Practice Areas & Industries
Employment Law
Employment Law Counseling and Compliance
Our Employment Law attorneys advise employers on all matters related to their employees from pre-employment planning through employment separation. We are committed to providing timely and practical responses to achieve the client’s business objectives with minimal impact on operations.
We counsel employers in the following areas:
- COVID-19 employment law issues including furloughs, layoffs, reductions in force, statutory leave under the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Securities Act (“CARES”) and Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”), leaves of absence, work from home requirements and restrictions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”), and return to work requirements.
- Employee recruitment and hiring (including pre-employment inquiries and medical examinations)
- Offer letters
- Employment contracts (including non-compete, non-solicit, and confidentiality agreements)
- Performance evaluations
- Employee handbooks and policies
- Recordkeeping
- Training regarding discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment) and workplace violence
- Employment practices audits
- Workplace investigations
- Accommodations under the ADA, Title VII, and IHRA
- Employee discipline and separation (including severance agreements)
- Reductions in force
Our attorneys also work with clients to ensure compliance with the complex array of state and federal employment laws, including:
- Title VII and the Idaho Human Rights Act
- Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
- Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and the Idaho Wage Claim Act
- Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- COBRA
- Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
- Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA)
- Idaho Employment Security Law (unemployment insurance)
- Form I-9 (employment eligibility verification including E-Verify)
- Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act
Employment Litigation
Our attorneys regularly represent employers before administrative agencies, including the Idaho Human Rights Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the United States Department of Labor, the Idaho Department of Labor, and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. We have extensive experience in advocating for clients through alternative dispute resolution such as mediation or arbitration, and at trial and on appeal in state and federal courts.
We defend employers from claims of current and former employees, including the following:
- Discrimination
- Harassment (including sexual harassment)
- Retaliation
- Wrongful termination
- Wage and hour violations
- Leave violations
- Breach of contract
- Unemployment
- Failure to accommodate
- Whistleblower
We also have extensive experience litigating in the following areas:
- Breach of non-competition, non-solicitation, or non-disclosure agreements
- Misappropriation of trade secrets
- Temporary restraining orders/preliminary injunctions
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Interference with contract/prospective economic advantage
Lawyers Practicing in this area
-
Jeremy C. Chou - Partner
Partner
Administrative and Regulatory Law, Employment Law, Government Affairs, Litigation -
Bradley J. Dixon - Partner
Partner
Litigation, Employment Law, Construction Law -
Susan Heneise - Paralegal
Paralegal
Business, Finance & Banking, Employment Law, Litigation -
Brian J. Holleran - Partner
Partner
Business, Finance & Banking, Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy, Employment Law, Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate and Land Use, Road and Access Law, Tax and Estate Planning -
Tiffiny Hudak - Paralegal
Paralegal
Business, Finance & Banking, Employment Law, Litigation, Mergers and Acquisitions, Real Estate and Land Use, Tax and Estate Planning, Natural Resources, Water Rights -
Kersti H. Kennedy - Partner
Partner
Construction Law, Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy, Employment Law, Litigation, Media Law -
Matthew E. Liebertz - Associate
Associate
Litigation, Real Estate and Land Use, Employment Law -
Melodie A. McQuade - Partner
Partner
Litigation, Construction Law, Creditors' Rights and Bankruptcy, Employment Law -
Blake W. Ringer - Associate
Associate
Real Estate and Land Use, Administrative and Regulatory Law, Litigation, Employment Law -
Martha W. Turner - Paralegal
Paralegal
Administrative and Regulatory Law, Employment Law, Environmental Law, Healthcare, Litigation, Real Estate and Land Use -
Robert B. White - Partner (Executive Commitee Member)
Partner (Executive Commitee Member)
Employment Law, Litigation