Labor & Employment

Lathrop & Gage attorneys offer a combination of in-house training, ongoing advice and litigation support to encourage awareness and proactive management of labor and employment issues. We represent employers across the country in comprehensive labor and employment law matters and litigation, including a proven track record in matters such as non-compete clauses, discrimination and harassment claims or union negotiations.   

Some of the primary matters we handle include:

• Conflict resolution/litigation
• Employee benefits/executive compensation
• Immigration
• Workplace safety
• Regulatory and compliance
• Labor relations
• Workers’ compensation

Working closely with corporate counsel and human resources personnel, Lathrop & Gage maintains responsive communication throughout our work on prevention audits, employment evaluations and disciplinary actions, OSHA and other federal inquiries, restructuring and ERISA matters.

Lathrop & Gage attorneys are knowledgeable about the day-to-day labor and employment issues that employers face. We also provide tactics to successfully enforce intellectual property and trade secrets protection and defend claims of unfair labor and employment practices. We appear regularly in state and federal courts and before governmental administrative agencies. Representative clients include trucking and transportation firms, agribusinesses and food chains, automakers, manufacturers, retailers, hotels and hospitality companies, municipalities, K-12 school districts and colleges and universities of many sizes.

Our involvement in several employment-related organizations and advocacy for fair legislative policy keeps us highly focused on how current or proposed laws affect your industry.

Leverage Our Resources  

Lathrop & Gage offers two other unique aspects to our labor and employment practice:

• HROI (Human Resources - Return on Investment) is a full-service human resources consulting and training firm providing counseling to employers on day-to-day employee relations issues as well as training, crisis management, audits, compliance reviews, policy development, handbook review, planning for and implementing reductions in force, and responding to government agencies. 
• Employment Law Alliance – Lathrop & Gage is a member of this integrated global practice network that comprises more than 75 premier, independent law firms distinguished for their practice in employment and labor law.  By tapping this extensive global network, clients have a ready-response legal team in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 300 cities around the world.

Call on Lathrop & Gage and HROI to present in-house training seminars on a variety of issues, including interviewing and screening job applicants, harassment prevention, effective performance reviews, termination procedures, avoiding discrimination charges and developing personnel manuals and procedures. We can help you build strength through awareness.

Representative Experience:

• Guided professional services organization through nationwide reduction in force of more than 200 employees. As a result, no claims or suits were filed.
• Guided management of a bio-based food manufacturer through investigation of harassment and potential whistleblowing claims. As a result, no lawsuit was filed.
• Handle all charges and defend international film exhibition company nationwide in all employment cases, including claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, whistleblowing and ERISA/employee benefits.
• Assisted transportation company in complying with WARN Act obligations arising out of reduction in work force. As a result, no claims were filed.
• Successfully negotiated numerous collective bargaining agreements for America’s largest brick manufacturer.

Speaking Engagements