Employers are regularly faced with having to react to new labor and employment laws and regulations and significant changes to existing laws and regulations in an increasingly competitive business environment. In this challenging climate, Cohen & Grigsby’s Labor and Employment Group provides services for employers across the full spectrum of labor, employment and human resource law. We focus on such key areas as union issues, the labor and employment aspects of business transactions, employment contracts, employment litigation defense, workers’ compensation issues, avoidance of employment-related legal actions, and management and supervisor training. In addition, we conduct audits and help our clients develop, implement and update employment policies and practices that are progressive and compliant. We provide these services — to unionized and non-union employers — in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, finance, high technology, non-profit and the service sector.
Motivated by Cohen & Grigsby’s “Culture of Performance,” our Labor and Employment attorneys provide comprehensive services. To that end, our group works closely with the firm’s Employment Litigation, M&A, ERISA and Employee Benefits attorneys to assure that we meet all client legal needs in this discipline.
We represent management in collective bargaining, arbitrations, union-related litigation, and union organizing campaigns and elections. Our attorneys represent clients before the NLRB and state labor relations boards, and litigate in courts throughout the U.S. in matters ranging from mass picketing injunctions to wildcat strikes. In addition, our attorneys provide strategic planning related to organizational changes involving groups of represented employees.
A number of our attorneys focus on advising employers regarding a wide range of labor and employment issues affecting business transactions such as mergers, sales, acquisitions, affiliations, relocations and plant closings. Our attorneys also work closely with the Firms M&A attorneys to produce strategic planning in mergers and acquisitions.
We have extensive experience developing employment, non-compete and termination agreements that are legally defensible and protect employers from future litigation.
Our Labor and Employment attorneys have compiled a strong record of success defending employee discrimination claims before federal and state agencies and in federal and state courts throughout the U.S. In addition, we serve as Employment Practices Liability Insurance panel counsel for major insurance carriers. We defend employers in all types of cases, including discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, wage and hour violations, defamation and breach of contract.
Our Workers’ Compensation attorneys represent self-insured and insured employers in Workers’ Compensation litigation before administrative bodies and federal administrative law judges. They also litigate cases under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act and Pennsylvania Heart and Lung Act.
We provide a number of cost-effective services to help organizations minimize the likelihood of potentially damaging lawsuits. Our attorneys help clients develop policies, job descriptions and practices that comply with all applicable laws and regulations while minimizing the prospects for employee legal actions and union activity.
Our attorneys regularly conduct supervisory and management training focused on such areas as compliance (including FLSA compliance), anti-harassment, substance abuse, union resistance, and vulnerability to union organizing.