The Department of Labor has long tried to curtail the practice among some businesses of misclassifying workers as independent contractors instead of employees. This approach, often adopted to sidestep the…
Labor and Employment Law
We help you keep your business moving in the right direction.
Labor relations and employment law covers a broad spectrum of legal issues. Our employment lawyers have expertise here in Ohio and across the nation handling both simple and complex cases. Employers must comply with a wide range of state and federal laws that control the criteria for hiring and firing employees, how employers can bargain with employees and unions, wage and hourly pay issues, how employees must be treated while they are employed, and how disputes are handled.
Our employment law attorneys provide best-practice training, including performance management and supervisory training, and presentations to employers on legislative updates. We also help clients manage difficult employment situations and act in accordance with the applicable employment laws. We represent employers whose workers were raided by the competition, and who face tough choices when it comes to Reductions in Force (“RIFs”) and lay-offs.
Our lawyers litigate in both state and federal courts, before arbitration panels, and in administrative proceedings in Ohio and federal agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Government compliance
Today’s employer must continually keep current with many employer laws and updates to those laws. Keeping up with compliance can be time consuming and cumbersome. Having an experienced labor and employment attorney by your side allows you to concentrate on building your business while they take the reins on legal compliance. Some of the laws on which our labor law attorneys counsel employers include:
- Title VII of the Civil Rights Law of 1964. This law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law prohibits discrimination based on a person’s disability. It is often used in conjunction with the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
- The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA). The law prohibits employment discrimination against anyone who is 40 years of age or older.
- The Family and Medical Leave of 1993 (FMLA). This federal law requires that employers covered under the Act provide unpaid and job-secure leave for certain personal reasons such as birth, adoption, foster care, family illness, and family military leave.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). This law regulates safety in the workplace – both in the private sector and in the federal government.
We understand what employers face; most of us have run our own companies or worked as in-house counsel and have faced similar challenges. Our team can help you protect your company while you remain in compliance, and help you foster an environment of good will to keep your team happy and healthy.
Practical employment guidance
Our employment attorneys work proactively to guide employers through the complicated laws that govern employer conduct. Our Ohio employment attorneys specialize in providing strategic guidance and consultation to employers, helping them mitigate potential issues before they become major problems. By staying ahead of the curve and offering proactive advice, we ensure that our clients maintain a compliant and ethical workplace environment while minimizing legal risks. We help employers:
- Develop employment policies, guidelines, and handbooks
- Avoid costly mistakes in the employment process
- Mitigate risk with reductions in force
- Give advice on affirmative action programs
- Help when there are allegations of sexual misconduct
As with most legal matters, the best defense is identifying the legal problems before they occur and having procedures in place to avoid those problems.
Employment litigation
If you find yourself facing employment litigation, we have you covered. When the employment relationship is terminated, we work to enforce all the terms of the contract including confidentiality agreements and non-compete clauses. We have the experience and the resources to handle complex employment litigation at the state or federal level, and to help you protect your assets, your products and your reputation. From contract breaches to intellectual property to raids by competitors, we know what it takes to build a successful case.
Our Cleveland employment lawyers also handle wrongful termination lawsuits, including those alleging:
- Discrimination against a protected class
- Retaliation for asserting a legal right, such as taking qualified unpaid medical leave, filing a workers’ compensation claim, or filing a whistleblower claim
- Firing in violation of the terms of a written employment contract
- Refusing to commit an illegal act
Executive compensation and severance
We understand how important it is for top companies to hire the best executives. We help businesses craft executive compensation that maximizes performance, minimizes taxes, and persuades great executives to join your management team. Our review includes cash compensation, stock and call options, retirement plans, pension plans, equity interests, performance incentives, severance packages, deferred compensation, and other forms of compensation.
We also understand that companies owe a duty to those executives. We represent executives in negotiations, arbitration and in jury trials when their contracts have been breached, and when the companies they devote their lives to fail to hold up to their end of the bargain.
Speak with a labor and employment lawyer today
We have reviewed, negotiated and tried every type of employment dispute imaginable. Our attorneys will answer your questions directly and honestly, always with the goal of advancing your rights both inside and outside of the courtroom. Call our employment lawyers at 216-573-6000 or fill out our contact form for a professional review of your potential claim and a discussion of applicable employment laws.
Meet our Labor and Employment Team
