't there or employees who cease to perform, we help employers manage. We also develop approaches for minimizing employer litigation risk as a prelude to employment terminations.
  • Representation in civil rights, wrongful discharge and related employment claims. We evaluate claims and provide aggressive and prudent representation in defense of employee claims in both administrative and court proceedings.
  • Employment law compliance/infrastructure. We assist employers in developing personnel policies to protect employer interests and advise employers concerning the complex, and frequently inconsistent, mandates of the federal, state and local employment laws. The employee leave laws and obligations to provide individuals with disabilities with the reasonable accommodation that all employers are obligated to provide are areas of particular expertise. Whether it's a question of required employment posters or record retention, we provide our clients with practical, cost-effective compliance advice.
  • Employee training. We provide employee training necessary to permit employers to advance certain affirmative defenses not otherwise available and to reduce the risk of employee claims.
  • Restrictive covenant analysis/litigation. We prepare non-compete, customer non-solicitation, confidentiality or other restrictive covenant agreements, and evaluate the likelihood of enforceability of existing restrictive covenant agreements. We regularly represent employers and employees in litigation concerning such agreements.
  • Wage and hour law compliance. We assist employers in analyzing their obligations to comply with the frequently inconsistent provisions of federal and state law and provide representation when such questions ripen into litigation.
  • Representation of executives in employment separations. Our practice group provides counsel, and if necessary, litigation assistance, to high-level executive employees who are seeking separation or who have been released.
  • Mediation/Arbitration. Our members serve as neutral mediators, assisting parties involved in an employment dispute in trying to resolve the dispute on mutually acceptable terms. We also serve as arbitrators, neutral "private judges" who resolve litigants' employment law disputes.

Offering a full range of employment law services, Friebert, Finerty & St. John's Employment Practice Group provides high quality legal representation without losing sight of our clients’ business interests and objectives.