LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

Sarles & Ouimet’s labor and employment practice represents employers in litigation and, perhaps more importantly to our clients, helps our clients avoid litigation in the first place. Sarles & Ouimet represents employers large and small, publicly-traded and private, on a wide variety of employment disputes. All of our attorneys have experience representing employers on employment issues. The experience gained from that representation allows attorneys at Sarles & Ouimet to counsel clients and provide innovative and proactive solutions to the issues that employers face every day.

Attorneys at Sarles & Ouimet have represented employers on a wide variety of matters involving employment law, employee benefits and labor relations. We have experience representing clients in the state and federal courts, both in trial and on appeal, and in arbitration. We also represent clients before the numerous state and federal administrative agencies that regulate employers, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), Texas Commission on Human Rights (“TCHR”), Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”), Department of Labor (“DOL”), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”), National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), and others. We also advise employers when investigations, audits and charges are instituted or threatened by these agencies.

In litigation, Sarles & Ouimet represents its clients on such employment issues as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, intentional infliction of emotional distress, tortious interference with contract, breach of employment contracts, breach of confidentiality and non-competition agreements, invasion of privacy, and defamation. Sarles & Ouimet also has extensive experience defending employee claims for benefits from a variety of plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”). Sarles & Ouimet has also represented employers on labor relations issues, including negotiations of collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”) and arbitrations of disputes that arise under them.

The employment practice at Sarles & Ouimet also has unique expertise advising employers whether to become a “nonsubscriber” under the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act. Many of our clients have enjoyed substantial savings in their occupational injury costs while remaining protected through an occupational injury benefit plan governed by ERISA. Sarles & Ouimet can not only provide the appropriate ERISA plan, but can represent employers on claims brought by employees for benefits or negligence, regardless of the plan’s insurance or funding source. Sarles & Ouimet has repeatedly obtained favorable results for its nonsubscriber clients both in court and in arbitration.

Meanwhile, the attorneys at Sarles & Ouimet also understand that employers would prefer, where possible, to prevent employment disputes from ever developing. Sarles & Ouimet proactively counsels its clients on a wide variety of employment issues and can review or help draft company policies, procedures and handbooks for compliance with state and federal law. Sarles & Ouimet’s attorneys also have extensive experience drafting, implementing and enforcing state-of-the-art arbitration policies and are uniquely qualified to advise their clients whether an arbitration policy may be appropriate for their business. Because Sarles & Ouimet will always strive to suggest and implement innovative and proactive solutions to potential problems, many of our clients consult with us on their day-to-day employment issues.

Please contact Gary Sarles with any questions or to discuss Sarles & Ouimet’s Labor and Employment Practice.


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