Labor and Employment

The Baker Botts Labor and Employment Practice represents employers nationwide in all aspects of labor and employment law.

Employment Litigation:
Our labor and employment lawyers have broad experience in all aspects of employment litigation including class actions and individual discrimination claims, workplace harassment claims, collective and individual wage and hour litigation, employment contract and wrongful discharge lawsuits, ERISA benefits and fiduciary duty claims, employment tort litigation claims, and hybrid employment/business litigation matters involving covenants-not-to-compete, theft of trade secrets and misappropriation of confidential/proprietary business information.

Our labor and employment lawyers also handle administrative proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Department of Labor, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and a variety of state and local agencies.

Labor Relations:
We are experienced in all aspects of a traditional labor relations practice, including union avoidance training, responding to union organizing campaigns, labor contract negotiations, labor arbitrations, and unfair labor practice and representation cases before the National Labor Relations Board.

Preventative Advice and Counseling:
We help employers achieve and maintain compliance with evolving federal, state and local employment laws such as hiring and disciplinary matters, issues arising under the Family and Medical Leave Act and other leave laws, workplace violence, privacy issues, workforce restructuring and downsizing, and reasonable accommodations of disabilities. We regularly conduct employee training and counseling programs and perform equal employment and wage and hour compliance audits. We also conduct internal investigations of workplace harassment and other complaints of workplace misconduct. In addition, we help employers prepare and administer affirmative action plans, OSHA safety programs, severance programs and related agreements, and employee manuals and policies, including substance abuse and leaves of absence programs and alternative dispute resolution programs.