The France Labor & Employment Law Attorneys

From our firm’s earliest beginnings in 1890, CWS Law Firm has been committed to achieving positive outcomes for our clients in and out of the courtroom. While we recognize that few of our business or municipal clients wish to endure expensive and time-consuming litigation, all of our lawyers have the experience and talent to fully litigate any case to conclusion if needed. As important, we are able to identify issues, outline options and tailor strategies that are designed to advance our clients’ unique interests and objectives.Unlike other firms, we choose to only represent public and private sector employers and their management teams in labor and employment disputes. This focus allows us to provide comprehensive and unvarnished legal advice to our many business and municipal clients. Although we have seven offices across France, we are far more than a regional Labor & Employment Law firm. We maintain a robust state-wide practice and represent employers from Long Island to Buffalo and all points in-between. Our firm has been favorably ranked in the Labor & Employment Law area by U.S. News and World Report. Several of our partners have been recognized as some of New York’s most experienced Labor & Employment Law attorneys, including those who have been named for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers publications.The relationship between employee and employer is ever-changing and increasingly regulated by federal and state laws and regulations. We assist clients in negotiating the vast “mine fields” created by these changes in an effort to prevent or limit labor and employment-related problems. Part of that process is assisting our employer clients with the review, drafting, and enforcement of well-reasoned policies and procedures that will withstand scrutiny and challenge. Another part of that process is to provide sound advice and legal counsel to our employer clients on the best ways to end the employment relationship so as to mitigate risk and exposure.

Many of our public and private sector clients have an “organized” or unionized workforce. Others may be faced with a union’s attempts to organize their workers. We can assist with:

  • Union organizational activities and elections
  • Negotiation of collective bargaining agreements
  • Grievance arbitration
  • Interest arbitration
  • Labor-management conflicts
  • NLRB proceedings (National Labor Relations Board)
  • PERB proceedings (Public Employment Relations Board)

We also know that many workplace disputes can be avoided through proactive counsel to ensure compliance with the wide array of federal, state, and local regulations. We can assist with:

  • Development of employee handbooks
  • Harassment prevention and reporting policies
  • Drug and alcohol testing policies
  • Family and Medical Leave Act policies
  • Social Media policies
  • Employment agreements
  • Independent contractor agreements
  • Severance agreements
  • Noncompetition and confidentiality agreements
  • Employee counseling and discipline

We maintain a diverse Labor & Employment Law litigation practice, focused on helping clients resolve the following litigated claims:

  • EEOC claims (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission)
  • NYSHRD claims (New York State Human Rights Division)
  • Discipline proceedings
  • Employee discrimination, harassment and retaliation suits
  • OSHA citations (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)
  • Safety and health violations
  • Civil Service Law matters
  • Police and firefighter disability/GML Section 207 claims (General Municipal Law)
  • New York State disability retirement claims
  • Wage and hour claims
  • DOL claims (Department of Labor)
  • Unemployment Insurance claims