Discrimination, Harassment, and Other Workplace Investigations
Harassment and discrimination – whether based on sex, gender, age, race, religion, ethnicity, or disability – will not be tolerated in today’s workplace. Sadly, however, allegations of misconduct are frequently leveled against senior executives by insecure or disgruntled employees who may harbor ulterior motives and whose accusations lack any basis in fact or in law.
Nevertheless, whether founded or unfounded, companies are required to aggressively investigate each and every discrimination or harassment claim. These internal investigations can be brutal. Internal investigations frequently lack due process, and can cause significant damage to personal and professional reputations and on-the-job efficacy, as well as inflict considerable financial harm. Our executive employment attorneys have many years of experience representing executives and academicians targeted in discrimination and harassment cases. We are sensitive to the awkwardness and embarrassment executives typically face in such predicaments, and offer our protection and support. Our attorneys ensure that your rights are respected and strive to minimize your discomfort at each stage of the investigative process, helping you emerge as unscathed as possible.
Averting and Settling Employment Issues
There are seemingly countless ways in which an executive can lock horns with an employer under the many state, local and Federal laws governing their complex relationship. With its ever-rising costs in terms of time, energy and dollars, employment litigation has become the modern “Sport of Kings.” As a result, cost-effective legal counsel must find ways to avoid or resolve employment problems either before the battle lines harden into a legal dispute which is both expensive and often intractable, or as soon as practicable after an actual court case has been started.
Our attorneys bring decades of experience in the litigation of a variety of employment disputes — our attorneys have successfully handled trials of salary disputes, bonus controversies, age, sex and disability discrimination cases, employee libel and wrongful termination lawsuits, to name only a few. Our attorneys creatively pursue ways to anticipate, avert or settle executive employment disputes either before or at an early stage of the legal proceedings.
As a busy executive employment law firm, we have no interest in unnecessarily prolonging any employment dispute. Our attorneys open communications with adversaries and build bridges where possible. If litigation is truly unavoidable, our attorneys do not shy away; we stand our ground and fight the good fight for you. Each time your adversary says “no,” we do everything in our power to find ways around the roadblocks and negotiate a satisfying legal resolution on your behalf.
Of course, there are times when litigation is either unavoidable or strategically important in an employment dispute. Because we are battle-tested litigation attorneys and have tried executive employment cases to conclusion before both judges and juries, our attorneys have the resources, skills and experience to fight on your behalf. As only one example, for a corporate client, we obtained a defendant’s verdict in a Federal jury trial on discrimination charges brought by an ex-employee seeking millions in damages. Our executive employment attorneys view litigation as a last resort when strategy and bargaining have failed.