Arnold & Porter LLP has a core team of employment lawyers who work on a national level to assist clients with high-stakes employment litigation, employment law counseling, and sophisticated corporate/transactional employment matters.
Our clients benefit from our interdisciplinary approach to addressing employment issues and from Arnold & Porter's highly skilled attorneys in the related areas of compensation and benefits, corporate and securities, bankruptcy, litigation, and other relevant fields.
Employment Litigation
We have litigated employment disputes in state and federal courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and state and local human rights agencies involving a variety of employment-related claims, including wrongful termination, breach of contract, retaliation, discrimination and harassment, invasion of privacy and "whistleblower" violations, employee-raiding, and breaches of restrictive covenants.
The firm has substantial experience in class actions, statistical proof, and complex federal litigation.
Compliance and Counseling
In addition, the team counsels clients on a full range of employment law compliance issues. Our team provides clients with sound and cutting-edge advice on how to comply with the ever-expanding regulatory and statutory framework of federal and state employment laws, including the FMLA, ADA, ADEA, Title VII, COBRA, ERISA, WARN Act, and FLSA. We routinely review and develop employee policies, handbooks, offer letters, employment contracts, separation agreements, and other related documents.
Our lawyers also assist clients in handling difficult termination and hiring issues, as well as sensitive matters involving restrictive covenants and trade secrets. Our counseling is designed to place the client in the best position should litigation arise, as a company's exposure can be diminished significantly by careful planning and early action before litigation is filed.
Corporate Transactions
We regularly negotiate high-level employment contracts and separation agreements for employers and executives. In addition, we have a robust corporate/transactional practice where employment law issues frequently arise: for example, in merger and acquisition due diligence.
Pro Bono
Our firm has a four-decades-long tradition of public service and an active pro bono docket of employment-related matters. In one of the largest settlements ever obtained in a Title VII case against the US government, the firm won more than $1 million for a client in a race discrimination suit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In addition, the firm has represented a class of black FBI agents in raising and negotiating the settlement of their claims of race discrimination against the Bureau.