Employment law encompasses a broad spectrum of work-related matters: hiring and firing; establishing and enforcing workplace rules and regulations; employee job-performance and conduct; compensation and benefits; disputes between employers and employees and among co-workers; and compliance with state and federal laws governing hiring, firing and workforce management. At the outset of an employment relationship, a sophisticated employer will engage an employment lawyer to prepare a clear and concise compensation package, as well as appropriate agreements to protect the employer’s confidential, proprietary and trade secret information. While an astute employee needs competent counsel to insure that she is fairly rewarded for her contributions to the employer’s success and that she is not subjected to unreasonable, overly-restrictive post-employment covenants.
Unfortunately, finding the right lawyer to represent you in any of the abovementioned areas can be very stressful, especially if you have just experienced an adverse employment action, or someone you employ has been accused of discrimination, harassment, retaliation or any other illegal employment action.
So the question is: how do you pick the right employment law attorney? To help you make this difficult decision, here are a few things that you might want to consider.
Familiarity with the local legal environment. When given the choice, you should prefer a local attorney over one that’s from across the country. These attorneys are better able to anticipate, understand, and deal with the issues commonly experienced by the local legal community. Moreover, they’ll be more familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of opposing counsel, as well as the general disposition of the local judges.
Experience and specialization. Don’t go to a dentist if you’re having trouble with your back. Solid advice, right? In the same light, you shouldn’t go to a personal injury lawyer if you’re experiencing employment issues. You’ll want an attorney who not only treats employment law as a specialty, but also has significant experience in that particular field. Experienced attorneys will bring their negotiation and litigation skills to the table as well as knowledge only learned through years of experience.
Professionalism and attitude. Though attitude may seem unimportant when compared to academic and practical skills, we assure you that your attorney’s general disposition towards your case will definitely affect its outcome. You need a hard-hitting professional who gives your case the attention it deserves, someone who wants to win and won’t settle for anything less than a fair outcome. It’s highly likely that a weak-willed attorney will settle your case for too much or too little, fail to exhaust all possible solutions, or be bullied around by the opposing counsel.
Call us to help with your employment law needs. Bryan has extensive experience handling all manner of employment related disputes including: sexual harassment; discrimination and retaliation claims; wrongful termination; non-compete and trade secrets matters; and wage and employee benefits based claims. He has also written and negotiated numerous executive employment and compensation agreements, severance agreements and non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements. He will provide the experience and expertise your employment law matter needs.