Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.

Employment arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) techniques can help employers and employees achieve quicker and more efficient resolutions to employment disputes. Using ADR, especially arbitration, can reduce the burden and expense of litigation while maintaining fairness to all parties.

Ogletree Deakins’ Arbitration/ADR Practice Group assists employers throughout the country and across industries to create, roll out, and enforce employment arbitration agreements and other ADR programs. We advise employers on potential costs and benefits and on effective ways to structure solutions according to each employer’s goals, industry, workforce, and location.

Ogletree Deakins’ employment lawyers are experienced in all aspects of employment law, from day-to-day advice to complex employment litigation. Our litigation practice includes deep experience with myriad laws governing the workplace, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1991, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the WARN Act and many other federal and state laws. Our workplace dispute litigation experience includes matters involving protection of trade secrets and confidential business information, and restrictive covenants not to compete.

Ogletree Deakins has one of the largest business immigration practices in the United States and provides a wide range of legal services for employers seeking temporary business visas and permanent residence on behalf of foreign national employees. Our immigration practice group consists of experienced and dedicated immigration lawyers who work with domestic and international corporations and businesses in developing appropriate strategies to facilitate the international transfer of skilled employees. Our full-service immigration practice assists our clients in obtaining temporary employment visas for executives and managers, researchers and other specialized technical employees; obtaining permanent residence status for foreign nationals; assisting clients in planning for the immigration impact of mergers and acquisitions; and providing guidance with regard to I-9 compliance and related anti-discrimination provisions. To read more about the immigration services and benefits we can offer to our clients visit www.visatrax.com.

Ogletree Deakins understands that corporate acquisitions and restructurings can be complex and challenging. Clients need a business partner that can help them structure the labor and employment aspects of a transaction in a way that will provide transparent information on the costs of compliance with applicable laws and regulations at every stage of the deal. Our attorneys have assisted clients of all sizes across a wide range of industries, including private equity, technology, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, financial services, and more.

Our capabilities extend far beyond U.S. borders. In today’s global economy, many corporate transactions involve employees in more than one jurisdiction. Members of our Cross-Borders Practice Group have years of experience helping companies in all aspects of their global transactions. Our attorneys provide a unique integrated service that recognizes the material issues and business drivers of a transaction, as well as the practical considerations in getting a deal done while complying with the nuances of local laws. Our team is led by former in-house lawyers with extensive experience in corporate development who not only understand the employment law issues in divestitures, asset purchases, stock transactions, and mergers but who also have multidisciplinary experience that adds strategic value to the entire transaction.

Because our approach is different, we often handle the employment law aspects of transactions in partnership with general practice firms. As employment law practitioners, we understand the sensitive issues that arise during a transaction, and we advise our clients in a manner conducive to building rapport between the parties to a transaction. When the deal is over, the buyer and its new employees must begin a productive relationship, and we understand that the way a transaction is negotiated by outside counsel must not undermine our clients’ ability to move forward. Our advice is tailored to each client’s situation, providing a strategic approach to accomplishing the client’s business objectives while also aiming to avoid potential business disruptions and promote a smooth transition.