Labor & Employment Associate

Analyze novel and complex labor and employment legal issues. Assist with designing risk-based and client-practical solutions. Provide multistate labor and employment law compliance and avoidance advice to multistate employers. Advise and represent multistate employers in a wide range of labor and employment law matters, including recruitment and hiring, background checks, employee leave and reasonable accommodation issues, wage and hour matters, employee and independent contractor classification, FLSA exemption issues, performance management, employee discipline and termination, and retirement. Design and implement handbooks, policies, procedures, and other employee communication documents for multistate employers. Draft vacation and PTO policies and advise on multi-state paid sick and safe leave laws and paid family and medical leave laws. Draft and negotiate employment agreements, offer letters, senior executive agreements, retirement agreements, commission and bonus plans, incentive compensation documents, consultancy agreements, separation agreements, and settlement arrangements. Draft, negotiate, and implement multistate restrictive covenant agreements, including non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality agreements. Assist with implementing furloughs, reductions-in-force, and mass layoff policies. Oversee the labor and employment aspects of merger and acquisition transactions, including assisting with diligence projects, developing strategies for addressing any issues that are discovered, and revising representations and warranties in purchase agreements. Represent employers in responding to investigations conducted by administrative agencies, including the U.S. Department of Labor. Advise clients on Employee Retention Credit matters, the CARES Act, IRS notices, and relevant governmental orders, and represent employers in responding to audits conducted by the IRS with respect to the Employee Retention Credit. Defend employers against claims alleging all forms of discrimination, accommodation, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, and wage and hour by preparing and responding to discovery, drafting position statements and mediation statements, and drafting dispositive motions. Enforce or defend against allegations of breaches of restrictive covenants, theft of trade secrets, and raiding of employees by preparing for or responding to emergency applications for injunctive relief in restrictive covenant litigation. Defend employers against California wage & hour class actions and PAGA representative actions by responding to pleadings, preparing and responding to discovery, drafting mediation statements, and drafting dispositive motions. Requires: Juris Doctor degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school and a license to practice law in at least one U.S. State or the District of Columbia. 2 years of experience practicing as a labor and employment attorney in a national law firm. 2 years of experience drafting vacation and PTO policies. 2 years of experience advising on multi-state paid sick leave laws, safe leave laws, family leave laws, and medical leave laws. 2 years of experience overseeing the labor and employment aspects of merger and acquisition transactions, including assisting with diligence projects, developing strategies for addressing any issues that are discovered, and revising representations and warranties in purchase agreements. 2 years of experience advising clients on Employee Retention Credit matters, and analyzing the CARES Act and IRS notices, and representing employers in responding to audits conducted by the IRS with respect to the Employee Retention Credit. 2 years of experience defending employers against California wage & hour class actions and PAGA representative actions, including responding to pleadings, preparing and responding to discovery, drafting mediation statements, and drafting dispositive motions. Demonstrated experience providing technical labor and employment support to international clients, including the review of international treaties to advise clients on employment issues related to US workers in foreign countries and foreign workers in the US. Demonstrated ability to provide technical analysis of complex US federal, state, and local laws on employment topics to ensure compliance for multi-state national and international employers doing business in the US. Work from home available up to two days per week within normal commuting distance to the Kansas City office. Send resumes to Katie Penquite, Director ? Talent Acquisition, Husch Blackwell LLP, 4801 Main Street, Ste. 1000, Kansas City, MO 64112 or katie.penquite@huschblackwell.com. Required Juris Doctor degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school. A license to practice law in at least one U.S. State or the District of Columbia. 2 years of experience practicing as a labor and employment attorney in a national law firm. 2 years of experience drafting vacation and PTO policies. 2 years of experience advising on multi-state paid sick leave laws, safe leave laws, family leave laws, and medical leave laws. 2 years of experience overseeing the labor and employment aspects of merger and acquisition transactions, including assisting with diligence projects, developing strategies for addressing any issues that are discovered, and revising representations and warranties in purchase agreements. 2 years of experience advising clients on Employee Retention Credit matters, and analyzing the CARES Act and IRS notices, and representing employers in responding to audits conducted by the IRS with respect to the Employee Retention Credit. 2 years of experience defending employers against California wage & hour class actions and PAGA representative actions, including responding to pleadings, preparing and responding to discovery, drafting mediation statements, and drafting dispositive motions. Demonstrated experience providing technical labor and employment support to international clients, including the review of international treaties to advise clients on employment issues related to US workers in foreign countries and foreign workers in the US. Demonstrated ability to provide technical analysis of complex US federal, state, and local laws on employment topics to ensure compliance for multi-state national and international employers doing business in the US. #LI-DNI

Qualification

Juris Doctor (JD)

Practice Areas & Specialty

Counseling, FLSA, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Wage & Hour