Employment Law for Employers

Proven Employment Litigation Defense Attorneys

Attorneys

Langton, Derek
Gavre, W. Mark
Blattner-Thompson, Elisabeth R.
Zody, Michael A.
Austin, Spencer E.
Wangsgard, Chris
Cassas, Frank
Thronson, Charles H.
Burgess, Lorna Rogers
Kirschner, Lisa
Stilling, William J.
Blanch, James T.
Scott, Laura S.
Schmutz, Christina
Reyes, Sean D.
Droubay, Jeffrey J.
Farrell, Nicole G.
Brutsch, Stefan P.
Tsai, Roger
Baird, Susan E.

Corporation owners and executives throughout the United States rely on the employment litigation defense lawyers of Parsons Behle & Latimer for a broad range of services, from preventive counseling and training programs to litigation and settlement strategies. Contact: Elisabeth Blattner-Thompson, 801-536-6611, EBlattner@parsonsbehle.com.

Parsons Behle & Latimer’s employment lawyers represent business clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts and administrative agencies in lawsuits and other proceedings involving employment and workplace claims. Our lawyers have successfully defended and prosecuted a broad range of employment cases for business clients. In particular, our employment litigators have been successful in obtaining dismissal by summary judgment in numerous cases involving all types of statutory and common law claims brought by employees. In teaming with our clients who are in litigation, we strive to be responsive and cost-effective.

Employment litigation defense and preventative counseling

Within each area of employment law, our employment law attorneys offer clients a level of concentration expected from smaller, specialized firms. In addition, clients also benefit from our access to the firm’s transactional, environmental, and corporate lawyers who can offer pertinent information on cases such as tax and environmental issues. We approach our work with our clients as a partnership, encouraging openness, feedback, and common goal setting. Informative seminars, newsletters, and compliance programs are only a few of the extra services we provide.

We provide effective litigation defense and legal counsel in all areas of employment law:

Accommodating Disabilities
Benefits
Confidentiality Agreements
Discipline
Discrimination
DOL Audits
Employment Contracts
ERISA
Family and Medical Leave Act
Handbooks
Harassment
Hiring
Immigration
Investigations
I-9 Compliance
Labor Law
MSHA
Non-Compete Agreements
Non-Solicitation Agreements
OFCCP Audits
OSHA
Overtime
Privacy and HIPAA
Qui-Tam
Reductions in Force
Retaliation
Termination
Union Relations
Visas
Wages
WARN Act
Whistleblowers
Workers Compensation
Wrongful Discharge
Youth Employment

We will be proud to discuss our experience and representative cases during your initial consultation. We also welcome the opportunity to present proposals involving non-hourly alternatives, particularly retainers.

Employment litigation

From discrimination and wrongful discharge to whistleblower and ERISA claims, Parsons Behle & Latimer litigation attorneys have an impressive record litigating claims. They also represent clients in mediations and arbitrations pursuant to collective bargaining agreements, private agreements, court-referred ADR and brokerage and other contracts and also frequently advise clients regarding the benefits of mediation and arbitration procedures. Additionally, a number of the firm's employment lawyers have served as neutrals in mediations and arbitrations.

Attorneys focused on this area:

ADA and Disability Accommodation

Since 1992, when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed, our employment lawyers have worked with numerous clients to resolve conflicts about the accommodations employers must provide. With over a decade of defending claims of noncompliance in this area, members of our employment law department can clarify reasonable accommodation issues, and advise clients regarding the nature of the appropriate dialogue with persons claiming a disability under the Act. Because the Act often presents difficult legal issues and practical problems for employers, including whether a person actually has a covered disability, our employment lawyers provide guidance in defending claims that have been filed and also recommendations about how such claims can be avoided.

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Discrimination in the Workplace

Human resource managers, business owners and corporate managers look to Parsons Behle & Latimer for advice about discrimination claims. We handle lawsuits involving discrimination based on race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability and pregnancy as well as harassment and retaliation claims. We also offer advice and guidance to employers about how to avoid such suits, including the nature of the policies and employee training that employers now must establish and provide.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Employee Pension and Benefits

We provide employers who sponsor pension, health, and other employee benefit plans regulated by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) with advice about plan administration as well as defense against employee claims associated with such plans. Using an interdisciplinary team approach, Parsons Behle & Latimer’s employment lawyers also work with corporate and tax lawyers to advise clients on drafting and amending qualified pension and profit sharing plans, stock option and other employee benefits plans.

