Areas of Practice

Employment

Gallagher & Cavanaugh represents employers and employees in negotiating employment agreements and in proceedings commenced in federal and state courts and agencies, involving the full scope of employment issues, including, among others:

• violation of federal and state employment discrimination statutes;
• non-competition, non-solicitation, non-disclosure, trade secret, and related litigation;
• common law claims, such as wrongful termination, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, conspiracy, and defamation;
• the Family and Medical Leave Act; and
• wage and hour disputes.

Gallagher & Cavanaugh prides itself on the accessibility of our attorneys and their ability to approach difficult employment relations problems with sound judgment, creativity, and a high degree of professional experience.  We strive to understand the culture of each client and the pressures facing them.  The firm works closely with clients to achieve an efficient resolution of personnel problems.  In each instance, Gallagher & Cavanaugh tailors its legal services to meet the client’s needs with appropriate, informed and sensitive counseling.

As with other practice areas, Gallagher & Cavanaughs' work in employment law is not limited to litigation. We help clients with the day-to-day employment issues facing them. Knowing that a business' success depends on maintaining excellence in its workforce, the ultimate goal is to ensure that legal standards do not distract from the goal of retaining good employees and improving or terminating poor employees. We assist clients in strategies that permit, to the extent possible, the achievement of this goal without costly litigation. Increasingly, as our clients' businesses have expanded, so too has the scope of the employment law advice and services we provide, including:

• preparation of employment agreements, including offer letters, non-disclosure and non-competition agreements and other documents relating to the hiring process;
• preparation of employee handbooks and particular employment policies, such as harassment and leave-of-absence policies;
• workplace safety and OSHA compliance;
• compliance with state and federal laws relating to family and medical leave, disability accommodation and pregnancy leave law compliance;
• workplace privacy issues, including formulation of Internet and email monitoring policies and drug and alcohol testing issues;
• addressing complaints of harassment and other forms of discrimination and retaliation claims; and
• training seminars on topics such as preventing sexual harassment in the workplace, dealing with disabilities, managing a diverse workforce, creating a family friendly workplace, and navigating workplace minefields. Programs can be custom-designed for particular employee subgroups and settings.