Business Disputes
Our firm has extensive experience in handling disputes between partners and other business owners. We encourage people to have our attorneys review any corporate or partnership documents before they are signed. However, when business disputes arise, we have the skills to navigate clients through negotiations and litigation, if necessary. To accomplish this, we regularly work with accountants, business valuation experts and other forensic experts to secure the key information to support our client’s claims. Our diverse practice areas allow us to collaborate within the firm to bring the right experience to work for our clients. People spend their lifetime building businesses and careers. We are devoted to protecting everything that you have built.
Labor and Employment Litigation and Counseling
Our firm handles all aspects of labor and employment law, both public and private, including union grievances, wage and hour matters, investigation of employee complaints and employee malfeasance, union negotiations, arbitrations, litigation and appellate practice at the administrative, state and federal levels. Our firm also represents individuals in claims relating to their employment.
Our firm has successfully represented private and public sector clients in a vast array of labor and employment related issues. Subjects of past representation and matters requiring consultation include, but are not limited to:
• Interest Arbitration
• Contract Negotiations with Unions
• Termination Proceedings
• Grievance Arbitration
• Municipal Prohibited Practice proceedings/Unfair Labor Practice proceedings
• Drafting of Employment and other Contracts
• Breach of Employment Contracts
• Investigations into Employee Wrongdoing
• Harassment Investigations
• Employment Policy Drafting
• Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation claims brought pursuant to Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Connecticut Fair Employment Practices Act
• Connecticut and Federal Family and Medical Leave Acts
• Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act
• Connecticut’s Free Speech and Whistleblower statutes
• OSHA
• Unemployment Compensation
• Wage and Hour investigations and litigation, including collective/class action litigation,
• Constitutional claims such as First Amendment Retaliation, Invasion of Privacy, Procedural and Substantive Due Process and Equal Protection
• Constructive Discharge
• Non-Compete Agreements
• Documenting employee performance and discipline
• A wide variety of tort claims, including wrongful termination, negligence, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent misrepresentation, invasion of privacy and defamation
Labor Relations
On a daily basis, our firm advises our clients in a wide array of labor and employment matters including reductions-in-force, employee discharge and discipline, whistleblower claims, preparation of employee handbooks, development of policies and procedures, conducting FLSA audits, preparing and negotiating employment agreements, collective bargaining, grievance handling, investigation of sexual and other forms of unlawful harassment and other workplace issues, employee drug use, ADA reasonable accommodation, and FMLA/state leave of absence requirements, FLSA/state wage and hour compliance, among others.
Our work in traditional labor law matters include negotiating favorable collective bargaining agreements, advising clients through and attending grievance hearings (including Loudermill hearings), arbitrating grievances, advice on contract administration issues, such as just cause discipline, terminations and contract interpretations and employee staff reductions. Moreover, our firm appears before the State Board of Labor Relations defending clients in municipal prohibited practice claims.