Charla practices in the Employment, Education and Health Care practice groups at McLane. She has extensive background addressing litigated and non-litigated employment issues such as discrimination, harassment, employee classification and wage and hour claims. She assists employers in responding to labor audits, preparing personnel policies and minimizing risk in the hiring, discipline and termination of employees. She conducts management and harassment training and works with employers to maintain legal compliance in a cost-efficient and effective way. Charla has worked extensively advising independent schools regarding risk management and policy writing with respect to issues involving both students and employees. She also has a diverse health care practice representing physician practice groups, health centers, mental health practitioners and ancillary providers regarding compliance, licensing, discipline and other issues. Her litigation background includes practice in the state and federal courts and before numerous state and federal administrative agencies such as the Department of Labor, the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Representative Work Charla is often called upon to represent businesses in preparing for and responding to state and federal wage and hour audits and in conducting workplace investigations. She has worked successfully with companies in a variety of industries to include manufacturing, health care, pharmacy, nonprofit, schools, health clubs, hospitality and service and sales in addressing their personnel and other business needs. She is a trained mediator and collaborative lawyer. Admissions & Recognition Charla is admitted in New Hampshire; Massachusetts; United States District Court of New Hampshire and Massachusetts and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a member of the American Bar Association, the New Hampshire Bar Association, the Manchester Bar Association, the New Hampshire Women's Bar Association and the Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts. Recognition: · Chambers USA: A Guide to America's Leading Lawyers (Labor and Employment) · BV Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell · Jack B. Middleton Pro Bono Legal Services Award 2008 · Board of Directors, NH State Council Articles · The Summer Workforce: Special Considerations for Seasonal Business · United States Supreme Court Extends Protection From Retaliation to Third Parties · United States Supreme Court Recognizes Cat's Paw Theory of Liability in Employment Cases · Is There a Bully in Your Workplace? · Exactly What is a Disability? · NH Steps Up Efforts to Ferret Out Employee Misclassification · Is Alimony Reform on the Horizon? Pending Legislation Suggests that Changes May be Ahead · Collaborative Law Comes of Age · Representation of Clients in Same Sex Parenting Disputes: Too Many Questions, Too Few Answers · Is Obesity a Disability? · Independent Contractor or Employee? Proper Classification of Workers is Critical · State and Federal Legislatures Expanding Benefits For Working Families · Traps to Avoid in Cutting Payroll Costs - No Such Thing as a Free Ride · New Hampshire Legislature Legalizes Same Sex Marriage: How Should Employers Prepare? · THE ADA AT WORK: Disability Discrimination Claims are on the Rise and the Evidence Takes Many Forms · Stimulus Includes HR Challenges: Economic Stimulus Plan expands COBRA benefits · Stimulus Package Expands COBRA Benefits: HR and Benefits Managers Must Take Immediate Steps to Respond · Fair pay act expected to make way for further federal legislation · Teens Hit The Workforce: Are You Ready For The Summer Influx of Young Workers? · Landmark Genetic Non-Descrimination Legislation Becomes Law · Creating and Managing a Diverse Team of Employees · New Race Discrimination Case Potentially Imposes New Obligations On Human Resource Professionals · Charitable And Educational Organizations Take Notice: New Hampshire's Law Against Discrimination May Now Apply To You · Effective Risk Management: Avoid Human Resource Claims By Training Your Managers · Today's Top 10 List: Ways To Avoid Human Resource Claims · Employers Beware: Rights of Undocumented Workers to Damages Upheld by New Hampshire Supreme Court · NH Law May Give Age Discrimination Protection For Young · Effective Risk Management: Responding To Complaints Of Sexual Harassment · Where Does the Physician's Duty to Warn End? · Avoid Getting Clawed - A guide to understanding the "Cat's Paw Theory of Liability" in employment cases · What You Don't Know Can Hurt You · THE LEDBETTER FAIR PAY RESTORATION ACT: Has it Changed the Way Employment Law is Practiced? · Worker Classification Settlement Program Offered by IRS - Is It Too Good to be True? · United States Supreme Court Rejects Gender Bias Class Action Against Wal-Mart: Lessons for Employers · Union Leader: KNOW THE LAW - Independent Contractors Filing for Unemployment - 02/2011 · Union Leader: KNOW THE LAW - "Linked In" - 06/2010 · United States Supreme Court Rejects Gender Bias Class Action Against Wal-Mart: Lessons for