Seward & Kissel has extensive experience in the employment field, and regularly counsels clients with respect to employment issues. Our primary clients in the employment area are financial institutions and investment fund managers. We advise our clients on all facets of employer-employee relations, including pre-employment inquiries, negotiating of employment and executive compensation agreements, non-competition agreements (and related contractual issues), issues that arise from hiring decisions, the application of discrimination laws, harassment complaints, the scope and enforcement of restrictive covenants, the employee’s duty of loyalty, whistleblower claims, equal employment opportunity matters, staff reductions, employment terminations, assembling business teams and compensation matters. We develop employee handbooks, manuals and other employment policies and procedures. Together with our Taxation and Employee Benefits practice, we handle executive compensation matters both for management and executives, including incentive and deferred compensation arrangements, stock options, employee stock ownership plans and benefits issues. Seward & Kissel is a leading adviser with respect to the particular employment issues investment fund managers encounter, including those that are building their businesses and others that are established.
In addition, many of our employment attorneys are experienced litigators in the employment area. Our attorneys handle all types of employment disputes in federal and state courts and also represent clients in proceedings before administrative and regulatory agencies, including the EEOC and state divisions of human rights, and in arbitrations before the NASD, NYSE, and other arbitration tribunals, such as the American Arbitration Association. We offer seasoned counsel with judgment and perspective in employment matters.
