Employment Practices Liability

There are two aspects to our employment law capabilities. We represent employers, including executives and other management representatives, as defense counsel. Another distinct and separate team of attorneys represents employment practices liability insurers in coverage matters.

Representation of employers in this field requires knowledgeable attention to frequent legislative and judicial developments in the law. Through client advisories, we regularly notify our clients about current developments in the law that may affect their business. We advise and counsel our clients on preventative measures to minimize employment discrimination claims. We provide comprehensive training on various employment law topics including sexual harassment, wrongful termination, workplace privacy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other federal, state and local employment laws. We also review, draft and update employee handbooks and prepare hiring and firing documentation, employment agreements, separation agreements and related forms.

When a claim against our client is made, however, KB&R has the expertise and experience to resolve the dispute quickly and efficiently or try the case if necessary. Experienced in all phases of resolving employment disputes, we effectively defend employers at the administrative, trial and appellate levels. Our litigation experience includes defending employers in employment discrimination and harassment lawsuits, wage and hour claims, family and medical leave claims, wrongful termination and retaliations claims, breach of contract and a variety of business torts. We defend management and their employers, including for-profits, not-for-profits, financial institutions, education and municipal entities, in cases brought in federal and state courts, before local, state and federal civil rights agencies, industry arbitration and medical staff proceedings. We also advise clients on alternatives to litigation including arbitration and mediation. We effectively pursue those alternate dispute resolution mechanisms when our clients choose that option.

Active in the field since the advent of EPLI coverage, our attorneys have the experience and historic perspective necessary to represent insurers of employment practices. In this area of insurance, expertise in the underlying risk is critical to well-reasoned product development and effective claims handling assistance. Our attorneys are well known in the EPLI market, where we have developed a reputation for policy drafting, as well as swift and cost-effective coverage opinions, claims handling and coverage dispute resolution.