Venable’s nationally recognized Labor and Employment lawyers have a proven record of helping employers prevent and solve problems in the workplace.
“Labor and employment attorneys at Venable enjoy a national presence that continues to expand and deepen as the East Coast powerhouse finds itself embracing a strong growth mode.”
— Employment Law 360
Venable labor and employment attorneys counsel and litigate on behalf of mid-sized and large employers—unionized and non-union, public and private. We deal with every type of workplace issue, including personnel policies, collective bargaining, union avoidance, EEO claims and class actions, merger and acquisition labor cost reductions, wrongful discharge suits, OSHA, wage and overtime disputes, healthcare cost reductions, ERISA, and trade secrets/non-compete litigation.
Defending against and reducing the risk of class actions.
More class actions are being filed in the employment arena than in any other area of law. Wage and overtime suits and equal employment/discrimination class actions have increased dramatically.
Venable’s labor and employment attorneys are at the forefront in defending employers against class actions. We have represented clients in some of the biggest cases.
To prevent costly litigation, Venable focuses on proactive counseling and training designed to help managers reduce the risk of class actions and better prepare for them.
Achieving labor cost reductions in mergers, acquisitions and reorganizations.
Changes in labor law and employee benefits regulation have increased the importance of sophisticated counseling on labor costs impacting mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcy proceedings.
With proper advice, employers can achieve significant cost savings during corporate reorganizations. Without proper guidance, employers can find themselves owing millions of dollars of unanticipated labor costs or facing governmental interference in their business.
Venable attorneys advise large and mid-sized organizations on how to achieve labor cost reductions. We have successfully negotiated with unions, creditors and insurance providers to meet these objectives.
Proactive defense against union corporate campaigns and pressure tactics.
In the face of a long-term decline in union membership, unions have increasingly turned to non-electoral, “top down” pressure tactics to achieve their organizing goals. Venable labor lawyers have extensive knowledge and experience in helping large and mid-sized corporations deal with union corporate campaigns. As a full-service firm, Venable is able to assemble lobbying and regulatory leaders, litigators and strategic advisors who devise and implement effective defense strategies or take the offense in the courts or in public forums.
Labor policy and legislation.
Venable attorneys are spokespersons and advocates for a broad spectrum of business and trade associations. In this role, we help shape labor-policy initiatives as they are debated in Congress, in government agencies and before the Supreme Court. Venable attorneys have helped build coalitions, written many amicus briefs, testified before Congress and helped develop effective grassroots strategies on issues at the federal and state levels.
Trade secrets and non-compete litigation.
The law of trade secrets and employment agreements has greatly expanded in recent years. Venable attorneys have drafted many agreements to protect intellectual property and have litigated on both sides of these vital issues in employment law.
When needed, we have the resources to get into court immediately where injunctive relief is available to stop misappropriation of trade secrets or to defend against unwarranted attempts to restrict legitimate competition.
Continuing growth of public sector labor law.
Venable has one of the largest teams of attorneys who focus on helping government employers deal with labor and employment issues. Public sector unionization has grown to more than 35 percent of the public workforce, and the trend is expected to continue.
Venable lawyers have broad experience in public sector collective bargaining, arbitrations and public-employee litigation, including class actions.
We are concerned with every aspect of the employer-employee relationship. Our decades of experience across a wide range of industries and areas of law helps our clients control their labor costs, avoid workplace disputes and defend themselves when litigation arises.