Practice Areas: Labor & Employment

Employment Litigation

When our clients are sued, we vigorously defend their interests. We have extensive experience in every form of employment litigation, including all types of federal and state civil rights and anti-discrimination claims, trade secret and employee raiding claims, whistleblower suits and defense of Department of Labor enforcement actions. We also actively represent companies when unions have petitioned for representation elections. We have a unique, experienced team that is well equipped to relate to managers and employees, we appreciate the problems management faces, and we understand what is effective with employees.

The Right Team

We also assemble the right team for clients. We provide lean and aggressive staffing, in part because our deep bench strength and technological resources allow us to share the resources of the firm quickly and efficiently. Our technology allows us to conduct on-the-spot research, review sensitive employer communications on a moment's notice, and stay in the field longer. We also have extensive e-discovery capabilities that allow us to review, classify, tag and utilize electronic data quickly and cost effectively.

The Right Experience

We’re skilled at filing and arguing motions designed to terminate litigation early, thereby saving clients money. Some cases, however, cannot be resolved on a motion to dismiss or a motion for summary judgment. When that occurs, many national firms steer their clients towards settlement. At McGuireWoods, we pride ourselves on our trial experience in state and federal court and before juries, judges, mediators and administrators. We also have the talent and skill to take cases to a verdict when settlement is not in our client’s best interests.

That’s why Corporate Counsel magazine named McGuireWoods a "Go-To” law firm, highly valued by Fortune 500 clients. Of the 900 firms surveyed, we ranked 12th in labor and employment and 10th in litigation.

Representative Work

• Obtained a directed verdict in an age discrimination case in federal court in Milwaukee after plaintiff presented his case to the jury.
• Obtained a jury verdict in a Family Medical Leave Act case in federal court in Detroit.
• Successfully tried an OSHA whistleblower case to verdict in a state court bench trial in Virginia.
• Successfully opposed class certification in a class action brought by 13 named plaintiffs on behalf of a putative class of approximately 200 others. The plaintiffs alleged discrimination with respect to terms and conditions of employment, as well as a pattern and practice discrimination and a hostile work environment.
• Obtained summary judgment for a technology company against 56 former employees seeking severance benefits, statutory penalties and damages for alleged discrimination.