Employment

We offer a wide range of employment-related legal services.   From employment contracts and employee manuals, to employee non-competition, non-solicitation and non-disclosure issues, to employment trade secrets, to employment discrimination and harassment claims, to wage-and-hour issues, to independent contractor v. employee characterizations, to employee dishonesty problems, to severance and wrongful termination issues, our experience has run the gamut.

Discrimination Law

We protect employees from unlawful discrimination in employment; we help employers deal with claims of discrimination.  Contrary to popular belief, not all discrimination is unlawful, however.   Learn more about Employment Discrimination Law.

Harassment Law

Like discrimination, not all employer or employee conduct that might be deemed “harassment” is unlawful.  The harassment must be based on one of the categories protected by statute:  race, gender, national origin, religion, etc.  And unless the harassing conduct is patently offensive, the offending party may be entitled to “one bite at the apple” without consequence.  View more about Harassment Law.

Wrongful Termination

We are fond of saying we have yet to meet the terminated employee who did not believe the termination was wrongful.  Unfortunately for employees (and fortunately for employers) in most cases California law gives the employer the right to terminate the employee with or without cause.  But there are many exceptions, including terminations based on protected categories like race, gender, religion, national origin, etc., and terminations of employees for “blowing the whistle” on violations of public policy.  If you are an employer contemplating the termination of an employee, or an employee who believes you have been wrongfully terminated, contact us for a legal review. Learn more about Wrongful Termination.

Severance Agreements

We have prepared numerous employment agreements and NDA’s for Silicon Valley employers, and are familiar with the most up-to-date contract language and legal interpretations.  We have also reviewed and negotiated many severance agreements.  View further information about Severance Agreements.

Wage-and-Hour Claims

We have represented both employers and employees in wage-and-hour claims, including issues such as meal breaks, pay stubs, overtime, and improperly characterized independent contractors, to name a few.  If you are an employer or an employee with a wage-and-hour issue, contact us for a review of your situation.