Employees are your greatest asset, and managing your workforce well is vital to the long-term success of your organization.
Worked successfully with a client and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to negotiate a settlement in one of the first lawsuits in which the EEOC sought to apply Title VII’s prohibition against sexual discrimination to claims of sexual orientation discrimination, specifically acknowledging the client’s forward-thinking policies. Created an unprecedented partnership between the client and the EEOC to develop a training module on LGBTQ workplace issues that the EEOC could provide to employers nationwide.
Resolved a purported wage and hour class action lawsuit for a Boston-based hotel group after taking over the matter from prior counsel. Only eight weeks before trial, we joined as defense counsel, given our prior success for other clients that had been sued by this prominent plaintiffs’ firm. The case was resolved at mediation within two months of our retention for an extremely small amount of money and without any further consequences to the hotel group’s national operations.
Provided ongoing advice and counsel to the legal and human resources departments of the nation’s oldest orthopedic hospital, which is also the United States’ leading specialty hospital, concerning a full array of employee relations- and employment-related issues. Provided high-level analysis for the CEO and general counsel concerning an early retirement incentive program versus a reduction in force, counsel concerning a group of individuals requesting religious accommodation and revision of human resources policy and practices, revision of a wellness plan under new guidance provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act, and repeated counsel and representation related to employees alleging serious wage and hour violations by the hospital and its doctors.
Developed a nationwide independent contractor compliance program for contracts with independent installation professionals, including drafting of individual agreements and a dispute resolution program, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 3 program compliance and providing regular advice on emerging issues.
Developed and audited corporate immigration compliance programs and policies with respect to I-9 and Public Access File compliance, business travelers, third-party placements, reimbursement agreements and permanent residence sponsorship.
Assisted in the merger of two of the nation’s largest healthcare systems, conducting due diligence and strategic risk analysis related to employee benefits and executive compensation. Worked with both organizations to evaluate transition strategies and, ultimately, the migration to a common platform for employee benefits across the new system. This included the evaluation and design of executive compensation programs, structuring and documenting retention incentives, designing and implementing reduction-in-force severance programs, and analyzing existing executive obligations.
Struck a landmark agreement with a hotel labor union in a marathon bargaining session that saved a historic East Coast hotel from closing. The three-year agreement gave the distressed hotel a chance to get back on its feet while preserving jobs for hotel employees – and forged a new benchmark in hospitality labor agreements. The agreement provided an exit for employees from the national retirement fund while implementing a new 401(k) plan, included increased employee healthcare premiums with a performance incentive to defray the increase, gave employees more flexibility in paid-time-off arrangements and froze wages at a slightly elevated level for three years.
