Business, Employment and Labor Law Solutions
Our Business Service Group attorneys serve as advisors and counselors to business clients. Our attorneys work with different-sized businesses from large corporations to single-office businesses with a couple of employees. We are involved in various aspects of the day-to-day business and long-range planning of clients’ businesses. We help and advise all types of businesses, including limited liability companies, sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited partnerships, corporations, joint ventures, public entities and non-profit corporations.
Our attorneys strive to become trusted strategic and legal advisors to our clients by developing long-term relationships with businesses.
Areas of practice
Business and Corporate Formation and Ownership
Our attorneys advise clients on appropriate business entity choice and formation issues, as well as planning for succession, generational transfers and asset protection.
Business and Tax Planning
Our attorneys counsel companies on business financing, mergers, acquisitions and sales, employee pension plans, profit sharing plans, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), ERISA compliance, and design of qualified and non-qualified pension and profit sharing plans.
Business Litigation
The firm litigators have experience in issues that arise from owning and managing a business. Our firm litigates business disputes, breaches of contract, constructions claims, employment issues and many other disputes.
Business Transactions
Our attorneys advise and counsel clients on diverse business dealings. Our attorneys review, negotiate, and prepare various types of commercial, corporate, construction, real estate, shareholder, employment and financial contracts, transactions and agreements.
Corporate Regulations & Law
Our attorneys counsel businesses on management and ownership control issues, director and officer duties and liabilities, and shareholder rights and obligations.
Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy
The firm represents secured and unsecured creditors, creditors’ committees and trustees in bankruptcy reorganizations, arrangements, liquidations and workouts. Our attorneys pursue defense of claims of preferential payment and the enforcement of secured and priority claims, and conduct insolvency litigation before State Courts and the United States Bankruptcy Courts.
Employment and Labor
Our lawyers work to address client employment, labor and personnel-related matters, including the preparation of employee handbooks, employment agreements and labor negotiations.
Employee Benefits
We assist our business clients in developing fair employee benefit and compensation plans, including retirement plans and appropriate legal compliance. This group advises clients concerning application of benefits.
Employment and Labor Litigation
It is never easy when a business is involved in an employment lawsuit. Our attorneys understand that these lawsuits just take time away for running your business. Our attorneys have a breadth and depth of experience in employment and labor litigation, including complex areas of employment discrimination, unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, wrongful termination, workers’ compensation and employee benefits.
Employment Policies and Handbooks
Our attorneys advise corporate and business clients on the legal and human relations aspects of employment policies, including the development, implementation and application of policies. The firm assists our clients in developing their employee handbooks, which explain policies. Our attorneys help businesses ensure their handbooks are responsible to employer and employee needs and meet the requirements of current law.
Employment Discrimination
Our attorneys counsel clients concerning employment discrimination, including matters arising under Title VII of the civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and other applicable federal and state laws. The firm handles all aspects of this area, including administrative claims and litigation. Our attorneys provide advice regarding limiting potential liability.
Organization/Collective Bargaining
The firm has been advising clients concerning the application of the National Labor Relations Act since its enactment in the 1930s. Our attorneys experience ranges from strategies on union avoidance to compliance with laws regarding the proper conduct of elections, including the conduct of election campaigns. Our attorneys advise clients regarding appropriate collective bargaining stances and assist clients with actual negotiating. The firm applies the most recent advances in collective bargaining, including the concept of “win-win bargaining.” We have worked with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the National Labor Relations Board to achieve compliance with all appropriate laws and regulations. If a strike occurs, we can advise clients regarding appropriate conduct during strikes.
Workers’ Compensation
Our attorneys represent employers in all areas of workers’ compensation. These areas range from development of appropriate plans to reduce workers’ compensation premiums to the health and safety ramifications of workers’ compensation, which includes practice with OSHA.
Environmental Law
Firm attorneys counsel clients on environmental issues related to real estate and business transactions, as well as environmental compliance, liability and planning issues.
Financial Institutions
Our experience and knowledge in the financial industry relates to commercial borrowing, inventory and accounts receivable financing, trust management and letters of credit, as well as regulation of thrift institutions.
Health Care Law
The firm as a long history of diverse experience in the health care field representing hospitals, medical staffs, nursing homes, home health agencies, durable medical equipment companies, and group and individual medical practices.
Public Sector Law
The firm represents clients doing business with federal, state and local government agencies. Our attorneys also counsel municipal, county and township governments.
Public Utilities
Our attorneys in the Business Service Group have experience representing public utility companies. Clients include a broadcasting company, a wireless communication company, an investor-owned water utility company and an energy company.
Mergers and Acquisitions
Our lawyers have broad experience representing both sellers and buyers in transactions involving closely held and public companies, as well as regulated companies such as utilities.
Real Estate, Land Use and Construction
Our attorneys represent real estate developers, investors, construction companies, sub-contractors, material suppliers, and lenders in all aspects of real estate, development and land use, and construction matters. Our attorneys’ experience includes matters related to selling, acquisition (including Section 1031, exchanges), leasing, financing, subdivision, construction and zoning.