Primary Attorney Contact(s): Robert B. Van Cleve and Laurie Lootens Chyz

WHAT BETTER PLACE TO COME FOR EMPLOYMENT ISSUES THAN ONE OF "AMERICA'S GREATEST PLACES TO WORK WITH A LAW DEGREE"?

We all know that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. So we take pride in counseling clients in "preventive" strategies to minimize liability and litigation in employment matters. We help you by providing practical, preventive counseling on labor and employment issues. Our job is to help you avoid problems through effective documentation, and through educating and training managers. When litigation does become necessary, we provide our clients with a vigorous, thorough defense, aimed at achieving the best possible result.

Who are our clients? They include companies from diverse industries, such as airline, paper, and lumber manufacturing, banking and finance, mining. food distribution, cosmetics, biotechnology, clothing, and the computer and high-technology industries. Here's how we work:

Advising and Counseling. We advise employers in all areas of day-to-day personnel practices and employee relations matters, including discrimination and harassment issues, disability and religious accommodation issues, interpretation and application of employment policies and agreements, union matters, layoffs and terminations, conducting and supervising internal investigations, counseling on appropriate actions to minimize risk of liability, coordinating workers' compensation issues with state and federal disability laws, and negotiating and preparing employment contracts and separation agreements. We also prepare non-disclosure, trade secret, non-solicitation, and non-competition agreements.

Employment-at-Will. Many employers seek to preserve an "at will" relationship with their employees. We can help you draft policies and procedures to protect you from liability and preserve "employment-at-will" standards.

Employment Policies and Handbooks. We prepare and review employment policies and employee handbooks for employers of all sizes. Services range from review of particular policies prepared by clients to complete preparation of employee handbooks tailored to the needs of individual employers.

Employment Discrimination. We work with our clients to develop policies and practices to prevent employment discrimination and harassment and to strengthen our clients' defenses to employment discrimination and harassment claims.

Management Training. We provide training programs to educate managers and supervisors to avoid actions that could result in employment law liability. These programs cover performance management and termination, performance appraisal and evaluation, workplace harassment and discrimination, managing leaves of absence and attendance, non-discriminatory employment practices, and interviewing and hiring. We are willing to tailor training programs to your specific needs.

Wage and Hour Matters. We provide day-to-day advice, policy reviews and other services related to wage and hour issues. We also defend claims arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act, Davis Bacon Act, Walsh-Healey Act, and other federal and state wage and hour laws and regulations.

Unemployment Benefits. We represent employers in planning personnel actions to minimize unemployment taxes and assessments and in defending claims for benefits in administrative proceedings and court appeals.

Employment Litigation. We provide an effective defense to employers in wrongful discharge, harassment, discrimination, contract, tort and all other employment-related claims, in federal and state trial and appellate courts, and before administrative tribunals. Our attorneys have extensive, specialized employment litigation experience that enhances our ability to get the best result.

OSHA/ADA. We counsel employers about preventive practices and contesting safety citations and penalties, and represent businesses in administrative and judicial proceedings.

Employee Counseling and Representation. We provide employment advice and assistance to individuals who have been wrongfully terminated, discriminated against, or who are otherwise in need of legal services.

HCMP has been recognized and included in America's Greatest Places To Work With A Law Degree, by Kimm Alayne Walton, J.D., published by Harcourt Brace Legal & Professional Publications.