Skip to content Employment Law

Employment Law

Practice Contacts

Debra Ellwood Meppen
Partner

Overview

Employment Law

The Employment Law Group provides employment counseling and litigation services to world-renowned universities, medical centers and nearly every type of business, from Fortune 500 corporations to startups and nonprofits. Our attorneys complement litigation expertise with preventive training, offering guidance in programs and techniques designed to avoid the consequence and cost of further involvement with conflict and dispute management.

Counseling and Training

We also counsel clients on compliance with laws in the areas of hiring, promotion, discipline, termination, compensation, harassment, substance abuse, wage and hour, affirmative action, and independent contractor arrangements. We assist with periodic reviews of policies and practices to assure compliance with changing laws. We also provide training on a wide range of subjects, including maintaining a workplace free of harassment and discrimination, and effective hiring and discipline.

Litigation

The Employment Law Group's trial lawyers represent management in employment disputes in state and federal court, both at the trial and appellate levels, and before federal and state administrative agencies such as the EEOC, the NLRB, the Department of Fair Employment & Housing, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Industrial Relations.

Federal Sector EEO

The Employment Law Group provides EEO services to federal agencies administering a complaint process. Our lawyers ensure that agency complaint procedures protect the rights of any party who utilizes the process through its legal sufficiency reviews and provision of complete and impartial individual and class action investigations, management inquiries, EEO counseling, mediation, conciliations, final agency decisions, and settlement agreement and EEOC order enforcements. We also train agency management and line employees on rights and obligations under all laws, statutes, regulations and Executive Orders that impact the public sector workforce and environment. 

ADA Compliance and Defense

The Employment Law Group has special expertise in handling cases alleging violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act which seek statutory damages for alleged violations of the ADA. Our lawyers' ADA experience also includes website accessibility claims brought by persons with visual disabilities and website content claims brought by persons with mobility disabilities. In addition, we have defended service animal cases as well as comfort animal claims brought pursuant to the federal Fair Housing Act and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act. We have also defended personal injury actions involving all of the aforementioned disability access laws. Our experience includes representation of both landlords and tenants in disability access cases involving all types of businesses, including many retail and hospitality clients, nationwide. 

Immigration Services & Compliance Support

The Employment Law Group assists clients and management in compliance with federal immigration laws and regulations, and helps to fulfill employment goals and needs by obtaining work-related visas. We also provide effective, result-oriented litigation services in appeals and deportation hearings at the administrative and federal court levels.

Cost-Effective Results

The Group focuses on early and realistic assessment of case risks so that resources are allocated wisely and money spent only where it can do the most good. Our well-publicized winning track record in high exposure cases against the best lawyers affords the Group’s litigators the credibility necessary to achieve advantageous and discounted settlements.

Pre-Trial Practice Philosophy

  • Effective representation at trial is often the product of an effective pre-trial practice.
     
  • Strategically planned and well-crafted motions can resolve the case before trial.
     
  • Motions can pare down the issues to be tried and allow for the strategic removal (or inclusion) of portions of the case which may assist a jury in rendering a verdict in the client’s favor.

Wage-and-Hour Class Actions

Devoted exclusively to representing management, the Employment Law Group has successfully defended many wage-and-hour class, collective and representative actions in numerous industries, including successfully defeating class certification in wage-and-hour class actions on numerous occasions. Our wage-and-hour class action expertise includes all phases of class litigation, from class certification and subsequent litigation through settlement and claims proceedings.

Lawyers
Results
Publications
News

Employment Law Fast Facts

  • 482 Attorneys
  • National experience
  • Extensive trial experience in state and federal courts, as well as numerous reported appellate decisions


    • Webinar Archive

    GRSM National Employment Law Webinar Series: Our thought leaders share updates on the latest employment trends and laws that impact your organization.

Loading...