Employment

Structure Law Group, LLP Los Angeles employment attorneys are composed of attorneys who are highly experienced and skilled at representing and advising employers of all sizes. Whether your business is a small technology start‐up, a large publicly traded company or is at a stage somewhere in the middle, our goal will be to work with your executives and management to become your trusted, proactive advisors that counsels and guides your company to stay in compliance and avoid labor law disputes. Properly drafted and executed policies and procedures are the employer’s first line of defense against claims of discrimination, improper treatment, or wrongful discharge. To mitigate the risk of lawsuits from employees, experienced Los Angeles employment attorneys at Structure Law Group, LLP can help employers revise or create effective policies to govern employee behavior.

When disputes do arise, our litigation team will be there to step in and to resolve them quickly using a cost‐effective approach. Many of the attorneys at Structure Law Group, LLP have been selected for recognition in Super Lawyers, Northern California Rising Stars, Southern California Rising Stars, and/or have receive Martindale‐Hubbell®, AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated 5.0 out of 5.0.

To schedule a consultation with one of our Los Angeles employment attorneys, please call our office today at (310) 818‐7500. Prospective clients can also contact our office by submitting our online contact form.

The best way to avoid labor law disputes is to create consistent and well documented internal policies and practices that help protect a company from litigation or liability related to an employee’s claim. Many seemingly routine business decisions can be implemented in a way that eliminates or minimizes liability for your company.

SLG’s Los Angeles employment attorneys regularly advise Southern California executives and are called upon to draft documents including the following:

• Employment handbooks.
• Severance Agreements.
• Executive Compensation Agreements
• Non‐disclosure agreements
• Employment Contracts
• Executive Compensation Agreements

SLG’s employment attorneys also defend employers in the California courts and in front of the Labor Commissioner.

The simplest way that a company can avoid liability is to start with policies that comply with California labor law. However, both new and established companies in Los Angeles have difficulty staying in compliance with California labor law. That is not surprising, given that California has one of the country’s most complicated set of regulations.

California law has strict requirements related to anti‐harassment policies that should be in place. Not having the right policies in place is risky.

California and federal law also include statutes and regulations that relate to wage and hour issues such as overtime and meal and rest breaks that can be confusing to employers and can lead to substantial penalties even when companies are following the express wishes of their employees.

SLG attorneys work with Los Angeles employers to make sure that their employment practices are in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and provide advice regarding issues such as:

• Employee classification.
• Federal and state tax requirements.
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance requirements.
• Immigration law.
• Advertising of positions.
• Hiring decisions.
• Employee discipline, write up and termination procedures.

Structure Law Group, LLP’s Los Angeles employment attorneys counsel clients of all sizes, from a single member LLC to a Fortune 500 company, and know what is required and recommended for smooth employment practices. We highly recommend that companies create documents such as: consulting agreements, offer letters, invention assignment agreements, stock options plans, and executive incentive packages. SLG attorneys are ready to assist with the drafting and customization of these documents using SLG’s in‐house employment law document library.

SLG's Los Angeles business and employment lawyers are skilled at drafting employment agreements that are enforceable under California law. Los Angeles employers often retain SLG attorneys in order to protect their valuable intellectual property such as trade secrets, proprietary secrets, and other confidential information from disclosure.

In California, non‐compete clauses in employment contracts are generally unlawful; however, SLG's attorneys can still protect clients’ assets by drafting employment contracts which protect the client's sensitive business information and intellectual property within the bounds of the California’s laws. Additionally, when appropriate, Los Angeles SLG attorneys draft agreements applicable to both employees and independent contractors that include non‐disclosure provisions, confidentiality obligations, conflicts of interest disclosure provisions, and other narrowly tailored contract provisions.

Employee handbooks effectively provide employees with a detailed overview of a company’s policies and procedures. When properly drafted, employee handbooks will serve to set clear expectations for your employees while also stating your company’s legal obligations. They are effective tools that can help protect your business against employee lawsuits and claims, such as wrongful termination, harassment, and discrimination. They also provide a crucial introduction to your business for new hires, which helps new hires during the onboarding process to better understand your company’s mission and values.

SLG's Los Angeles employment attorneys are often called upon by our clients to draft clear and concise employment handbooks and have experience working with companies in many Southern California industries including technology, real estate and entertainment.

Some usual provisions in employment handbooks include statements that employees are "at‐will" unless they have a specific employment contract with the company that states otherwise. The handbook should also include an employer’s policies that prohibit discrimination and demonstrate compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other specific discrimination‐related laws.

Additionally, employment handbooks typically include the following topics:

• Work schedules.
• Accrual of leave benefits.
• Sick time and/or paid time off.
• Workers’ compensation information.
• Workplace safety.
• Intellectual property protection information.

A comprehensive and well‐thought‐out employee handbook allows a business to reduce its legal liability as well as its exposure to such accusations. SLG’s Los Angeles labor lawyers work closely with HR departments and executives to reviews hiring procedures, employment agreements, termination procedures and existing employment handbooks to ensure that potential liability is reduced as much as possible.

Employee terminations must be handled in a way that minimizes the risk of lawsuits and maintains the employer’s proprietary information. Structure Law Group’s employment attorneys assist companies by advising clients regarding severance procedures that are in compliance with California law. In addition to providing advice, SLG attorneys draft termination and severance agreements to help to minimize the risk of future lawsuits.

At Structure, our goal is to help our clients take a proactive approach that avoids later conflict. Here are some of the ways in which SLG attorneys help businesses prepare for this potentially challenging situation.

• Develop comprehensive policies for human resources departments for documenting unacceptable conduct, discipline and corrective actions, and other critical events leading up to the decision to terminate employment.
• Design checklists and guidelines that ensure that the decision to terminate employment can be supported by the law.
• Create written termination procedures that give the HR department a clear and consistent guide to handling and documenting a termination.

When terminating certain classes of employees, employers must be particularly careful. For example, if a terminated employee is over 40 years of age, special requirements must be built into the severance agreement to make it enforceable. SLG's employment lawyers are skilled at drafting severance agreements that avoid obstructing the employee's rights to work while balancing the employer’s needs.

When a Los Angeles area business is faced with an employee claim – whether from a current or former employee or contractor, Structure Law’s labor law team includes skilled and experienced litigators who will defend your company in court.

SLG’s goal is to help companies avoid litigation by drafting clear policies and agreements. In most situations, a clear employee handbook along with a consistent and well‐thought‐out set of policies and procedures reduces an employer’s exposure to litigation.

Yet, sometimes, despite a company’s best efforts, employers can end up in litigation ‐ often through no fault of their own. In these situations, SLG employment attorneys begin by exploring every available alternate dispute resolution option available such as arbitration prior to entering into litigation.

When litigation is inevitable, SLG's business litigation team will explore cost‐effective and efficient litigation strategies while defending their clients’ interests in court. In addition, SLG's employment and business litigation attorneys eagerly represent their clients in alternative dispute forums such as in front of the Labor Commissioner, and in arbitration and mediation.

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If you work at a Los Angeles business that would like to improve employee policies, create an employment handbook, draft employment or severance agreements, decide on stock options and compensation for executives, or have an employment dispute that needs resolution, the Los Angeles employment law attorneys at SLG will aggressively represent your interests and work to obtain the best outcome possible.

To schedule a consultation with one of our Los Angeles employment attorneys, please call our office today at (310) 818‐7500. Prospective clients can also contact our office by submitting our online contact form.