Employment Law

McDowell Rice’s Labor and Employment practice helps companies and organizations meet the challenges of the modern workplace. Our lawyers provide advice and litigation representation regarding a variety of employment matters, including disputes involving trade secrets, non-competition agreements, and executive compensation. We assist employers in drafting and implementing personnel policies and procedures that comply with applicable law and are tailored to meet the clients’ business needs.  Our experience spans all aspects of employment disputes in state and federal trial and appellate courts, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and related federal, state and local agencies. Our diverse team of employment litigators offers a wide range of expertise in employment claims, from training in diversity and EEO compliance, investigating complaints of harassment or discrimination, providing guidance to employers to address existing or potential employment issues, and handling all facets of employment dispute litigation, including the following: 

• ADA Compliance
• Discipline and Discharge
• Discrimination Claims involving race, gender, age, disability, religion and national origin
• Employee Handbooks
• Employment Policies
• Family and Medical Leave
• Misappropriation of Trade Secrets
• Employee Agreements
• Non-Competition Agreements
• Sexual Harassment
• Wage and Hour Compliance and Disputes

Recent examples of our work include:

• Favorable determination from the EEOC in response to charges of sex discrimination brought against a regional restaurant chain by several former employees
• Defense verdict for governmental agency in retaliation case brought by former employee
• Defense verdict for national engineering firm upheld by Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in age discrimination case following a reduction in force
• Assisting client in avoiding sexual harassment and retaliation claims by investigating charges, assisting with discipline and termination decisions and providing training to managers, supervisors and employees
• Favorable judgment enforcing non-compete agreement against former employees of regional financial services firm