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Immigration Law

Parsons Behle & Latimer has a significant immigration law practice that assists employers who use skilled and technical workers for temporary discrete projects as well as for long-term employment. Our immigration lawyers’ skills include labor certifications and non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications, as well as I-9 compliance and audits.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Labor Law and Union Relations

With a long history of representing business clients under the National Labor Relations Act, our employment lawyers have extensive litigation and counseling experience involving union organization drives, obtaining injunctions against unlawful strikes and picketing, as well as contract negotiations. Our labor lawyers also have handled numerous grievance arbitrations as well as election and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Non-Compete and Confidentiality

Parsons Behle & Latimer employment lawyers regularly represent employers seeking enforcement of non-compete covenants and confidentiality agreements. We are experienced in obtaining temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions. Our employment lawyers have represented many companies in obtaining injunctions and other relief against former employees using confidential client lists, trade secrets and other privileged information.

Attorneys focused on this area:

OSHA and MSHA

Lawyers at Parsons Behle & Latimer have extensive experience in this area, handling every type of dispute before industrial agencies, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Commission, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), as well as in state and federal courts. Our experience includes litigation involving industrial accidents and industrial health and hygiene disputes with various federal, state and local agencies. We also focus on preventive counseling to avoid lawsuits. We work with engineering, industrial hygiene and safety experts, along with our clients’ staff, to maximize workplace safety.

Attorney focused on this area:

Preventive Counseling

We work closely with clients to address employment and workplace issues before they become problems, or result in lawsuits. Employment decisions involving hiring, layoffs, terminations, as well as employee benefits, compensation, handbooks, training and complaint investigations are among the issues and areas in which we have experience advising clients.

We also provide to clients and other businesses on-site training for managers, supervisors and employees on such topics as workplace harassment, internal complaint procedures and privacy. These can be tailored to meet the employer’s specific needs; we often team with inside human resources professionals in providing this training.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Privacy and HIPAA

Parsons Behle & Latimer’s employment lawyers who focus their practices on technology and healthcare advise clients about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other privacy laws. Related federal and state law requirements regarding the privacy of computer and e-commerce data are also areas that need to be covered in privacy compliance programs. Our employment attorneys can assist businesses in developing and implementing privacy policies that will prevent legal actions and complaints based on these complex privacy laws and regulations. We offer both customized privacy training programs and one-on-one counseling.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Reductions in Force

Parsons Behle & Latimer regularly advises clients throughout the intermountain region about reductions in force and layoffs. We counsel clients about compliance with the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA), the Work Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) to avoid disputes and prevent potential employee claims.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Sexual and Other Harassment Claims

The employment lawyers at Parsons Behle & Latimer have successfully defended a wide range of employers against sexual and other harassment claims in courts and in arbitrations and grievance hearings. Our employment litigation lawyers also work with clients to develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent harassment charges and complaints. We offer on-site training, investigations and advice regarding the types of policies and procedures employers must now maintain in order to protect themselves against such harassment claims.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Wage and Hour Guidance

Parsons Behle & Latimer’s employment lawyers advise employers on issues under the Fair Labor Standards Act including designation of exempt and non-exempt jobs, payment of overtime and the design of policies and procedures for avoiding claims. We also handle wage and hour disputes, including Department of Labor audits and claims for overtime pay by current or former employees.

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Whistleblower Complaints

Major clients rely on Parsons Behle & Latimer’s employment attorneys for representation in connection with claims of retaliation under the whistleblower provisions of environmental statutes such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Act and other statutes.

Attorneys focused on this area:

Workers’ Compensation

Parsons Behle & Latimer’s employment attorneys represent employers in claims brought by employees and former employees under workers’ compensation laws, including hearings before administrative law judges and subsequent appeals. We are also experienced in using the defenses provided by the worker’s compensation laws in assisting employers to obtain dismissal of suits that are barred by those laws.

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Wrongful Discharge Claims

Employment attorneys at Parsons Behle & Latimer are experienced in assisting employers when they defend claims of wrongful termination based on implied-in-fact contracts, express contracts, statutory discrimination provisions, as well as “public policy.” We also assist clients in defending against and avoiding such claims as negligent hiring and infliction of emotional distress.

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Click here to view our list employment law representative case list.

Contact us to discuss your specific employment litigation defense needs.