Employment

Farella Braun + Martel's employment law attorneys specialize in providing employment litigation and counseling services to employers.  We work with employers to find the most effective ways of achieving their goals while minimizing litigation risks.  Our advisory clients range from leaders in the wine industry to major and emerging Bay Area technology companies, and from small, private employers to publicly traded corporations.  We frequently work with the firm's Business Transactions, Intellectual Property, Tax, Insurance Coverage and other practice groups to take an interdisciplinary approach to learning about our clients' employment issues, their context within the workplace, and the companies' business priorities, leading to timely, thoughtful and practical advice.

Our employment law attorneys counsel businesses on a full range of employment law matters, including:

• Effective and lawful hiring processes, including interviews and background checks;
• Preparation and implementation of personnel manuals and policies;
• Overtime classification, breaks, hours worked, wage payment and other compliance with California and federal wage and hour laws;
• Protection of trade secrets as employees depart, and avoidance of litigation when hiring employees from competitors;
• Investigation and remedy of illegal harassment allegations;
• Legal obligations to grant leaves of absence and otherwise accommodate disabilities, balanced against the employer's ability to regulate attendance and performance;
• Proper selection and processing of workforce reductions;
• Discipline, discharge and severance;
• Management training to assure effective and lawful performance;
• Investigations of workplace violence and establishment of appropriate protective measures;
• Employee privacy protections; and
• Insurance coverage for various employment-related disputes.

If litigation becomes necessary, our Employment Group provides top-quality trial work and litigation management, and effective alternative dispute resolution.  From the start of any litigation, we partner with our clients to find cost-effective resolution methods consistent with the employer's goals and business needs.  Our experience includes trials before juries, judges and arbitrators, as well as appeals before state and federal panels.  We also regularly appear before governmental agencies in hearings regarding employment matters, including wages, hours, commissions, bonuses and working conditions.  Our employment litigators possess the skills and experience needed to resolve even the most complex, high-stakes employment disputes.