Overview
For employers grappling with a dynamic legal landscape, workplace compliance can seem like a moving target. Epstein Becker Green acts as a strategic business partner for your human capital needs, helping you anticipate change and shape solutions in real time.
Employers of all sizes—from start-ups to international Fortune 100 corporations—rely on us for advice in all 50 states and around the world. Whether we’re providing day-to-day counsel, investigating bad actors, or planning for a reorganization, we engage fully with your unique business issues as we help you navigate evolving federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Counsel for Day-to-Day (and Year-to-Year) Needs
Our approach to counseling goes beyond answering one-off questions. Our lawyers commit to your business, learn your operations, and often act as embedded or outside "in-house" counsel. Working closely with human resources and in-house legal teams, we draft policies, procedures, and agreements that inspire engagement and incentivize productivity. We often advise on issues at the leading edge of the law, setting precedent in employment, discipline, termination, leave of absence, and reasonable accommodation policy and practice decisions. We draft and negotiate state-of-the-art employment, consulting, intellectual property, confidentiality, restrictive covenant, separation, and other agreements for employees at all levels. No matter how novel or complex the question, our knowledge of both your business and the relevant laws helps us resolve problems efficiently.
Responding to Emerging Technologies, Social Movements, and World Events
From artificial intelligence (AI), equal pay, and remote/hybrid work to social justice and economic uncertainty, emerging technologies, social movements, and world events profoundly affect the workplace. We help companies anticipate important trends and make the changes employees and regulators want to see in recruiting and hiring policies, agile working structures, and more. Employers also seek our guidance on using AI tools in the workplace, conducting pay equity analyses, handling remote and hybrid work arrangements, planning for pandemics and future emergencies, and creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. In addition, we deliver valuable benchmarking information that shows you options and what’s “market” for employers in your industry.
Handling Business Upheaval
Major business change comes with major people—and legal—issues. We've worked with companies through every stage of the business cycle—and we know how to handle the critical employment concerns in management changes, going public, restructurings, reductions in force, and corporate relocations. We help employers with wage and hour issues (including conducting audits and assessing whether workers are classified properly), employee relations improvements, employee benefit plans, and executive compensation. And when a company wants to stop departing employees from competing against or otherwise interfering with the business, we advise on the use of restrictive covenants, pointing out jurisdictional differences as to their enforceability, duration, geographical scope, and notice requirements. We also prepare you to respond to public and media interest when major business changes occur.
Coordinated Strategies
How do you set employment policy for a company doing business in 50 states—and various cities within those states? Talk to lawyers who've been on the ground in all 50. We provide best practices, from hiring and onboarding processes, to required notices, postings, and policies, through employment restrictions and entitlements upon termination of employment. We draw on the knowledge of lawyers across our offices to address the nuances of local and state legal developments and provide consistent, comprehensive solutions.
Internal Investigations
When an employee makes a claim of misconduct, harassment, or discrimination, employers need to act fast. Whether we lead an investigation or advise a company on how to conduct its own, employers rely on us to help them marshal the facts and make critical decisions. We collect and review documents, conduct interviews, and, if appropriate, draft a written report of our findings. We understand the importance of completing the investigation in an expeditious manner. Companies also hire us to review previous investigations or provide a second opinion. Should litigation or arbitration arise, we use our findings to develop compelling legal arguments and present sound fact witnesses.
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Focus Areas
Experience
- Successfully counseled a highly trusted advisor and counselor to many of the world’s most influential businesses and institutions in its potential onboarding and hiring of more than 200 global partners and members of the executive leadership team in over 20 countries across six continents. We continue to provide due diligence and strategic advice to this client on a global basis.
- Assisted a publicly traded global insurance company in investigating allegations of misconduct by two executives. We also prepared and negotiated severance agreements, termination scripts, internal and external announcements, and notice to applicable regulatory agencies, thus avoiding a costly and disruptive dispute that would have attracted unwanted media attention.
- Provided human resource advice and counsel to a medical sector specialty company in Connecticut on such topics as the acquisition of new businesses, restructurings, confidentiality agreements, severance agreements, and multistate employee handbooks. We continue to counsel this client nationally on employee disciplinary and accommodation matters.
- Advised a water services company on conducting a reduction in force in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (“WARN”) Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other state and federal laws. We acted as the lead labor and employment adviser in this reduction in force, which resulted in substantial cost savings to the company.
- Evaluated, on behalf of multiple clients, artificial intelligence (“AI”) vendors for the clients’ employee recruitment, selection, and onboarding functions. We assisted our clients in assessing the product offerings, reviewing vendor contracts, identifying the appropriate questions to ask the vendors about their AI products, monitoring and testing those products, and evaluating whether those products would raise any legal issues.
- Provide day-to-day employment law services to a growing pharmaceutical company in the Northeast. We have supplied workplace compliance counseling on matters such as employee discipline, leave requests, and hirings and terminations.