Employers · The Summer Workforce: Special Considerations for Seasonal Businesses · United States Supreme Court Extends Protection from Retaliation to Third Parties · United States Supreme Court Recognizes Cat's Paw Theory of Liability in Employment Cases · Union Leader: KNOW THE LAW · Is There a Bully in Your Workplace? · Exactly What is a Disability? · NH Steps Up Efforts to Ferret Out Employee Misclassification · Is Obesity a Disability? · Union Leader: KNOW THE LAW · Independent Contractor or Employee? Proper Classification of Workers is Critical · Is Alimony Reform on the Horizon? Pending Legislation Suggests that Changes May be Ahead · State and Federal Legislatures Expanding Benefits For Working Families · Traps to Avoid in Cutting Payroll Costs - No Such Thing as a Free Ride · New Hampshire Legislature Legalizes Same Sex Marriage: How Should Employers Prepare? · THE LEDBETTER FAIR PAY RESTORATION ACT: Has it Changed the Way Employment Law is Practiced? · THE ADA AT WORK: Disability Discrimination Claims are on the Rise and the Evidence Takes Many Forms · Stimulus Includes HR Challenges: Economic Stimulus Plan expands COBRA benefits · Stimulus Package Expands COBRA Benefits: HR and Benefits Managers Must Take Immediate Steps to Respond · Fair pay act expected to make way for further federal legislation · Collaborative Law Comes of Age · Teens Hit The Workforce: Are You Ready For The Summer Influx of Young Workers? · Landmark Genetic Non-Descrimination Legislation Becomes Law · Where Does the Physician's Duty to Warn End? · Creating and Managing a Diverse Team of Employees · New Race Discrimination Case Potentially Imposes New Obligations On Human Resource Professionals · Charitable And Educational Organizations Take Notice: New Hampshire's Law Against Discrimination May Now Apply To You · Charitable And Educational Organizations Take Notice: New Hampshire's Law Against Discrimination May Now Apply To You · Effective Risk Management: Avoid Human Resource Claims By Training Your Managers · Today's Top 10 List: Ways To Avoid Human Resource Claims · Representation of Clients in Same Sex Parenting Disputes: Too Many Questions, Too Few Answers · Employers Beware: Rights of Undocumented Workers to Damages Upheld by New Hampshire Supreme Court · NH Law May Give Age Discrimination Protection For Young · Effective Risk Management: Responding To Complaints Of Sexual Harassment · Independent Contractor or Employee, Granite State Builder Magazine (June 2010) · "Legislative Update" NHWBA - 2007 Developments in Family Law, (January 2008 - Present) · Advanced Issues in Payroll: Problem Solving and Beyond Lorman Education Services, (December 2007) · 6th Annual HealthCare Review, Portland ME, (September 2007) · Update on Legislation Changes in New Hampshire in New Hampshire Business Review, (July 2007) · Stevens and Rich, "Employer's Guide to Civil Unions" in New Hampshire Business Magazine, (June 2007) · Employee Handbooks: Equal Employment Opportunity and Harassment Policies Lorman Education Services, (May 2007) · Simple Ways to Prevent Avoidable Human Resource Claims, National Business Institute (February, 2006) · The Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act: New and Proposed Changes in Family Law, McLane Law Firm Litigation Department (January, 2006) · Legal Issues in Child Care Management, New Hampshire Association for the Education of Young Children (2003, 2004, 2005) · Complex Divorce Issues for the New Hampshire Paralegal, Institute for Paralegal Education, (2004) · Family Law in New Hampshire, New Hampshire Business Institute, (2003) · Evidence for the Litigation Paralegal in New Hampshire, Institute for Paralegal Education (2002) · Advanced Issues in New Hampshire Employment Law, National Business Institute (2002) · How to Litigate Your First Civil Trial in New Hampshire, National Business Institute (2001) · Advanced Discovery Issues for the New Hampshire Civil Litigator, National Business Institute (2000) · Representation of Clients in Same Sex Parenting Disputes in ABA Family Law Litigation News Letter Involvement American Bar Association, Member Section of Litigation (Co-Chair First Chair Press Committee; former Co-Chair Family Litigation Committee, Women Advocate, Health Law and Labor and Employment Law Committees), Section of Labor and Employment New Hampshire Bar Association, Member Labor and Employment (Vice Chair) and Health Law Sections; Dispute Resolution Committee New Hampshire Women's Bar Association (Programming Director) Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts (North Shore Committee) Society of Human Resource Management, New Hampshire State Council Director; Former Legislative Affairs Director International Association of Collaborative Law Collaborative Law Alliance of New Hampshire (Marketing and Public Relations Committee) SBANE North Shore High Tech Council (Women's Initiative Committee) Heritage United Way (Health Care Community Impact Team) Former Board Chair Child Health Services Former Board Chair Manchester Community Health Center (Also at Woburn, Massachusetts Office) |