Practice Areas & Industries: Crowe & Dunlevy, A Professional Corporation

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Crowe & Dunlevy is an acknowledged leader in the representation of management in the rapidly expanding area of labor and employment law. The Firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in all facets of labor and employment law and provide cost-effective quality representation to our clients. The Firm's attorneys were recognized as the leading management employment and labor law firm in Oklahoma in Chambers USA America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2003-2004.

Leonard Court and Gayle Barrett are listed in The Best Lawyers in America under Labor and Employment Law and were recognized as leaders in Oklahoma in their fields by Chambers USA America's Leading Business Lawyers, 2003-2004.

Leonard Court, Gayle Barrett, Madelene A.B. Witterholt and Randall Snapp have each served as Chair of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the Oklahoma Bar Association.

Additionally, the Firm's Labor and Employment Law attorneys are involved in a number of networks and professional resource groups, including the Employment Law Alliance, which give us access to the top management labor firms throughout the United States and the world.

Services Available

Types of services provided by Crowe & Dunlevy Labor and Employment Law attorneys include:

Employment Discrimination/Wrongful Discharge
Crowe & Dunlevy Labor and Employment Law attorneys have extensive expertise in the defense of discrimination claims and wrongful discharge actions. Services typically provided by the Firm's attorneys in this area include:

• Handling discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and equivalent state and local agencies
• Defending suits alleging discrimination or wrongful discharge
• Conducting periodic client training programs and legal updates
• Reviewing employer personnel policies, procedures and handbooks

Labor Union Matters

• Collective Bargaining - Crowe & Dunlevy represents many unionized companies. Among the services offered by our Labor and Employment Law attorneys are:
  • Coordination of Election Campaigns
  • Contract negotiations
  • Representation of management in grievance and arbitration matters
  • Advising management during strikes and other job actions
  • Practice before the National Labor Relations Board in unfair labor practice cases and representation cases

• Union Avoidance - The Firm frequently advises employers on avoiding unionizations and provides representation during union organizing campaigns and elections. By tailoring a campaign to specific worker concerns, Crowe & Dunlevy has assisted many clients in successfully avoiding unionization. Services provided by the Firm in this area include:
  • Designing management strategies to make unions less attractive to employees
  • Conducting training seminars for supervisory personnel concerning appropriate methods and procedures to avoid unionization
  • Serving as legal counsel during election campaigns
  • Advising management on union decertification issues
  • Defending suits alleging discrimination or wrongful discharge
  • Conducting periodic client training programs and legal updates
  • Reviewing employers personnel policies, procedures and handbooks

Wage and Hour Defense
Leonard Court chairs the United States Chamber of Commerce Fair Labor Standards Act Subcommittee, affording Crowe & Dunlevy a unique and leading edge perspective on current wage and hour developments.

Administrative Law
Crowe & Dunlevy represents management in defending charges and complaints filed with various state and federal agencies, including the following:

• U.S. and Oklahoma Departments of Labor
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• National Labor Relations Board
• Oklahoma Human Rights Commission
• Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
• Oklahoma Employment Security
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Workers' Compensation
Crowe & Dunlevy represents self-insured companies and private carriers in defending workers' compensation claims. The Firm also defends retaliatory discharge claims brought under the Workers' Compensation Act. By integrating workers' compensation defense with the broader employment representation, Labor and Employment Law attorneys are better able to assist clients in achieving their human resources goals.

Policy Development

Covenants Not To Compete
Crowe & Dunlevy regularly litigates cases relating to covenants not to compete, covenants not to solicit customers, and confidentiality agreements, among other restrictive covenants between employers and employees. The Firm also provides guidance and advice to clients who are drafting and revising such covenants.

Arbitration/Mediation

Newsletter
The Labor and Employment Law Section publishes a quarterly newsletter to update our clients and friends on the rapidly changing world of employment law.

Labor and Employment Law Attorneys
Because of the large number of legal specialties applicable to labor and employment law matters, the Labor and Employment Law Section includes both lawyers who devote substantially all of their time to labor and employment law matters, and those who work on labor and employment matters when their expertise in a specific area is needed.