Contacts
- Member of the Firm
- Board of Directors / Member of the Firm
Media
Events
Past Events
- November 29, 2023
Insights
Insights
- BlogsMassachusetts Federal Judge Rules that Protected Activity Does Not Shield an Employee from the Consequences of Engaging in ...5 minute read
- BlogsPay Transparency Remains in Vogue This Legislative Session – Part 2: Pay Data Reporting5 minute read
- Media CoverageMike Kun Provides Guidance on Independent Contractor Classification—Risks of Misclassifying and How to Evaluate a ...2 minute read
- Media CoverageNancy Gunzenhauser Popper Quoted in “EEOC's Lucas Urges 'Human Touch' to Ease Holiday Stress”3 minute read
- BlogsFirst Circuit Rules in Favor of Private School in Teacher’s ADA Suit5 minute read
- BlogsThe SEC Announces a Record-Breaking Year for Its Whistleblower Program2 minute read
- BlogsSmall City, Big Ideas: Predictive Scheduling Comes to Evanston, IL, with New Pay Mandates7 minute read
- PublicationsDealing with Controversial Commentary? Some Guidance and Guardrails for Employers19 minute read
- Media CoverageAdam S. Forman Quoted in “Attorneys Leery of AI's Use in Disability Accommodation Talks”3 minute read
- PublicationsOverlooked Risks for Employers Using AI Tools6 minute read
- Media CoverageShira Blank Quoted in “4 Tips as EEOC Takes Aim at Surging Mental Health Claims”4 minute read
- Media CoveragePaul DeCamp Quoted in “Inadequate Labor Department Resources Stymie Enforcement Efforts”5 minute read
- BlogsImmediate Action Required: Make the Swift Switch to the New Form I-94 minute read
- BlogsColorado Releases Proposed Updates to Equal Pay Act Regulations5 minute read
- PublicationsHandling Religious Objections to Abortion-Related Job Duties2 minute read
- BlogsExecutive Order on Artificial Intelligence Establishes Rules for Public Sector and Furthers Predictions for Private ...13 minute read
- BlogsAnswering a Major Question No One Asked: NLRB Issues Final Rule on Joint-Employer Status5 minute read
- BlogsMassachusetts Employers: Don’t be Scared! Key Updates Coming to the Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law ...4 minute read
- Media CoverageSteve Swirsky Quoted in “NLRB Adopts Expanded Joint Employer Rule”3 minute read
- PublicationsCalifornia Makes Its Strict Noncompete Law Even Stricter5 minute read
- Media CoverageElizabeth Houghton LaGreca Quoted in “LGBTQ+ Protections in New EEOC Guidance Face Legal Headwinds”4 minute read
- PublicationsCalifornia Employers: Increased Paid Sick Leave Effective January 1, 20246 minute read
- Media CoverageKate Rigby Quoted in “Training Repayment Agreements: What Employers Need to Know for 2024”2 minute read
- Media CoverageSusan Gross Sholinsky Quoted in “5 Compliance Considerations for Companies with a Remote Workforce”2 minute read
- PublicationsNon-Compete Laws: Illinois – Q&A Guide for Employers, 2023 Update2 minute read
- BlogsCalifornia Governor Newsom Vetoes State-Wide Ban on Caste Discrimination as “Unnecessary”1 minute read
- Media CoverageJeff Ruzal Quoted in “4-Day Workweek Shows Promise Despite Compliance Issues”2 minute read
- BlogsThe EEOC Proposes Significant New Guidance on Workplace Harassment to Replace 30+ Years of Advice4 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Two Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Named to the 2023 Connecticut Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
13 minute read - BlogsThey Finally Hit Refresh: After More Than a Year of Delays, It Is Time to Officially Welcome WCAG 2.29 minute read
- Media CoverageJeff Ruzal Quoted in “Perdue, Tyson Foods Face ‘Unique’ Probe in Child Labor Crackdown”5 minute read
- PublicationsCalifornia Employers: Amended Ban-the-Box Regulations Effective October 1, 202314 minute read
- BlogsEleventh Circuit Adopts Employer-Friendly Standard for Establishing Key Element of SOX Whistleblower Claim6 minute read
- BlogsNew York Paid Family Leave Benefits and Contribution Rates Changing (Again) in 20242 minute read
- BlogsEEOC’s Proposed Regulation for Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Contemplates Abortion-Related Accommodations10 minute read
- BlogsTaking Stock of New York City’s Automated Employment Decision Tools Law11 minute read
- Media CoverageAdam S. Forman Quoted in “Despite Bias Fears, AI Could Make Workplaces Fairer”2 minute read
- PublicationsNon-Compete Laws: Massachusetts – Q&A Guide for Employers, 2023 Update1 minute read
- BlogsBicycles, Trains, and Automobiles: Illinois to Require Employers to Offer Pre-Tax Transportation Fringe Benefits ...5 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Twenty-One Attorneys Named to the 2023 New York Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
12 minute read - Media CoverageJeff Ruzal Quoted in “3 Tips for Complying with NY's Salary Disclosure Law”3 minute read
- BlogsEmployers Beware: SEC Targets Employment Agreements Under Whistleblower Protection Rules3 minute read
- BlogsNew York State Promulgates Regulations for Its New Pay Range Disclosure Law5 minute read
- Media CoverageJeff Ruzal Quoted in “5 Things to Know About Retaliation in Employment Law”2 minute read
- Media CoverageJeff Ruzal Quoted in “EEOC, DOL Wage Arm Ink Broad Deal to Team Up on Enforcement”4 minute read
- Media CoverageJeff Ruzal Quoted in “’Jury Is Out’ on New NY Wage Theft Law”3 minute read
- BlogsSEC Levies a Six Figure Fine Against a Private Company for Language in Its Separation Agreements, Continuing the Aggressive ...3 minute read
- BlogsCalifornia Privacy Protection Agency Public Board Meeting Sheds Light on Upcoming Risk Assessment and Cybersecurity Audit ...12 minute read
- BlogsCalifornia Passes the First U.S. State-wide Ban on Caste Discrimination3 minute read
- BlogsVideo: How the NLRB’s Labor-Friendly Actions Are Affecting Union and Non-Union Employers – Employment Law This ...4 minute read