Katherine G. Rigby

Employment Litigation

• Regularly defends employers in employment discrimination and retaliation cases in state and federal court and has obtained summary judgment in cases involving sexual harassment, retaliation, assault and battery, and age, disability, race, national origin, and gender discrimination.
• Obtained an arbitration award regarding claims of gender discrimination and harassment, retaliation, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and breach of contract.

Wage and Hour Litigation

• Defended and obtained favorable results for employers in state and federal courts involving Massachusetts wage and hour laws relating to alleged unpaid commissions and incentive payments, vacation pay, tip pooling, service charges, meal breaks, overtime, and minimum wage claims.
• Obtained summary judgment in a case involving claims of alleged unpaid commission payments pursuant to the Massachusetts wage and hour statutes and claims of breach of contract.

State and Federal Agencies

• Regularly represents employers before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Kate obtained favorable results defending clients in matters involving retaliation charges, sexual harassment charges, and age, race, national origin, gender, and disability discrimination charges.

• Represent employers before the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office in response to individual and group wage and hour complaints.

Training

• Conducted numerous training courses for management and non-management employees, including, but not limited to, the following state and federal topics:
  • Family, medical, disability, and paid sick leave laws;
  • Disability, pregnancy, and religious accommodation;
  • Prevention of and response to claims of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation;
  • Wage and hour laws;
  • Investigation of internal complaints;
  • Documentation of disciplinary issues; and
  • Confidentiality and restrictive covenant issues.
• Completed all MCAD-Certified Train-the-Trainer Courses, including:
  • Preventing Discrimination in the Workplace,
  • Preventing Harassment in the Workplace,
  • Responding to Accommodation Requests, and
  • Conducting Internal Discrimination Complaint Investigations.

Employment Counseling

• Counsels employers on all human resource issues, such as incentive compensation and other wage and hour issues, employment agreements (including confidentiality agreements and restrictive covenants), handbooks and policies, hiring new employees, employee discipline and terminations, reductions in force, conducting internal investigations, engaging in the interactive process required under state and federal disability laws, and complying with other federal and state employment laws.

Restrictive Covenant Matters

• Successfully represented employers and individuals involving restrictive covenants disputes and litigation.