Providing Answers For More Than 70 Years
Felhaber Larson has more than 70 years of employment and labor law experience. For clients throughout Minnesota and the Midwest, Felhaber is the law firm of choice on labor and employment matters of all types.
Our labor and employment law attorneys combine a deep understanding of our client’s business complexities with a high degree of legal and technical expertise in labor and employment laws and regulations. As a result, we have the in-house knowledge to evaluate needs and situations for our clients quickly and cost-effectively. Then, we determine the optimal answer or solution, enabling our clients to focus on their work.
Felhaber has a long and distinguished record of success in understanding its clients’ business needs and working to help find solutions. We thoroughly know labor and employment law, its applicability to our clients’ needs and situations, and we have an overarching interest in partnering with our clients to determine the most effective means within the law to accomplish their business objectives.
As a dedicated human resources and labor relations partner to our clients, our firm not only provides a comprehensive range of services in labor and employment law, but also acts as a trusted advisor. We regularly advise on a range of labor law and employment matters, enabling our clients to more effectively manage their work forces, remain in compliance, and avoid litigation.
Our practices cover every key area of labor and employment law, including:
- DISCRIMINATION & HARASSMENT DEFENSE
- EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
- EMPLOYMENT ADVICE & COUNSELLING
- EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, NON-COMPETES, AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
- LABOR RELATIONS – MANAGEMENT
- MANAGEMENT EDUCATION & TRAINING
- REGULATORY COMPLIANCE
If the need arises, Felhaber also offers comprehensive, experienced labor and employment-related litigation counsel and services.
Felhaber Labor & Employment Law Experience
DISCRIMINATION & HARASSMENT DEFENSE
Our attorneys have extensive experience defending employers facing claims of workplace discrimination and harassment. Working throughout Minnesota and the five-state region, our attorneys recognize that despite the best polices, practices, and trainings, claims can nonetheless arise. Committed to partnering with our clients to find solutions that best fulfill business goals, our discrimination and harassment defense attorneys provide full-scope representation that does not emphasize litigation but includes it as a response when appropriate. Our experience in defending employers in federal, state and local courts and agencies includes defense of employers for:
- Harassment investigations
- Age discrimination
- Disability discrimination
- Pregnancy discrimination
- Racial and national origin discrimination
- Religious discrimination
- Sexual/harassment and gender discrimination
- Sexual orientation discrimination
EMPLOYMENT ADVICE & COUNSELLING
Steeped in knowledge of the controlling law and the strategies that exist to maximize business advantage, we help our clients in Minnesota and the Midwest manage risk and create meaningful programs and practices to manage their workforce. We consider ourselves as partners to our clients in their businesses and we help clients answer their immediate problem and provide thoughtful advice and counsel on how to make those issues align with long-term goals and objectives. Our experience includes:
- Disability accommodation, including working to gather information from medical providers
- Employee discipline and discharge
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Employment policies, manuals and handbooks
- Employee or independent contractor determinations
- Government contracts and affirmative action
- HR audits
- Investigations
- FMLA and leaves of absence
- Minnesota and other state-specific requirements
- Personnel record retention and access
- Pre-employment testing
- Recruitment and hiring
- Retaliation and whistleblowing
- Risk assessments
- Strategic planning for HR
- State and Federal overtime and minimum wage
- Workforce reduction
- Workplace safety
- Wrongful termination
EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, NON-COMPETES & EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
A more mobile workforce and increased competition for talent make contractual definition of employment relations more important than ever. Our attorneys know the controlling law and options to make, enforce, and—when necessary—dispute agreements that cover the terms of employment and separations when a relationship ends. Our experience includes:
- Employment agreements
- Non-compete and non-solicitation agreements
- Retention and bonus plans
- Separation agreements
- Trade secret protection
Our history of serving the interests of business owners in union and labor issues has given us a depth of perspective and insights into solutions across the entire scope of issues that may arise when unions are or may have a role in employee workforce. Our experience includes:
- Contract negotiations
- Grievance arbitrations
- Interest arbitrations
- Mergers/acquisitions (pertaining to labor matters)
- National Labor Relations Board issues
- Unionization issues
- Union participation (including elections and decertifications)
- Unfair labor practice charges
- Work stoppages
MANAGEMENT EDUCATION & TRAINING
With more qualified attorneys available to train, counsel, and represent employers than any other law firm in the region, we have the most experienced employment law trainers in Minnesota and the Midwest. The multiple trainings we have conducted have produced a significant track record of success as prior course attendees see a meaningful decrease in the number of problem claims. Our high-impact management education and training services include:
- Discrimination and harassment prevention
- Effective documentation and communication practices
- Fair Labor Standards Act compliance
- Family and Medical Leave Act and leave issues
- Minnesota drug and alcohol testing policies
From safety to disability accommodations, status protection, and wages and compensation, the employer/employee relationship is subject to significant state and federal regulatory control and oversight. We know the rules as well as the step required to achieve or restore compliance across the multiple areas of compliance employers must navigate. Our knowledge-base includes the specific compliance requirements that exist within industries like banking, computers and technology, construction, and health care. Our regulatory compliance experience includes:
- ADA
- Fair Labor Standards Act
- Family and Medical Leave Act and state leave laws
- Federal, State and local agency investigations
- Minnesota Drug and Alcohol Testing Act
- Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) matters
- Unemployment compensation
- Whistleblower laws
- Workers’ compensation
Awards & Recognition
- Felhaber Law Firm has the most Minnesota attorneys certified as MSBA Board Certified L&E Law Specialists
- Felhaber Labor and Employment Practice – selected as one of the Leading Labor & Employment Law firms (Band 1) in the United States by Chambers and Partners
- Felhaber Labor and Employment Practice: Selected as Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”, Tier 1 Minneapolis, Labor Law: Management and Employment Law: Management
