Advisor, negotiator, advocate...three words that best describe the roles which the attorneys in Verrill Dana's Labor & Employment Law Group fill (both individually and collectively) in meeting the diverse legal needs of our Labor & Employment clients. As advisor, our attorneys strive to anticipate problems and craft responsive strategies; as negotiator, our attorneys work to find creative solutions to protect our clients' interests; and finally, as advocate, they aggressively represent our clients in court and other legal forums. The common theme running through all three of these interrelated roles is simple and straightforward: to provide the highest quality service in the interest of the client with sensitivity to the employer-employee relationship.
Our Labor & Employment Law attorneys practice on a national stage; in addition to regular appearances in state and federal courts, they often appear before those state and federal agencies that create and enforce the various frameworks that regulate the employer/employee relationship. Areas of experience include matters involving wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, workers' compensation, wage and hour laws, employee privacy and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. They are active in labor management relations, union negotiations, representation elections and arbitrations. Advice on issues involving equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, employment contracts, non-competition agreements and public sector employment round out the inclusive list of services provided by Group members.
The attorneys in our Labor & Employment Law Group are experienced, aggressive and creative. Among other accomplishments, Group members have formulated and managed cutting-edge labor relations strategies in the construction industry, tried cases to verdict for one of the nation's largest defense contractors, and served as trial counsel for Fortune 500 companies in a variety of employment litigation matters. Our Labor & Employment Law attorneys stay abreast of topical trends and issues by serving on state and national legal organizations, participating in industry seminars, and contributing to professional journals, thereby adding value to client relationships on a continuing basis.
OSHA EXPERIENCE
Our attorneys are experienced in responding to significant construction and facility accidents, including death cases; performing internal investigations; and coordinating corporate and employee responses to federal and state investigators. They are skilled at identifying and coordinating expert consultants, and have overseen federal and state investigations, leading to compliance and penalty negotiations. Alongside coordinating multiple agency response, our attorneys aid in insuring compliance with applicable statutes such as emergency environmental response resulting from facility and construction accidents. They are experienced in defending manufacturers and service providers in cases of OSHA violations arising from workplace conditions and accidents.
Our attorneys assist clients with responding to notices of violation for workplace hazards and aid in the development of response strategies, including settlement negotiations where appropriate. They are well-versed in assisting clients in pre-inspection compliance, including working with insurance carriers to perform OSHA compliance inspections, drafting of appropriate employer policy language and instituting required OSHA training and record keeping. Our attorneys also work with facilities undergoing unannounced OSHA inspections, and coordinate the response to inspections.
They are experienced in reviewing all aspects of an incident to insure compliance with other environmental health and safety statutes, including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Oil Pollution Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
As a part of Verrill Dana’s comprehensive approach to representation of clients, the Labor & Employment Law Group maintains an active workers’ compensation defense practice. The lawyers leading Verrill Dana’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group each have more than 15 years of experience representing employers and insurers before hearing officers of the Maine Workers’ Compensation Board throughout the State, before the Workers’ Compensation Board of Directors and before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court. Verrill Dana’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group has also counseled clients facing fines and other penalties before the Board, and actively educates clients on all aspects of the law, including the intersections of workers’ compensation law and other pertinent workplace rules, regulations, and laws.
